Wingie Unveils AI-Driven Smart Refunds to Revolutionise Travel Payments

Anyone who has tried to get a flight refund knows it can be a bit of a faff. Endless emails, time on hold, unclear policies, it is often the part of travel people dread most. So when I see a regional player trying to untangle this mess, I pay attention.

WINGIE, the MENA-based travel marketplace, has rolled out what it calls an AI-powered “smart refund” system, designed to move airline refunds fully into the digital lane. Instead of calling a contact centre and waiting for an agent to pick up, users can now start and manage their refund requests through a self-service experience online.

The idea is straightforward, but the impact could be meaningful. The technology connects directly with airline systems, calculates the refundable amount automatically, and presents clear options to the user. Travellers can review the breakdown, approve the request or adjust it digitally, and the process moves forward based on their selection. No human bottleneck in between, at least in theory.

At the centre of this setup is WINGIE’s consolidated service infrastructure, which gathers requests from different channels into one unified flow. With AI layered on top, the company says it can standardise responses across touchpoints and cut down the usual back-and-forth. Following the rollout, WINGIE reports a fivefold increase in operational efficiency, mainly by automating previously manual steps and reducing waiting times. The system runs 24/7 as well, which for travellers across multiple time zones is spot on.

Orkun Özkan, Chief Flights Officer at WINGIE, described airline refunds as “one of the most challenging parts of the travel experience”. He said the new system turns refunds into a fully digital, user-controlled process and marks a step towards fully digital after-sales services in travel.

That shift towards after-sales digitalisation is, in my view, long overdue. Booking a flight today takes minutes. Changing or cancelling it? That can still feel like we are stuck in 2009. On the flip side, automation must be handled carefully, customers will not tolerate opaque calculations or robotic loops that go nowhere. Transparency will be key.

For those unfamiliar with the group, Wingie Enuygun operates platforms including wingie.com, sa.wingie.com, wingie.ae and enuygun.com. While it is best known for flights, it also offers hotels, car rentals and bus tickets. The company says it supports 19 languages, employs more than 400 people, and draws around 200 million visitors annually. It has also invested in technologies such as virtual interlining, which combines separate airline tickets into a single itinerary, not exactly simple under the hood.

Covering startups across MENA at Arageek, I have seen time and again that operational headaches, not flashy marketing, often define customer loyalty. Refunds are not glamorous. But fix them, and travellers remember. I reckon if WINGIE’s system delivers as promised, it could set a new bar for the region’s online travel players.

Of course, execution is everything. AI in customer service can either be chuffed to bits success or a silent frustation machine. The travel sector, especially in MENA, is highly competitive and margins are tight. Improvements in efficiency, a fivefold jump, if sustained, can make a serious difference.

And believe it or not, sometimes the less visible upgrades matter most. A smoother refund process may not grab headlines like a funding round. Still, for everyday travellers, it might be the feature that counts.

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