“Hi, I’m FRAnky – your personal assistant.” That’s how Messenger bot FRAnky welcomes travelers and visitors to Frankfurt Airport – a friendly invitation to engage in dialogue. Fraport, the owner and operator of Frankfurt Airport (FRA), is adding two new information channels to its digital service offering: on Twitter, passengers can use the account @FRA_FlightInfo for quick and convenient updates on their flight status; on Facebook, FRAnky will answer any questions that passengers and airport visitors might have.

FRAnky replies right away

FRAnky – the robot known to the online community from Frankfurt Airport’s Service Spots – speaks German and English. The language selection depends on the user’s personal settings on Facebook. Users can talk to the bot via the direct link m.me/askFranky or through a Facebook search for “Frankfurt Airport – FRAnky”. He helps with searching for flights, sends updates about the flight status and, if requested, gives information about restaurants, shops, service facilities and much more. For instance, he’ll explain how passengers can use the airport’s free Wi-Fi.

Artificial intelligence with charm

Using the bot is easy and self-explanatory. Users can ask questions using the menu and pre-defined buttons or raise their issue by typing it in. A short video provides a guide on how to use the bot. If FRAnky can’t find an answer to a question, he will direct users to the menu or to the contact info of the Fraport Communication Center.

Alongside the information function, the bot is also equipped with “adaptive” features for making smalltalk. For instance, users will get a friendly answer to the question, “Hello, how are you?” This makes FRAnky charming and funny – in his own special way.

No additional app required

Travelers can meet the Messenger bot where he lives – in this case, on Facebook. There’s no need to install an additional app – the only thing needed is a Facebook account. Users can talk to the chat-bot either via the Facebook Messenger app or the desktop version of Facebook.

Flight info service also available via Twitter

In addition the Messenger bot, Fraport also offers a new flight information service on Twitter. At twitter.com/FRA_FlightInfo, passengers or their meeters and greeters can quickly and conveniently follow the status of a particular flight to or from FRA and get regular updates.

In keeping with the slogan “Gute Reise! We make it happen,” Fraport is consistently focused on passengers and meeting their individual needs. Based on this commitment, the Frankfurt Airport company is continually developing and introducing new services and facilities to help enhance the customer experience and raise satisfaction levels at Germany’s most important transportation hub. Passengers and visitors can find more information about the wide range of services at Frankfurt Airport at www.frankfurt-airport.com, in the Service Shop, and on the social media channels Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.