Meet Sisu: the AI assistant that actually listens

We have all been there. You need a quick answer from a chatbot, but end up repeating your question over and over again. That experience is precisely what we wanted to leave behind, when we started to develop our chatbot, Sisu.

This spring, we relaunched Sisu, the AI-powered assistant available on the Finnair website and in the app. The difference is significant. Sisu is a generative AI assistant that listens, understands context and responds the way a knowledgeable colleague might: naturally, quickly and to the point.

Sisu serves between 2,000 and 4,000 customers every day. “What really stands out is how customers describe the experience. They use words like quick, intuitive, and helpful. Many say they got the answer they needed without being transferred to human agents,” says Pekka Stenlund, AI Coach at Finnair.

Not your typical chatbot

The most common failure of older chatbots is their reliance on rigid, scripted flows that expect you to phrase your question in exactly the right way. Sisu, built on generative AI, adapts to you, not the other way around. Long questions, vague questions, questions with multiple parts; it follows the thread and extracts what matters. A little context goes a long way, though. “I need to change my ticket” gives Sisu less to work with than “I need to change the date on my Helsinki–Tokyo flight next week.” The clearer the description, the more specific the answer.

The second most common complaint is getting stuck. Sisu is designed to reduce that feeling in two ways. If your issue genuinely needs a human to solve it, Sisu checks agent availability and connects you, passing the full conversation summary along so nothing is lost. And when a request can be resolved in the background rather than in a live chat, Sisu handles more of those cases directly, which keeps the live queue free for situations that really need it. For example, if you need to update your personal details in your Finnair Plus account, Sisu creates a case for our back-office team to take care of updating the membership details.

Third: the information. Many older chatbots are powered by static knowledge bases that quickly fall out of date, or by generic AI that produces plausible-sounding answers without any grounding in reality. Sisu draws directly from the latest content on the Finnair website and knowledge articles. When you share your booking reference, Sisu combines your booking details with that knowledge, which is what turns a general answer into one that fits your trip.

None of this means Sisu is infallible. It can occasionally miss the mark. This is why we review real conversations regularly, and use the feedback to make Sisu better. The experience with Sisu is already now fundamentally better than with earlier chatbots.

A new kind of conversation

The name was chosen with intention. Sisu, a distinctly Finnish word, means quiet determination and resilience, getting things done without fuss. You do not need to rephrase your question in robotic terms or search for the right keyword. Just ask, the way you would in any conversation. The more naturally you write, the more naturally Sisu responds. Talking to it like a person tends to work better than typing into it like a search bar.

Built on generative AI, Sisu follows the natural flow of your discussion. It understands context, remembers what you said earlier in the chat, and adapts its responses accordingly. Long, complicated questions are no obstacle. Sisu is particularly good at picking out the essential detail from a sprawling query and giving you a focused, useful answer.

That capability extends across 15 languages: English, Finnish, Swedish, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Estonian, Polish, Norwegian and Danish. Whether you are connecting through Helsinki from Tokyo, São Paulo or Seoul, Sisu meets you in the language you are most comfortable in.

“Fifteen languages means we can offer a quality of service that simply would not be possible with human resources alone,” Pekka says. 

Answers you can trust

One of the most common concerns about AI assistants is accuracy. Can it really be trusted? Where does its information come from? Sisu draws its answers directly from the latest content on the Finnair website and from Finnair's own knowledge articles, the same information the airline publishes for its customers. You are not getting guesses or outdated FAQ entries.

It is equally important to be clear about what Sisu does not access. It will not read your booking details unless you actively share your booking reference. Finnair Plus account information or payment transactions are not part of Sisu's view for now. Some questions are outside of Sisu’s expertise, such as questions about other airlines, airport operations, or third-party partners.

One small detail helps the lookup work: the last name needs to be written exactly as it appears on the booking, without special characters or Nordic letters. When a booking cannot be found, this is usually why.

Like any AI system, Sisu can occasionally get things wrong. But the vast majority of interactions are resolved accurately, and the service is being actively developed to become more precise and capable over time. If you feel an answer has missed the mark, there is a feedback form where you can let us know.

You will never get stuck

Perhaps the most important thing to know about Sisu is this: it is not a dead end. If your question genuinely needs a human, Sisu recognises that, checks agent availability, and connects you. If the queue is full, it lets you know and suggests trying again later. When you are transferred, the agent receives a summary of everything you have already discussed, so you never have to repeat yourself.

Sisu handles a wide range of queries instantly, reducing wait times across the board and freeing Finnair's service agents to focus on situations that genuinely need them: complex cases, sensitive circumstances, the kind of challenges that benefit from human judgement.

“Our agents can now bring their full attention to the cases that genuinely need them,” Pekka says. “Sisu takes care of the straightforward questions, and the result is a better experience for everyone.”

AI alongside people, not instead of them

Sisu is designed to complement the people behind Finnair's customer service, handling the quick, routine queries efficiently so that agents can go deeper where it matters most.

For Finnair Plus Gold customers and above, that balance is built in from the start: if you prefer to speak to an agent directly, you can simply ask Sisu to transfer you to human agents. Higher Finnair Plus membership tier customers can also continue to use their dedicated services, including WhatsApp, as before.

The service will keep improving. Capabilities are being added over time, including the ability to handle booking changes and other transactional tasks, through dedicated future features.

Try Sisu on your next trip

The next time you need travel guidance, whether about baggage allowance, rebooking options, lounge access, or anything else, consider trying Sisu first. Open the chat on the Finnair website or in the app and type your question the way you would say it out loud.

Often the answer is there before you finish your coffee. And if the question turns out to need a human, you are already halfway to one. Your whole conversation is ready to be handed over.

That is the point of Sisu. Quiet, determined, always on, and improving every day.

Q&A: SISU, ANSWERED

What exactly is Sisu?

Sisu is Finnair's generative AI assistant, available on the Finnair website and in the Finnair app. It understands natural language and context, follows the flow of a conversation, and provides answers based on the latest information from Finnair's website and knowledge articles.

How many people use Sisu?

Sisu serves between 2,000 and 4,000 customers every day.

Can I trust Sisu's answers?

Sisu works with the latest information from Finnair.com and Finnair's internal knowledge articles. As with any AI system, it may occasionally misunderstand a question or lack a specific detail. Its answers can be trusted, but as with any source of information, it is worth double-checking anything critical. If you feel Sisu has given a wrong answer, you can flag it through the feedback form.

What happens if Sisu cannot help me?

If your question needs a human agent, Sisu will check agent availability and offer to connect you. If the queue is full, it will let you know and suggest trying again later. When a transfer takes place, the agent receives a summary of your conversation so you do not need to start over.

How does Sisu handle my personal data?

Sisu only uses information provided during the conversation. It does not access personal booking details unless you choose to share your booking reference through specific flows. It cannot currently access Finnair Plus account information.

Can Sisu make changes to my booking or process purchases?

Not at this stage. Sisu can explain how to make changes and guide you to the right place, Manage Booking or a customer service agent, but it cannot make changes or purchases itself. These capabilities are planned for future development.

What languages does Sisu support?

Sisu currently supports 15 languages: English, Finnish, Swedish, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Estonian, Polish, Norwegian and Danish.

I am a Finnair Plus Gold customer. Do I have to use Sisu?

Finnair Plus Gold customers and above can ask Sisu to connect them directly to a human agent. It is still worth giving Sisu a try first, though, as many questions are answered in seconds, and a transfer to an agent is always there if you need it. You can also continue to use dedicated Finnair Plus services, including WhatsApp, as normal.

Does AI replace Finnair's human customer service?

No. Sisu supports Finnair's service teams by answering common questions quickly and in languages that would otherwise require dedicated staffing, so that human agents can focus their expertise on more complex cases. It is a complement to people, not a replacement for them.

Where can I find Sisu?

Sisu is available in the chat function on the Finnair website (finnair.com) and in the Finnair mobile app.