Otto The Agent, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered travel assistant, has been released after a nine-month closed beta.
The assistant is backed by Madrona Venture and former CEOs of Orbitz, Expedia, and Concur.
“Otto values freedom and simplicity,” said Michael Gulmann, CEO and founder of Otto The Agent. Mr. Gruman previously served as Expedia’s Senior Vice President of Consumer Products and Egencia’s Chief Product Officer and Senior Vice President of Marketing.
“Business travelers deserve more than a search box. Otto acts like a true travel executive assistant, anticipating needs and resolving issues in real time. When something goes wrong, like an airline grounding, Otto steps in like the best EAs do, finding new options and keeping you on schedule without stress.”
Conversational assistants can complete “complete travel transactions” within a user experience that starts with a simple user prompt. The company said users will not be redirected to the website or have to re-enter personal or payment information. According to the company’s website, the transaction is completed by telling Otto to “make a reservation.”
Steve Singh, founder of Concur, executive chairman and CEO of Spotnana, and executive chairman of Otto the Agent and Direct Travel, said Otto brings concierge-level intelligence that was once reserved for senior executives and deploys it at scale using AI.
“The future of business travel is personal, predictable and effortless,” says Singh.
The assistant can connect to travelers’ calendars, learn their personal preferences, and proactively plan trips. Automatically process your flight, hotel, and loyalty information and adjust your itinerary if your plans change.
Otto The Agent has partnered with Direct Travel to launch a pilot program with two anonymous companies.
Travelers can access Otto through the web, mobile app, or email interface that integrates with Microsoft 365 and Google Calendar. Otto also integrates with Spotnana and Booking.com. If the user prefers to speak with a human, Otto can provide a phone number to receive the service through Direct Travel.
