Delta CEO Says AI Has No Soul — His Airline Uses It To Price Your Ticket [Roundup]

by Gary Leff

News and notes from around the interweb:

  • Delta CEO warns against use of AI as his own airline now uses it to set ticket prices.

    He says he experimented using it to draft his commencement address at Emory, but:

    I also noticed the lack of soul nor warmth it conveyed. It was not my personal voice, and it did not express my genuine appreciation for the opportunity to impart my insights to thousands of you. You want to hear from me, not some algorithm of me.”

    So, instead of delivering a lackluster AI-powered speech, the 68-year-old scrapped the draft entirely. “So don’t worry,” he said. “I threw it away and took pencil to paper,” drawing applause from the crowd.

    Which of course misses the point, because:

    1. assistants help on speeches all the time, with varying degrees of mimicing their principal’s own voice, how is an AI research assistant even different in that regard?
    2. you get what you prompt, and if he hadn’t fed it content in his voice to learn off of how would it return language that sounded like him?
    3. why do we think that today’s limitations on AI will last into tomorrow? We know that they can be optimized for creativity even if that’s not where researchers started for most public models. Bastian was just going for cheap applause.

  • While it can do aerial refueling, Beijing pushes the range of the current 36-year old Boeing 747-200s used as Air Force One.

  • You’re supposed to dress up for flights, this administration said: ‘The Golden Age of Travel Begins With You’

  • At the end of the Biden administration, TSA awarded the contract for private screening at SFO airport to a new company, the first change there since the beginning of the Screening Partnership Program. The incumbent protested, arguing that the new company wasn’t as experienced (by definition, no other company had experience doing screening at as large an airport under the program, since SFO is the largest) and their cost projections were off. Now it’s a lawsuit.

    Most striking though is it’s a reminder that TSA picks whomever it pleases as the private contractor, and the local airport isn’t the one that selects the provider.

  • I have to hand it to American, their twitter responses are timely.

    They could be like Amtrak….

  • Short flights are popular. Will they last?

    The NPR piece does not mention TSA. Longer airport transit times make flying less efficient over short distances. The piece does not mention pilot costs, which make smaller planes less economically efficient (fewer passengers to amortize cost over). And the piece does not mention rising airport costs (cost per enplanement) which are a much higher percentage of trip costs against a low fare that a shorter flight might command.

    However, we can expect more shorter flights in the future with short takeoff and landing aircraft coming online in a few years that should change the economics.

  • A critique of the beef stir fry served on Air Force One enroute to China. It’s certainly correct that reheating braised beef is easier (soups tend to hold up well also).

    I do have to give them credit with the meal for this, though:

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. Why would you send a tweet if locked in an airplane bathroom?

    As far as AI. I think it’s fine if airlines use AI to better price fares but just own up to it. No human can handle that task to any measurable level.

  2. Listening to Ed wax poetic about AI not having a soul while my “premium” 737-900ER flight yesterday (N939DZ) from RDU to ATL lacked outlets, USB ports, IFE, nothing. But lots of free…water.

    Wonder what Claude suggests Ed should do next, lol.

  3. Ed’s incompetence becomes more and more evident the more of his senior people leave Delta.

    He was always a bad mouthpiece for others’ brilliance.

  4. This guy and his airline are a laughing stock. Do us a favour Eddie and move to Canada lol

  5. Gary could stand to use a little human intelligence to proofread his articles He doesn’t even need AI. Just someone with a brain – which does not include Gary who is more interested in clicks than being accurate.

    DL doesn’t use AI to price tickets. Linking an assertion proves how bad Gary’s logic and writing actually is.

    but he’s home for his daughter, so he has that going for him. right?

  7. I’ve boycotted Delta due to their predatory business behavior long before
    they were ripping folks off with AI

  8. Bastian is certainly in a position to recognize the lack of a soul in others – kindred spirits.

  9. Paul Haung is a little Chinese food bitch. If I were the Donald, I’d say “get off my plane”. Really, who the F is this guy? And even AF 1, it’s still airplane food.

  10. @Jim LeJeune — Oof. No. I doubt Canada wants him or any of this. They actually seem to care more about workers and consumers up north. That said, I sure wish we’d adopt better regulations like their APPR.

    @George Romey — You just can’t resist shilling for corporations, can you? These tools are designed to maximize profits at the consumer’s expense. I thought you still ‘work for a living’ and travel frequently. Why do you want to pay more?

  12. Yep. Been on N939DZ a couple of times ATL-EWR over the last couple of years. The seatback semi-permanent signs say the IFE, etc. is a work in process but there is no plan to ever fix this plane. 2+ years and counting.

  13. If the 35 to 50 seat turboprop segment hadn’t been regulated to economic futility, the U.S. short-haul air transport market would likely be more robust.

  14. @ Tim — That’s right, Tim, “at least he’s home for his daughter,” not relegated to the terminal floor in ATL due to Delta’s IT failures.

  15. I would eat the Air Force One food without complaint. I have never seen a chef making food on an airplane, but then again I am not rich. The food looked better than almost all of what I have seen on an airplane. In fact, I cannot remember seeing better. Yeah, the spring rolls could get a bit soggy on one side but they will be soggy after I eat them anyway. As for the fortune cookie, the message could probably be easily made with a computer.

  16. Who the eff is Paul Huang? He gets a ride on Air Force One and complains about the food? Here’s to hoping he gets sent home on Delta.

  17. there are more people that have ever slept on the floor of terminals at ORD and DFW than ATL.
    Fact.

    again, AI could help what some people write.

    Gene included

  18. While the current AF1 planes (the 742s) can refuel in air, I don’t believe they ever have while a President was on board (maybe the 9/11 flight??). They practice it when there are no pax. None of the 748s to be used will be able to refuel in the air, I believe. Commercial 748s have a 2,160km longer range, though.

  19. Ed Bastian is a loser. Maybe it’s not AI pricing his tickets, but whoever in DL thinks that ppl will pay ~$2,500 for a 7 hrs ATL-LHR non-stop in coach has lost his intelligence. Or brains.

  21. @ Tim — Still living in the past I see. Delta USED to be best. United USED to be bankrupt. Oh wait, Delta USED to be bankrupt, too.

  22. No soul in my fare pricing?…that is NOT premium! Oh, and Paul Huang is no Uncle Roger!

  23. “Maybe it’s not AI pricing his tickets, but whoever in DL thinks that ppl will pay ~$2,500 for a 7 hrs ATL-LHR non-stop in coach has lost his intelligence. Or brains.” Are these planes flying with a lot of empty coach seats? I think not. You need a refresher course in economics.

Comments are closed.