LOT Polish Airlines taps ElevenLabs AI to revamp service

LOT Polish Airlines has announced a new partnership with AI company ElevenLabs, unveiling plans to use advanced voice technology in its customer service channels as the carrier seeks to modernize support for millions of passengers worldwide.

AI partnership aims to reshape LOT’s passenger support

According to publicly available information from both companies, LOT will deploy ElevenLabs technology in a new generation of voice agents designed to handle routine customer enquiries. The initiative positions Poland’s flag carrier among the early adopters of generative AI in the European airline sector, at a time when carriers are under pressure to improve call center performance while keeping costs in check.

Reports indicate that the collaboration will focus initially on phone-based customer support rather than onboard services. Using ElevenLabs’ conversational platform, the virtual agents are being developed to respond to common questions on schedules, baggage rules, ticket changes and disruptions, with the ability to escalate more complex cases to human staff.

Public communications from LOT and ElevenLabs describe the project as a pilot program that will sit alongside existing channels rather than replace them. The airline is presenting the move as part of a broader digital transformation that also includes investments in its fleet, route network and distribution technology.

Industry observers note that airlines across Europe have tested chatbots and automated menus for years, but the use of natural-sounding AI voices is beginning to change traveler expectations of how quickly and smoothly issues can be resolved over the phone.

How the new ElevenLabs-powered system will work

Based on the technical outlines shared so far, LOT plans to use ElevenLabs’ enterprise platform to power inbound calls to selected customer service lines. When passengers ring the airline, an AI assistant will greet them, verify the purpose of the call and attempt to resolve straightforward requests, such as checking flight status, confirming baggage allowances or retrieving booking details.

The system is expected to draw on integrations with LOT’s existing customer databases and reservation tools. Once connected, the AI will be able to surface booking information, apply fare rules and provide tailored responses that reflect a passenger’s itinerary, rather than relying on generic scripted answers.

When the AI encounters a situation that falls outside defined parameters, it is designed to hand the call to a human agent with context about the conversation so far. Publicly available descriptions suggest that this approach is intended to reduce repetition for customers, a frequent complaint when calls are transferred between departments.

Language support is set to play a key role. Initial plans highlighted in company updates point to Polish and English as the first languages, with scope to add further languages as LOT expands long haul and connecting traffic through its Warsaw hub.

Potential benefits for travelers and call center teams

For travelers, the most immediate benefit is expected to be shorter waiting times on busy routes and during peak travel periods. AI systems can handle many simultaneous calls, which may help LOT cope with surges in demand during disruptions such as storms, strikes or airspace restrictions that often lead to congested phone lines.

The technology also opens the door to more consistent answers across time zones and call centers. With rules, policies and dynamic schedule data encoded within the system, passengers contacting LOT from different countries could receive more uniform information than in a traditional, fully human-based network.

For LOT’s customer service staff, the new setup is likely to shift the balance of work away from repetitive tasks to more complex or sensitive cases. Public material from the companies frames the project as a tool to support human teams, rather than a replacement, by filtering routine queries so staff can focus on disruptions, special assistance requests and irregular operations.

Travel analysts note that, if effective, such systems can improve overall satisfaction metrics even among passengers who never directly interact with the AI, because pressure is taken off peak-time queues and human agents can spend more time resolving difficult issues.

Data protection, accessibility and passenger trust

As with other AI deployments in travel, the partnership raises questions about privacy, transparency and accessibility. LOT operates under European Union regulations on data protection, and its published policies emphasize controlled handling of personal information across digital services. Integrating a third-party AI platform into customer communication is likely to be closely watched by regulators and passenger rights advocates.

Public documentation from LOT already highlights its efforts to gather feedback from passengers, including those with disabilities, in order to maintain accessible services. The airline’s use of AI-powered voice tools may intersect with these commitments if the system is extended to support travelers with visual or hearing impairments or those who require simplified, clearly spoken information.

Specialists in travel technology expect that disclosure will be an important factor in building trust. Clear signals that a caller is speaking with an AI agent, along with easy ways to request a human representative, are widely seen as essential to passenger acceptance of automated systems in high-stress situations such as missed connections or lost baggage.

Observers also point out that airlines introducing voice AI will need contingency plans for outages or misrouted calls. Maintaining backup capacity in traditional call centers, while continuously monitoring AI performance, is likely to remain part of LOT’s service strategy as the technology matures.

Part of a broader digital push at LOT and in global aviation

The ElevenLabs partnership arrives as LOT pursues a wider modernization program that includes significant fleet renewal and new digital tools for distribution and customer engagement. Recent initiatives with technology providers in areas such as ticket distribution and trip planning show that the airline is seeking to position itself as a more agile player in Central and Eastern Europe.

In global aviation, AI deployments across ground operations, pricing and customer interaction have accelerated over the past two years. Several major airlines are now experimenting with conversational agents to handle claims, disruption notifications and loyalty program questions, while also exploring AI-backed tools for crew planning and predictive maintenance.

LOT’s decision to work with ElevenLabs, a company with Polish roots and a rapidly growing presence in enterprise voice AI, highlights how national carriers are increasingly looking to specialist technology partners rather than building such systems entirely in-house. For travelers, this trend may translate into more natural interactions and faster service, provided that airlines balance automation with clear accountability and robust support for complex cases.

With the pilot phase scheduled around the upcoming summer travel season, LOT’s rollout will be closely watched by both passengers and competitors. Its performance could help define how quickly AI voice agents become a standard feature of airline customer service, and how far travelers are prepared to embrace a new kind of conversation when they pick up the phone for help with their journeys.