By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is investing in artificial intelligence (AI) technology to improve customer experience and operational efficiency, starting with AI-driven voice bots and a unified data platform that aims to deliver more personalized engagement.
PAL Vice-President for Customer Experience Mark Anthony C. Munsayac said the company is piloting a proof of concept for its Generative AI-powered voice agent this quarter, which is designed to handle up to 80% of the tasks performed by live agents.
“The tool will use a natural-sounding bot powered by GenAI and will be able to perform up to 80% of the tasks that a [PAL] live agent can perform,” he told BusinessWorld on Oct. 15 here.
The AI voice agent will assist customers in checking flight status, rebooking, or canceling tickets. PAL expects the technology to automate 50-70% of inquiries, with the remainder handled by human agents.
“For PAL, by March 2026, we should be achieving the super AI agent status — that’s for e-mail, chat, and voice,” he said, noting that the transformation will allow AI to both answer queries and execute service tasks.
Since launching its GenAI chatbot in June, PAL has recorded a 45% deflection rate, indicating that nearly half of customer concerns are being resolved without human intervention.
Despite this, Mr. Munsayac said PAL will continue to maintain live agents to cater to passengers who prefer personal interaction, particularly from older demographics.
“Our strategy is human plus the AI agent working together. In the foreseeable future, I don’t expect PAL to get rid of live agents. We always want to give that option to passengers,” he said.
PAL currently receives up to 8,000 customer concerns daily, he added.
Beyond AI voice and chat, the airline is developing a unified communication platform that will consolidate customer-related data from marketing, services, and sales. The system will use machine learning to analyze customer behavior and generate targeted offers.
“It’s integrating and unifying all the customer engagement data that we have so we can get to know our customers on a personal level,” Mr. Munsayac said. “That can help improve customer experience and drive revenue for us.”
He said the system will also address data silos and ensure compliance with data privacy laws.
“When we offer you something, it’s not random — it has to be something relevant to your trip or to you as a person,” he said.
According to the 2025 State of Customer Engagement Report by US-based cloud communications firm Twilio, 71% of Philippine consumers are willing to spend more when a brand’s engagement is personalized in real time.
