The Evolution of Travel Tech: Quant AI CEO Chetan Dube on Deploying Agentic AI in Aviation

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The travel industry stands on the brink of a revolution, shifting from rigid, frustrating automated chatbots to hyper-capable Agentic AI systems. Rather than merely directing travelers to generic FAQs during disruptions, these advanced systems act as the vital connective tissue between fragmented networks. By instantly executing multi-step solutions—such as automatically rebooking delayed flights, filing baggage claims, or managing extreme customer service surges—Agentic AI transforms travelers from stressed logistical planners into effortless passengers. This evolution promises to eliminate modern travel friction, seamlessly handling everything from complex booking itineraries to real-time crisis resolution with instantaneous, white-glove service.

Leading this paradigm shift is Chetan Dube, a renowned Agentic AI expert and pioneer in the tech space. A former NYU professor recognized by Forbes as one of the “Nine Greatest AI Minds to Watch,” Dube brings decades of visionary insight into how autonomous technology can optimize complex enterprise workflows.

As the founder and CEO of Quant AI, Dube translates this vision into reality. Quant AI develops cutting-edge digital employee technology, acting as an overarching operating system that unifies siloed legacy networks. The company already collaborates with premier global airlines like Lufthansa and Saudia to pioneer frictionless travel experiences.

We’ve all experienced the frustration of rigid, automated airline chatbots. How exactly do these new ‘agentic AI’ systems like Saudia’s ‘Ahmed’ transition from just pointing passengers to a help page to actually executing complex, multi-step actions in real-time?

Agentic AI will be the connector, the indispensable lynchpin of systems. My answer in question two goes further in-depth on this topic.

Which parts of the travel ecosystem do you see agentic AI having the most positive impact? Which use-cases do you think will be the most transformative?

Minimizing delays and reducing friction when they occur. You arrive at your destination and realize your checked luggage is missing, do you want to receive a 10-step guide on how to file a report, or do you want the airline to locate your bag and deliver it to your hotel by evening? If your rental car has just been damaged, would you prefer reading about the claims process, or would you rather the claim be filed automatically on your behalf? If you miss a flight connection due to a delay, is it helpful to be told how to find the transfer desk, or would it be better if an AI assistant rebooked your next flight and sent a lounge pass to your phone? Agentics provides you the latter, each time.

Last year I flew from San Francisco to New York and there was heavy fog on the ground. Dozens of flights were delayed, one of them mine. Weather cannot be controlled, but how airports respond to these inevitable disruptions can be. As airports operate now, travellers have two choices; call and be on hold for 45 minutes, or walk to customer service and stand in line for 45 minutes.
We should never wait for resolution again. There are only so many people a call center can employ and only so many people that can be staffed at airline customer service at once. The real-world is not built for surge, agentic AI is.

Under those exact circumstances, in an airport run on agentic AI, if all 275 people on that flight call customer service at the exact same time, all 275 will get an agentic agent to answer immediately. You tell them your name, flight confirmation number, and then hear, “based on your current itinerary that was delayed due to weather, I can re-book you on one of these flights…” Or, you would hear, “there are no flights to get you to your destination tonight, here are three hotels within the city that you get rewards from the airline will pay for. Which should I book you a room in?” Whether you were the first to call, or the 275th, you get this same white glove service instantaneously.

How personalised could travel become when AI agents understand a traveller’s habits, budget, preferences and stress triggers?

For a typical business or personal traveler the process of a trip goes something like this:

Book travel with an airline

Book Lodging

Book ride service to airport

Take a flight

Book a rental car or ride service to a hotel

Check in to your hotel

Check out of your hotel and settle your bill

Return your Rental or Book ride service back to the airport

Take return flight

Book ride service home

That’s ten steps with as many as 3-5 separate entities you have to complete for even the shortest trip. We’re all so used to this most haven’t even thought this could be simplified. With an agentic personal assistant you would need to do one thing, tell that assistant where you need to go and for how long.

Your assistant knows who you get reward points with, what airlines you prefer, and what ride services you like. Within seconds they will send you back your best options and you simply pick one and wait for your trip. No stress, no last minute “Oh no, I forgot to book my 6am pickup!” You are only the traveller, not the travel agent.

The industry has spent years digitising travel, but many systems remain fragmented. Is agentic AI solving a technology problem or an organisational one?

The issue lies in the continued use of fragmented legacy systems that are not capable of communicating with one another. An agentic operating system can be used as the connective tissue between these systems, essentially, turning them into one. This removes bottlenecks and friction, easing the process for employees and end-users.

What does the industry need to do now to ensure agentic AI improves travel rather than simply automating its existing frustrations?

My previous answer is the beginning, use agentics as an overlying layer to connect all existing systems. The step needed to ensure lasting impact is to rebuild your digital operation with agentic AI as the main operating system. Agentic AI learns and grows as the company does. It doesn’t need constant prompting and human led refinement. It will operate without respite and drive efficiencies in every department it touches, eliminate silos, and increase margins with minimum human oversight.