"AI agents threaten to break that apart, scattering pieces of the experience across chatbots, recommendation engines, and autonomous assistants."
"Expedia was built around a simple idea: ordinary people should be able to plan and book travel themselves instead of relying on agents or opaque reservation systems. "I understood early that people love control. Expedia didn't have business hours because the web never closes," Barton tells Fast Company. "The biggest hurdle back then was getting people to trust their credit cards on the internet.""
"Expedia's own "AI Trust Gap" report captures the contradiction facing the industry. Travelers are increasingly comfortable using conversational AI to brainstorm trips, monitor prices, and surface destinations they otherwise might never have considered. Actually handing over money is another matter."
"Nearly 68% of travelers say they would rather book through established travel companies than AI chatbots. Two-thirds say they would not trust an AI assistant to purchase or book something on their behalf. Just 8% say they feel comfortable booking direct"
The internet has repeatedly reshaped travel by moving discovery and booking into software, reducing friction and the role of middlemen. Expedia Group has experienced multiple technology shifts, including search, mobile, platform monopolies, and pandemic disruptions. Expedia historically controlled much of the customer journey within its ecosystem, including discovery, booking, loyalty, support, and payments. AI agents introduce a different outcome by potentially scattering these steps across chatbots, recommendation engines, and autonomous assistants. Travelers increasingly use AI for planning tasks such as brainstorming trips, monitoring prices, and finding destinations. However, trust remains a barrier for payments and booking, with most travelers preferring established travel companies over AI chatbots.
Read at Fast Company
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