When plans change, travelers need real-time support
The notification flashed across Nicole's phone just as she waited at her gate: "Meeting with Denver team - Cancelled." She stared at the screen, processing what this meant. The entire reason for her trip had just disappeared, and here she was, bags packed, boarding pass in hand, about to fly across the country for nothing.
The decision was easy. Cancel everything and head home. Nicole pulled up Engine, her company's travel booking platform, and tapped the customer service number. Plans change, and when they do, travelers need to know they can adjust quickly, no matter the time of day.
For many business travelers, last-minute changes are an inevitable part of life. For Engine's service agents, it was the reality of operating at scale: thousands of travelers making split-second adjustments to lodging, flights, and rentals around the clock. With rapid company growth and more than a million travelers relying on the platform, Engine's client operations team was balancing speed with quality. Every minute spent on routine cancellations meant less time for the high-touch issues that required real expertise.
"We're trying to find the harmony between where we can leverage AI and still use humans, especially in the hospitality and travel space," said Demetri Salvaggio, Vice President of Customer Experience and Operations at Engine. "There's always going to be high-touch moments where, if folks want a human, they're gonna get a human."
From cancelled stays to smarter service
Salvaggio and his team had already been exploring voice AI for proactive outreach. But once they encountered Replicant's AI Agents, the opportunity became clear: this wasn't just experimentation, it was transformation. The difference was immediate. "Most voice AI sounded robotic," Salvaggio recalls. "With Replicant, it felt natural, like someone who could actually help you."
The decision came down to more than just technology. Engine's culture embraced innovation and explored emerging technology openly. For a company committed to elevating customer experience, the adoption of AI was met with little hesitation. The team was eager to explore how technology could improve customer service and help them scale support to meet travelers' needs 24/7.
They began with a high-volume, high-friction use case: hotel cancellations. For customers with Engine's Flex service (a premium offering that allows cancellations up until noon on the day of arrival regardless of hotel policy), speed and convenience were exactly what they'd paid for. When plans change, travelers need to cancel seamlessly at any time of day.
Replicant's AI Agents now handle those calls from end to end, identifying eligible bookings, confirming policy compliance, and completing the cancellation instantly. Customers like Nicole can resolve their issue in seconds without waiting. And if anything falls outside the AI's scope, it's handed off cleanly to a live agent.
The partnership approach was crucial to Engine's decision.
"We didn't want a vendor. We wanted a partner who was evolving with the tech and with us," said Salvaggio. "You guys [Replicant] aren't just doing the out-of-the-box approach. You're very much attuned to what we're up against."
Since then, Engine has expanded its usage of Replicant, integrating Conversation Intelligence to unlock full QA visibility across calls and preparing for real-time alerts through Replicant's new builder tool.
Faster support, powered by AI
Today, when a traveler like Nicole calls in to cancel a booking, they're met with immediate support. Replicant's AI Agents resolve the request quickly, while seamlessly handing off to a live agent when needed.
And for Engine, the shift is bigger than efficiency. It's about transformation.
Key outcomes:
- Abandonment rate improved from 9-12% to consistently under 6%
- Containment rates between 20-25%
- Faster resolution on routine calls
- No added headcount required during peak travel surges, even during back-to-back hurricane events
- Agents focused on complex, high-touch moments
Replicant also helped Engine strengthen its QA program. With Conversation Intelligence, the team can now analyze and score 100% of inbound calls objectively, consistently, and at scale. "The fact that we're now objectively scoring every call?" Salvaggio notes. "That's a win for the agent and the business."
Looking ahead, Salvaggio sees the Engine and Replicant partnership as proof of concept for the future of customer service. "Without Replicant, we'd be missing out on what makes modern CX work," he said. "It's not just about cost or scale, it's about giving people options, and letting AI and humans do what they do best."
