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Hilton Isn’t ‘Blocking’ New AI Agents. But They Can’t Always Get In.

Hilton's CEO says he wants to make booking through AI agents easy. For now, Meta's Muse struggles to pull a price from hotel group sites, and OTAs may remain an easier door.

What Changed: AI agents like Meta's Muse and Instinct may speed up the booking process. But early tests show agents can't always access hotel sites for key data.

Who it Impacts: Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt digital leaders; Booking.com, Expedia execs; CIOs managing security.

What to Watch: Whether chains build direct agent links, agents default to OTAs, and how member rates and fees work.

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Skift Data + AI Summit Europe · London · October 6

The question Hilton is wrestling with, whether agents find the chain or default to the OTA, gets argued on stage in London tomorrow.

KAYAK CEO Peer Bueller, Skyscanner CEO Bryan Batista, and IAG's Chief AI Scientist take "The Visibility Race: Who Shows Up When AI Decides?" in front of a hundred senior travel operators, two months after the EU AI Act's transparency rules took effect.

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More Stories

Gulf Hotel Deals Stall as U.S.-Iran War Scrambles Valuations

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There's no evidence of distressed sales in the Gulf hotel market. But the war clearly changed the math buyers need to close deals.

IndiGo Raises Fuel Charges for Third Time This Year as ATF Costs Surge

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While IndiGo’s latest fuel hike is smaller than April’s increase, but the third fuel-charge hike this year shows that India’s low-fare era is increasingly being tested by higher airline costs.

How This Airline Is Growing Its Network Without Adding a Single Plane

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Who said airlines have to fly every route they sell? Low-cost-carrier Tigerair Taiwan is testing a way to tap another carrier’s network, sell the journey itself, and skip the traditional interline setup.

India Now Has a ‘Digital Tourism Stack.’ Can it Fix a Fragmented Market?

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India is betting that open digital infrastructure can make its vast, fragmented tourism supply easier to discover, book and eventually surface through AI.

Hopper’s Co-Founder and B2B Boss Left The Company

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One source said Dakota Smith had a lot of credibility in the B2B space, Hopper's most important division.

How the Tourist Became the Taxpayer of Last Resort

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Tourist taxes are usually sold as a way to manage crowds. Their deeper appeal is political: They raise money from people who cannot vote against the officials spending it.

Thai Airways CEO Says He Was Pushed Out Due to Bangkok Flood Chaos

October 2, 2026

Thai Airways emerged from years of restructuring with ambitious plans to expand its fleet and international network. A flood-driven operational breakdown at its Bangkok hub has now cost its CEO his job.

Who’s in Charge When a Trip Goes Wrong?

SPONSORED · ALLIANZ PARTNERS

When a trip spans multiple providers, "nobody really owns the traveler," and at Skift Global Forum, Allianz Partners' Anna Kofoed and Alaska Airlines' Jason McCauley explained why the brands that own the recovery when things go wrong will win lasting loyalty.

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From Skift Research

Cost and Convenience Are Primary Drivers of Disloyalty

Source: Skift Research’s State of Travel 2026

Hotel loyalty mostly loses to the map, not to rivals.

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Skift Podcast

Intrepid Founder: Travel Isn't About Cruise Ships With 20 Restaurants

Intrepid Travel Chairman Darrell Wade said the industry's focus on luxury and big assets like cruise ships and hotels misses the point.

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