Art and Business of Speech Recognition: Creating the Noble Voice, The

United Airlines: Shortcuts for Frequent Fliers

Flight information systems were one of the earliest types of commercial speech-recognition applications. The United Airlines system has been in operation since 1999 and receives an average of two million calls per month. Between 1999 and 2002 this system saved United Airlines in excess of $25 million over the touchtone system that previously was in place.^[1] While business travelers are an airline's most profitable customers, they are not their sole customers, so it only makes sense that the United Airlines system provides expedited flight information for those callers who know their flight numbers as well as those who don't. Here's how a typical call goes.

^[1] Bob Bongiorno, Managing Director of ...