Google elevated its AI travel agent proposition last week: The tech company confirmed to Skift that it's testing agentic hotel booking in the U.S., while Ask Maps debuted food ordering and hotel searches that tap live data, putting agents, hotel look-ups, and its agentic commerce tools in eyesight of each other.
While Google inches toward full bookings, travel is finding AI benefits elsewhere. Airbnb is using it to ship products faster, outgrowing OTA rivals on revenue. By automating what once required human effort, others like Perk or Faye optimize performance or fundraising appeal. But AI isn't a secret sauce for everyone: At Expedia, it's lifting discovery, but still not conversion. Google's efforts could help with that — or make it worse.
Skift Data + AI Summit Europe
Europe now runs travel AI under rules the U.S. doesn't have, and the UK is betting the other way one border over.
On October 6 in London, 250 senior travel executives spend one built day on how AI actually gets deployed in the market where the EU AI Act's high-risk obligations take effect this August and the regulatory split is sharpest.
CLARITYPAY + SKIFT
JetBlue’s ClarityPay partnership shows how financing can support loyalty, personalization, and higher-value travel purchases.
EDITOR’S PICKS
Expedia B2B Is Mostly Hotels, But It Wants a One-Stop Shop
August 5, 2026
Expedia Group's B2B offering has been predominantly hotels. The online travel agency, which was founded more than 25 years ago, only recently began offering flights to B2B partners. Its strategy is to expand B2B into many more verticals.
SKIFT PODCAST NETWORK
Dynamic pricing generates 20% more revenue on average and most of that lift comes from more bookings, not higher rates.
In this clip from Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Michael Goldin, Brandreth Canaley, and Jamie Lane break down why a quarter of Airbnb listings still have flat rates, what that pricing gap means for hosts leaving money on the table, and whether Airbnb can actually convince operators to make the switch.
SKIFT RESEARCH
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.
