Aeroméxico has focused on digital transformation including a new website, app, and chatbot/Messenger services. Mexico has high usage of messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Aeroméxico launched services on Messenger in 2016 including a simple chatbot for flights and FAQs. In 2017, they added natural language processing and neural networks to their chatbot to automatically answer 10% of customer questions. They are now piloting WhatsApp customer service to provide a personal experience through messaging instead of calls.

1. It’s not *just*
about the bot
________________________
Brian Gross
VP Digital Innovation
Aeroméxico

2. About
Aeroméxico

3. Heritage

4. Now!

5. 2015-2016
• Insourced, staff 5 à 80
• New website, app,
check-in kiosks
• API
• Chatbot / Facebook Messenger
• Doubled Web as % of sales
Digital transformation
Support profit – customer experience - brand

6. We were focused
on Web, mobile,
social, but
meanwhile…

7. Mexico is crazy
for messaging…
Highest use in the world!
#1WhatsApp
#5Facebook Messenger
• Friends and family
• Service professionals
• Work groups
• Social groups
app in Mexico app in Mexico
122m

8. Then three things
happened…
Q2 2016

9. Messenger
bots launched
AI
Aeromexico API
API
Web
Kiosks
Q2 2016

10. • Facebook partner
• Early testing
• Featured at F8 2017
• Mexico City / Guatemala
• Aeroméxico
• Walmart MX
• Elektra
• Coppel
Live bots:
Partner
Yalochat.com

11. So we launched services on
Messenger:
1. Simple chatbot “Aerobot”
(no AI)
2. Search flights (link to Web to buy)
3. Track flights
4. FAQ
5. Request human agent
Sept. 2016

12. Now, most functions of any airline chatbot
(Spanish m.me/AeromexicoMX)
• Ask any Question
• Flight deals of the week (push)
• Shop/buy flights
• Check in & boarding pass
• Track flight
• Flight push notifications
• Recommendations
(hotels, restaurants, etc.)

13. The killer app: customer service!
Phase I – April 2017
• NLP Q&A, Spanish
• Neural network trained on
4 months worth of voice,
chat, and Twitter
conversations
• Quick answers, links, chat
functions (check in, flight
search etc.)
• System learns - AI
How much luggage can I take?
How do I get a job at Aeromexico?
My suitcase didn’t get here
How much is a flight to London?
Is my flight on time?
Do I need a visa to Canada?
During campaigns
promoting Aerobot, 10%
of the total questions
coming into AM (calls,
emails, tweets, etc.) were
automatically handled by
Aerobot
m.me/AeromexicoMX

14. Check-in and
push notifications
for your flight
m.me/AeromexicoMX

15. Flight deals of the week
m.me/AeromexicoMX

16. We’re in the global press and winning awards,
and on the radar of Facebook global product mgrs
Aeromexico featured as a leader
in Messenger at
Facebook global conference (F8) 2017, the
only Latin American company

17. WhatsApp
#1app in Mexico
*Test

18. Sep. 5th 2017, WhatsApp announced
pilot of enterprise-scale customer service
• Multiple agents connected to one WhatsApp
service phone number
• Aim = a great personal experience
– not pushing bots or AI per se
– fast, efficient and personal service channel
• Service-related, nothing soliciting sales
• Aeromexico is participating in the pilot currently
with external users

19. Customer service:
Text and multitask (or relax) – vs. – call and wait…

20. Just say what you need
• We will detect if you need
– answer to an FAQ,
– change your flight,
– track a flight,
– check our schedules/buy a ticket, etc.
• Simple questions generate automated responses
like Simple answers, links to pages on our mobile-
friendly site, etc.
– when >confidence threshold that answer is correct
• Human agents step in, if < threshold %, and any
time on request

21. Payments in chat
• Adyen

22. bgross @ aeromexico.com
lab7.aeromexico.io
Thank you