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Expedia CEO says AI agents aren't changing booking habits — yet
Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin says AI agents have not yet changed how customers book trips.
Key points
- Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin said the company has not yet seen AI agents change the way customers book.
- The midpoint of Expedia's fourth-quarter revenue forecast was lower than the $3.74 billion analyst estimate, according to FactSet.
- Gorin said Expedia reported a strong third quarter, with total gross bookings up 11% and revenue up 12%.
Why it matters. Gorin said AI agents could eventually claim travel market share and pose a competitive threat to traditional booking sites like Expedia, though she argued customer service is hard to replace.
Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin said Thursday the company has not yet seen AI agents change customer booking, though early signs point to a possible industry shift. Expedia shares fell about 12% Thursday after it forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $3.69 billion to $3.75 billion, a midpoint below the $3.74 billion analyst estimate, according to FactSet. Gorin blamed the weaker outlook on Middle East and European events, the midterm elections and a shifted fall sale.
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Expedia CEO says AI agents aren't changing booking habits — yet
Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin told CNBC that AI agents present an exciting time for the travel industry but that they haven't yet impacted bookings. watch now Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin said Thursday the company hasn't yet seen artificial intelligence agents affecting the way customers book, but the early signs show potential for an industry shift. "It's a great way for people to do inspiration, to do trip planning," Gorin said in an interview with CNBC. "We haven't seen it change the way they're actually doing booking." The comments come as personal AI agents like Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots enter the mainstream, promising to tackle everything from scheduling to shopping for everyday Americans. Opportunities in travel planning and booking could pose a competitive threat to traditional sites like Expedia. Gorin said Expedia is "working with all of the agents" to make sure it surfaces in AI results, to understand how the agents get information and to make sure that the company has the necessary integrations. She acknowledged it's possible that AI agents could develop their own travel programs and eventually claim market share, but she said complexities within the industry — customer service, for example — would be difficult to fully replace with artificial intelligence. "People were already shopping across a number of places, so the agent can do that in a much easier way," Gorin said.