- AI assistant expands from chat to full travel execution layer
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Alibaba Group’s AI subsidiary Qwen is opening its assistant beyond conversational tasks, as it seeks to expand what it calls an “AI tasking” layer and invites external providers to plug into its ecosystem.
On April 23, Qwen announced it is opening its “AI tasking” capability to third-party services, with China Eastern Airlines becoming its first integration partner.
The rollout allows users to complete end-to-end flight services directly inside the assistant.
Users can now instruct the system to find “China Eastern’s cheapest direct flight” or select seats based on preferences such as “good view” or “extra legroom,” with the AI handling search, booking, seat selection and check-in.
Ticket changes and cancellations are handled through China Eastern’s official systems, with membership services expected to be added later.
Alibaba said the integration represents what it describes as the most complete AI-powered flight service available globally, in terms of end-to-end workflow coverage.
Wu Jia, head of Alibaba’s Qwen business unit, said the company is redesigning how travel services are accessed through AI.
“We restructured the entire flight service chain. Users just issue instructions to the AI, and the AI calls the system to serve them, significantly improving efficiency,” Wu said.
He added that conversations conducted in natural language will unlock new demand.
“Traditional menu-based interfaces limit personalized expression, while AI naturally allows users to freely initiate requests, which will also create more new services,” Wu explained.
In future iterations, Qwen and China Eastern plan to expand proactive services, including itinerary management, check-in reminders, and disruption support, alongside integration with ride-hailing and hotel booking to enable end-to-end trip planning.
Since its launch in November, Qwen has been gradually incorporating lifestyle services such as food delivery, ride-hailing and movie ticket booking.
During the Lunar New Year holiday, more than 130 million users reportedly tried its “AI tasking” feature.
