SXSW this year was, in many respects, an AI conference that happened to include everything else. Artificial Intelligence dominated discussions, surfacing in every area from music to healthcare and spilling into hallway and party conversations. As each industry grapples with how to use technology without losing the human touch, one panel stood out for addressing this challenge in luxury travel.
The panelists – executives from Virgin Voyages, CLEAR, and Blacklane – made a unified case: AI earns its place when it makes service more thoughtful and seamless. The brands that succeed will use it to deepen human connection, not replace it.
Moderator Lauren Petrowski started the discussion by asking the panel how they define luxury. Billy Bohan Chinique, VP, Marketing & Digital Innovation at Virgin Voyages, offered the first example. “Luxury is when I feel really seen and taken care of.” He went on to describe a hotel experience in which staff had organized the many charging cords left on his desk while he was out of the room, and left a note wishing him an enjoyable stay. It was a minor gesture, but one that stayed with him because it was evidence that someone had noticed something specific and acted on it. “And I will continue to return to that hotel brand because I know they’re paying attention.”
Olivia Caringi, Blacklane’s General Manager for US East and LATAM, described luxury differently but reached a similar point. She said, “Luxury is when I reach that space where emotionally, physically, mentally, I’m at peace and can just be. You don’t have to think about traveling when you’re traveling.” She explained that this is what Blacklane aims for: smooth efficiency combined with top-level service for every passenger.
Juliana Ortego, SVP and Head of New Ventures & Growth at CLEAR, said luxury means everything works smoothly, without the traveler needing to think about it.
The panelists’ answers also reflected how each company uses AI in practice. At Virgin Voyages, AI is used to surface relevant guest information. Customer details, such as personal preferences and dietary requirements, are provided to crew members so they can respond with the appropriate context and timing. The intent is not to automate the interaction, but to give the crew more space to engage.
“The crew is the reason that people come back and sail with us time and time again,” Bohan explained, “and we want to make sure that they can spend more time connecting with passengers.”
At CLEAR, Ortego described technology as foundational to the experience but not its defining element. The system works best when everything goes according to plan. But, she said, “Technology is great when everything works the way it should, and your flight’s not delayed.” When it doesn’t, she went on, “The quality of the experience depends on someone who can interpret the situation, respond quickly, and help restore a sense of calm. Technology can’t replace that. It can power, augment, and enable solutions, but it can’t replace human reassurance.”
Caringi described a similar dynamic at Blacklane. Behind the scenes, technology manages travel logistics, such as tracking flights, adjusting for delays, and mapping traffic, so the experience appears seamless. But what travelers remember is the person who meets them at the curb, understands the city, and brings a sense of ease and control to the start or end of a journey. “For example, we are always tracking your flight. Our chauffeur knows if your flight’s arriving early or delayed; they will be there before you are and waiting for you. There’s nothing that replaces the feeling of being greeted with a smile and someone saying, ‘Hey, how are you? How was your trip?”
The panel was equally pointed about how the industry talks about serving customers. Bohan challenged the current idea of personalization. “Personalization is kind of tired,” he said. “What it means now is that I don’t have to work so hard to get to the thing I’m looking for because you understand who I am as a customer.”
Ortego described the next iteration as “predictive orchestration”: a frequent flyer with known preferences shouldn’t have to restate them at every touchpoint. The data exists; the question is whether brands can deploy it with enough judgment to feel helpful rather than presumptuous. “It’s not how fast you get through the security line. It’s how you feel doing it.”
That pointed to the central problem the panel addressed. Even at the high end, travel remains fragmented. Each transition—such as moving from car to terminal or gate to the destination—forces travelers to reintroduce themselves. Ortega said, “The next frontier is integrating across all of those things so you don’t feel those handoffs.”
That’s exactly what Blacklane and CLEAR are doing, through a new partnership that launches in April 2026. A Blacklane driver picks up the traveler at home and coordinates with a CLEAR concierge before the traveler’s arrival at the airport. From there, the traveler is guided through security and to their gate, with support at each step. At the destination, another Clear ambassador meets the traveler and connects them directly to a waiting Blacklane car. The ambition is to make the seams disappear.
The panelists were also clear about the limits of automation. Overreliance on technology, they noted, can erode trust if it begins to replace rather than support human interaction. Especially in a world where people are wary of how their data is used. Personalizing an experience can feel intrusive if not handled carefully. As Ortega said, “You need to be very mindful of how you’re using that information.”
In that sense, the conversation returned to a principle that has long defined luxury, even as the tools evolve. Technology may change how services are delivered, but it does not change what those services are meant to do. The goal is to give those delivering it better tools, so the experience can finally work the way discerning travelers have always expected. As Bohan put it, “The technology is not the star of the show.”
