Alaska Airlines has had the same thing from Next IT with "Jenn" since February 2008. http://blog.seattlepi.com/venture/archives/131303.asp On Thu, Jul 30, 2009 at 12:22 PM , Roger LaFrance wrote: > Continental Airlines Revolutionizes Customer Support With Online > Virtual Expert > > > First network carrier to utilize online human emulation technology > HOUSTON, July 30 > /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) today > launched Virtual Expert technology, a new feature at continental.com, > offering customers 24-hour support on the Web for all their travel > needs. "Alex," the airline's Virtual Expert, interacts with customers > to easily and effectively interpret requests and provide accurate > answers to travel needs. Continental is the first network carrier to > offer human emulation technology. From booking a flight, to helping > customers understand visa > requirements for international travel, Alex allows Continental to > provide the same high-touch service available within the call center > environment, for customers on the Web. "Continental.com is our > one-stop shop for travel planning and > information and Alex quickly and accurately guides our customers to > the > answers they're looking for," said Mark Bergsrud, senior vice > president > of marketing programs and distribution at Continental Airlines. "We > are > constantly looking for ways to improve our ability to deliver the best > customer experience, and Alex will be an invaluable resource to our > customers." Developed by Next IT, the new technology emulates not only > the look and > voice of a human, but also the ability to understand the intent of > phrases and dialog, guiding customers to information and making > continental.com a one-stop shop for travel planning and information. > Customers visiting continental.com can click the Alex icon to open a > chat window where they can enter a question. Alex responds with both a > written and spoken response. The customer is then automatically > navigated to the specific place on continental.com that answers the > question and provides other helpful links in the chat window. Prior to > launching the technology, Continental tested the product with > 3,000 of the airline's most frequent flyers and with reservations > agents at Continental's call center in Salt Lake City. Reservations > agents at Continental are using the Virtual Expert > technology to answer customer questions and improve the customer > experience during calls. The Virtual Expert helps agents locate > information quickly. Continental's Virtual Expert is one of the many > services that the > airline has introduced to improve the overall customer travel > experience. Continental was one of the first carriers to offer > customer-driven technology that allows passengers to take control of > the check-in process through kiosk self check-in. As a result, > Continental customers enjoy one of the shortest line waits of any > major > airline and employees are better equipped to offer more personalized > service. Continental's paperless boarding pass program allows > travelers > to receive boarding passes electronically on cell phones or PDAs when > traveling from more than a dozen airports throughout its system, its > EliteAccess program provides qualified customers priority check-in, > security screening, boarding and baggage handling, and its corps of > more than 300 specially selected and trained concierges provide > individualized pre-and post-flight services for its BusinessFirst > customers worldwide. Continental Airlines is the world's fifth largest > airline. Continental, > together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more > than 2,750 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, > serving 133 domestic and 132 international destinations. More than 750 > additional points are served via current alliance > partners. With more than 43,000 employees, Continental has hubs > serving > New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with its regional > partners, carries approximately 63 million passengers per year. > Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, Continental consistently > earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its > corporate culture. For the sixth consecutive year, FORTUNE magazine > named Continental the No. 1 World's Most Admired Airline on its 2009 > list of World's Most Admired Companies. For more company information, > go to continental.com. SOURCE Continental Airlines /CONTACT: > Corporate Communications of Continental Airlines, +1-713-324-5080, > corpcomm@xxxxxxxxx /Web site: http://www.continental.com /Web site: > http://www.continental.com/company/news (END) URL for this article: > > http://www.smartmoney.com/news/PR/?story=PR-20090730-002293-1308&cid=951 > > <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > > If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an > E-mail to: > "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". Within the body of the text, only write > the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE". <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an E-mail to: "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". Within the body of the text, only write the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE".