As the business world evolves, organizations are exploring new ways to improve efficiency, create better customer experiences, and gain a competitive edge. Southwest Airlines, a leading airline company, recognized the potential of using Generative AI to drive efficiency and deliver exceptional customer service. To accelerate its goals, the company turned to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and AWS Partner Slalom. By using the expertise and technology of AWS and Slalom, Southwest Airlines has rapidly implemented generative AI solutions, reducing customer service handling times and boosting employee productivity.

Opportunity | Simplifying the Customer Experience with Generative AI

To streamline business processes and simplify the customer experience, Southwest Airlines made the strategic decision to invest substantially in generative AI in 2024. The company was looking for a solution that would bring in more strategic thinking, industry know-how, and cutting-edge technology.

“We as a company decided that we really wanted to invest quickly and heavily in generative AI,” says Justin Bundick, managing director of artificial intelligence and data transformation at Southwest Airlines. “So, we reached out to bring strategy and vision to the table to help us drive those products as efficiently and effectively as we could.”

Solution | Developing and Deploying Generative AI Solutions

Southwest Airlines turned to AWS and Slalom because their expertise in cloud computing, AI, and strategic consulting aligned with Southwest Airlines’s goal of creating a better experience for both employees and customers. Working alongside Slalom and AWS helped the company to rapidly develop and deploy generative AI solutions, starting with a proof of concept and quickly scaling to production-ready applications.

To efficiently train and deploy its AI models, Southwest Airlines used AWS services such as Amazon SageMaker, which delivers an integrated experience for analytics and AI, and Amazon Bedrock, a fully managed service that offers a choice of high-performing foundation models. “We worked alongside Slalom and AWS to bring not only strategic thinking but also exceptional performance capabilities in building our products,” says Bundick. “Additionally, using AWS services, we have access to secure infrastructure, cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and scalability and reliability that is unseen in the marketplace.”

Outcome | Transforming Customer Care with Generative AI

One of Southwest Airlines’s first applications of generative AI was a set of tools designed to improve its customer service operations. The solution reduced the time spent on each case by approximately 11 minutes, resulting in a 36 percent increase in employee productivity. “We were able to drive real productivity, not only for our employees but also for a great customer experience,” says Bundick. “Our customers, when reaching out to Southwest Airlines, are able to get a response from us much more effectively and much more efficiently and are thus getting to a resolution a lot faster.”

Looking ahead, Southwest Airlines is excited about the potential of generative AI to drive additional efficiency and improve experiences across various aspects of its operations. For example, the airline plans to deploy generative AI tools to help its employees create content, code, and editable documents more efficiently. Additionally, the company aims to use generative AI in combination with traditional machine learning to simplify complex processes and drive more effective decision-making. As the airline industry continues to evolve, Southwest Airlines is well positioned to stay ahead of the curve due to its commitment to strategic collaboration and innovation—and, ultimately, improving the customer experience.