Planning the perfect vacation or business trip often starts simply but quickly descends into endless scrolling, comparing destinations, juggling flight prices, and wading through traveler reviews. The airport experience further compounds this stress, with confusion and congestion adding layers of anxiety for travelers. Unveiling its offering at the recent SXSW 2025 conference, Alaska Airlines is addressing these travel challenges head-on with its new genAI platform that aims to streamline and personalize the trip experience, making it conversational and efficient while reducing the chaos traditionally associated with travel.

Bernadette Berger, Director of Innovation at Alaska Airlines, highlights how guest feedback inspired the creation of this AI-powered tool. “Over the past year, we’ve transformed the ‘Day of Travel’ experience at key airports with rapid, self-serve solutions,” said Bernadette. “The right combination of real-time information, personalized self-serve options, contextualized wayfinding, direct text messages, and carry-on confidence will make for a stress-free and seamless boarding flow.”

Reducing Baggage and Boarding Anxiety

Berger emphasizes that the goal is not to just simplify trip planning but also to improve the entire airport journey. “Our guests value predictability, less time in lines, and fewer manual interactions. AI-driven automation, from bag tagging to boarding, lets travelers spend their time at the airport however they choose, away from crowded gates and queues,” she explains.

To combat boarding anxiety, especially related to carry-on baggage, Alaska Airlines has piloted advanced computer vision at gates to manage carry-on counts accurately. Berger elaborates, “Baggage anxiety causes guests to crowd around gate areas prematurely. By using AI to track carry-on space accurately, we help guests relax, knowing their luggage will fit on board.”

Personalized Navigation and Stress-Free Boarding

One of the biggest stressors travelers face is airport navigation and gate congestion. Berger says, “Congestion and confusion are top concerns for our guests. AI allows us to provide personalized, contextualized information directly through our app. Imagine being at a café, getting a text with a gate-change notification, and being shown exactly how long your walk will take.”

The company is also launching an AI-powered wayfinding tool within their app, designed to cater specifically to diverse traveler needs. “Whether you’re navigating with children, require accessible routes, or prefer directions in another language, our personalized AI navigation tool significantly reduces airport stress,” Berger notes.

A Human-Centric AI Strategy

AI integration at Alaska Airlines isn’t about replacing human interaction, but enhancing it. Berger highlights the airline’s AI strategy as follows: “We’re transforming customer service agents into hosts, shifting repetitive tasks to automation. This lets agents focus on meaningful, personalized interactions. Not all guests require personal attention, but when they do, the difference can be profound.”

Alaska Airlines maintains rigorous standards for the ethical use of AI, guided by the NIST AI Risk Management Framework. Berger explains, “Transparency, fairness, and security are cornerstones of our AI implementations. We rigorously monitor our AI applications to ensure they meet high standards of ethical responsibility and customer trust.”

The Future of AI in Travel: Personalized Digital Assistants

Looking to the future, Berger is excited about “AI Agentics”, envisioning personalized digital assistants that seamlessly guide travelers throughout their entire journey. “Imagine planning family trips effortlessly, with your AI agent adapting plans instantly in response to disruptions and suggesting unique, less crowded destinations to help tackle overtourism,” she envisions.

Airlines around the world are already beginning to explore similar approaches. Expedia’s AI integration and KLM’s AI-driven baggage management highlight broader industry trends toward automated personalization. Alaska Airlines is aiming to further push the innovative envelope in travel by aiming for comprehensive AI integration from booking to boarding and beyond.

Berger summarizes the company’s vision succinctly, “Our ultimate goal is reducing travel anxieties and enabling deeply personalized, enjoyable travel experiences. At its core, AI is about enhancing humanity in travel, not replacing it.”