MONTRÉAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 29, 2025--
FlightHub ™, a Momentum Ventures subsidiary and leading online travel agency that allows consumers to book cost-effective travel services, has launched its AI-powered travel agent, Mila. Designed to simplify travel inquiries and enhance customer service efficiency, Mila marks a transformative leap in the travel booking experience.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250129685451/en/
A True Travel Agent, Not Just a Chatbot
Unlike traditional chatbots, Mila operates as a true travel agent: she’s ready to assist FlightHub customers with bookings, cancellations, and itinerary modifications in real time. Contrary to most chatbots that redirect towards FAQ articles or give generic information, Mila has the ability to interact in multiple languages and is designed to address a diverse range of traveller needs all while ensuring that complex matters are seamlessly transitioned to human agents for a timely resolution.
Mila was developed by Momentum Solutions, a sister company of Momentum Ventures. Its team of engineers, data scientists, and customer experience specialists collaborated to create Mila, ensuring she delivers a valuable service while maintaining high standards of data privacy and protection.
“The intention behind Mila’s creation was to leverage artificial intelligence to establish a collaborative approach to customer service,” said Henri Chelhot, CEO of FlightHub. “She works alongside our team, removing tedious tasks and empowering agents to focus on complex, high-priority customer needs. This symbiotic relationship ensures our travellers receive the best possible service at every touchpoint.”
Mila: A Blend of Art and Technology
To fully bring Mila to life, FlightHub commissioned Montréal-based S16 Gallery to help create a physical representation of Mila, which now stands in the FlightHub office. Mila’s physical presence at FlightHub reaffirms her role as a part of the team.
"Mila’s physical presence in our office serves as a tangible reminder that AI can be both approachable and fun. To bring her to life, we partnered with an artist, making her more than just a virtual assistant. Through a video campaign where Mila directly engages with travellers, we’ve created a unique experience that blends innovation with a personal touch. It’s a way for us to connect with travellers on a deeper level—human, yet forward-thinking," said Ayoub Hissar, Director of PR & Marketing Strategy at FlightHub.
The Future of Travel Service
Mila has already achieved a significant milestone since her introduction on the FlightHub website: a high number of customer interactions are now handled entirely by Mila. Looking forward, FlightHub plans to continue refining Mila’s capabilities, with the goal of further enhancing customer service across the travel industry.
Watch the video of Mila’s introduction here.
About FlightHub
FlightHub™, a Momentum Ventures subsidiary, is a leading North American online travel agency (OTA) based in Montreal, Canada. FlightHub proudly serves millions every year, enabling more people to visit new places and explore new cultures. FlightHub aims to offer travellers the most affordable flights, optimal itineraries, and exceptional customer service. The leading online travel agency (OTA) believes that broadening travel possibilities and connecting people across borders increases human consciousness, reduces fear, and inspires positive change. Founded in 2012, FlightHub has facilitated more than 30 million connections.
Photo Credit: FlightHub
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Donald Trump is set to meet Thursday at the White House with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, whose political party is widely considered to have won 2024 elections rejected by then-President Nicolás Maduro before the United States captured him in an audacious military raid this month.
Less than two weeks after U.S. forces seized Maduro and his wife at a heavily guarded compound in Caracas and brought them to New York to stand trial on drug trafficking charges, Trump will host the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Machado, having already dismissed her credibility to run Venezuela and raised doubts about his stated commitment to backing democratic rule in the country.
“She’s a very nice woman,” Trump told Reuters in an interview about Machado. “I’ve seen her on television. I think we’re just going to talk basics.”
The meeting comes as Trump and his top advisers have signaled their willingness to work with acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who was Maduro’s vice president and along with others in the deposed leader's inner circle remain in charge of day-to-day governmental operations.
Rodríguez herself has adopted a less strident position toward Trump and his “America First” policies toward the Western Hemisphere, saying she plans to continue releasing prisoners detained under Maduro — a move reportedly made at the behest of the Trump administration. Venezuela released several Americans this week.
Trump, a Republican, said Wednesday that he had a “great conversation” with Rodríguez, their first since Maduro was ousted.
“We had a call, a long call. We discussed a lot of things,” Trump told reporters. “And I think we’re getting along very well with Venezuela.”
In endorsing Rodríguez, Trump has sidelined Machado, who has long been a face of resistance in Venezuela. She had sought to cultivate relationships with Trump and key advisers like Secretary of State Marco Rubio among the American right wing in a political gamble to ally herself with the U.S. government. She also intends to have a meeting in the Senate on Thursday afternoon.
Despite her alliance with Republicans, Trump was quick to snub her following Maduro’s capture. Just hours afterward, Trump said of Machado that “it would be very tough for her to be the leader. She doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect.”
Machado has steered a careful course to avoid offending Trump, notably after winning last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, which Trump coveted. She has since thanked Trump and offered to share the prize with him, a move that has been rejected by the Nobel Institute.
Machado’s whereabouts have been largely unknown since she went into hiding early last year after being briefly detained in Caracas. She briefly reappeared in Oslo, Norway, in December after her daughter received the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf.
The industrial engineer and daughter of a steel magnate began challenging the ruling party in 2004, when the nongovernmental organization she co-founded, Súmate, promoted a referendum to recall then-President Hugo Chávez. The initiative failed, and Machado and other Súmate executives were charged with conspiracy.
A year later, she drew the anger of Chávez and his allies again for traveling to Washington to meet President George W. Bush. A photo showing her shaking hands with Bush in the Oval Office lives in the collective memory. Chávez considered Bush an adversary.
Almost two decades later, she marshaled millions of Venezuelans to reject Chávez’s successor, Maduro, for another term in the 2024 election. But ruling party-loyal electoral authorities declared him the winner despite ample credible evidence to the contrary. Ensuing anti-government protests ended in a brutal crackdown by state security forces.
Janetsky reported from Mexico City. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
FILE - Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gestures to supporters during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro the day before his inauguration for a third term, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, file)
