Why is Virgin Atlantic Investing in OpenAI Solutions?

Virgin Atlantic has launched an AI-powered concierge service on its websites for the airline and its holiday business. 

Developed in partnership with OpenAI and digital design firm Tomoro, the system allows customers to plan and book their travel using text, voice or image commands.

The Concierge is designed to manage a range of customer needs, including flight searches, holiday bookings, and queries related to its Flying Club loyalty programme. 

The system is also equipped to handle general support questions, learning from conversations to suggest relevant options. A mobile application with the same features is planned for a 2026 launch.

Siobhan Fitzpatrick, Chief Experience Officer at Virgin Atlantic, says: “Our new Concierge reimagines how we connect with our guests. It listens, understands and responds, helping to plan holidays and flights with the same intuitive care you’d expect from our teams.”

The airline explored enterprise AI for several years before selecting OpenAI as a key partner. According to Oliver Byers, Chief Financial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, the decision followed successful pilots of ChatGPT Enterprise with internal teams.

CFO perspective on enterprise AI spending

For Oliver, the business case for the investment was clear. As a smaller airline, Virgin Atlantic faces competition from larger carriers with more extensive resources, and technology presents an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage.

“Being a smaller airline compared to our global competitors means we need to find smart ways to offset scale disadvantages. Leading-edge technology gives us that edge,” he says.

The airline now employs hundreds of custom GPTs across its departments. Development teams utilise AI coding tools like Codex to accelerate feature deployment, while HR has created GPTs to answer policy-related questions. 

The finance teams are also using AI to analyse performance data and help draft reports.

“We can see the benefit that it brings day to day…from small-scale trials that we ran all the way through to larger-scale programmes that we’re now running – it’s delivering tangible benefit. From any CFO’s perspective, you can’t ignore it – you’ve got to embrace it,” Oliver explains.

AI adoption and engineering results

The impact on engineering has been notable. The speed of writing and testing code has increased, which allows new features to reach customers more quickly. In an industry where the digital experience can influence booking decisions, this speed is a key factor.

“We’ve seen massive adoption of the technology...ultimately what that results in is us getting more code written at a faster pace in front of our customers to give a better experience,” Oliver says.

The Concierge project involved more than integrating OpenAI’s APIs. Tomoro collaborated with Virgin Atlantic to adapt the airline's distinct service style for a chatbot interface.

Building the customer service experience

“We’ve worked closely with Virgin Atlantic to capture what makes their service special: the warmth, the expertise, the personal touch their team brings to every interaction,” says Sam Netherwood, Co-founder and Head of Design at Tomoro.

“Using OpenAI’s technology and our expertise building intelligent customer service experiences, we’ve helped bring Virgin Atlantic’s exceptional hospitality to digital channels.”

The system is designed to handle straightforward queries with AI while escalating more complex or sensitive issues to human agents. 

To measure the effectiveness of the Concierge, Virgin Atlantic tracks engagement rates, satisfaction scores, and revenue.

Nicolai Skabo, EMEA Enterprise Leader at OpenAI, notes that the company’s approach demonstrates how airlines can use AI for both internal tools and customer-facing products.

“We’re proud to help Virgin Atlantic bring the benefits of AI to every part of its business – from giving employees smarter tools to powering new customer experiences. With its new digital Concierge, Virgin Atlantic is integrating advanced intelligence into each stage of travel,” he says. 

“Travellers get personalised support by voice, image, or text, showing how leading brands like Virgin Atlantic can deliver intuitive, on-brand service at scale to elevate service and streamline operations,” says Nicolai.