Over the last week Google was involved in two moves that may have a significant impact on how and where we book travel online. The first change would impact how it uses AI to process transactions, like booking a hotel or flight. The second is lending to Apple its Gemini product, which could have implications especially for mobile-first consumers.
This ongoing AI evolution also plays a key role in a scoop I delivered on Friday afternoon: That Kayak’s CEO made extensive moves to take the company private last year. Can metasearch survive AI? Read the story, or watch me discuss the story on YouTube, below.
– Dennis Schaal, Executive Editor
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EDITOR’S PICKS
Dennis Schaal Executive Editor
Embedding Gemini in Siri moves Google closer to the moment of intent — but Apple’s privacy architecture could cap how far that intelligence can act. Travel may be the clearest test of those limits.
There's no doubt that an independent and privately held Kayak, freed from the broader considerations of Booking Holdings, could have benefited from focused investment and attention.
Google is laying new groundwork for AI-driven checkout. The underlying architecture can also handle more complex transactions, it says, putting travel squarely in its sights.
Expedia’s hiring signals a phase change for AI in travel, where management discipline and ownership matter as much as the technology itself.
Sabre bets that its new agentic-ready APIs can let AI handle shopping, booking, and fixing trips in a single conversational flow, and it’s bringing a live demo to CES. The real test is whether customers trust it beyond the demo.
Watch: Kayak’s Private Ambitions
EVENT | JANUARY 22
Our Megatrends events convene 200+ leaders from across travel, hospitality, and tech for an afternoon of data-driven insights, storytelling from executives, and futurecasting, followed by networking with Skift editors and industry peers. London sold out last week, and we have a few more seats for the New York event. Skift Pro subscribers can also watch the livestream for free by registering here.
Market Performance
How are public travel tech companies performing around the world? The Skift Travel 200 pulls the data you need to know to understand the market. Paid subscribers get full access here.