Lufthansa introduces chatbot called Mildred

Airline Lufthansa is the latest travel firm to introduce a chatbot to assist customers online. Mildred, as she’ll be known, runs through Facebook Messenger and re-directs passengers wanting to book to the Lufthansa website. She looks for the cheapest flights in the next nine months and users can narrow their search to specific dates and … Continue reading Lufthansa introduces chatbot called Mildred

Airline Lufthansa is the latest travel firm to introduce a chatbot to assist customers online.

Mildred, as she’ll be known, runs through Facebook Messenger and re-directs passengers wanting to book to the Lufthansa website.

She looks for the cheapest flights in the next nine months and users can narrow their search to specific dates and booking classes.

The avatar is described by the airline as “a friendly lady” and is pictured with glasses and pink hair.

Mildred uses natural language processing in both English and German.

“The production depth of Mildred is already significant but it is important for us to launch a beta version to give her the chance to learn,” said Dr Torsten Wingenter, head of digital innovations at Lufthansa.

“In the digital world, the speed and mindset of start-ups counts, which involves quickly testing a new version and integrating feedback from the target group. Mildred will initially understand German and English, and other languages will follow.”

The search is available to iPhone and Android users via the free Facebook Messenger app. To start the dialogue, users must enter “Lufthansa Best Price” into the search window.

Customers can use Mildred on desktop by going to mildred.lh.com and signing in via Facebook.