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Dear Robot: How Travel Is (and Isn’t) Talking to AI

Travel brands invest deeply in AI visibility, but according to Skift's audit of 50 major travel websites' crawler policies, few tell bots where to go — and the directives don't always match who actually gets in. That looks like a shaky starting point, as the rules of AI engagement change.

What Changed: AI giants backed a one-line AI training opt-out Oct. 30; 40 of 50 travel sites' blanket robots preferences don't target AI today.

Who it Impacts: Hotel/airline digital leaders, booking-platform CTOs, security teams, and AI distribution execs.

What to Watch: Whether posted crawler rules match firewall enforcement, and how sites handle human-like AI agents.

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Skift Aviation Forum · NYC · Nov 12

The AI layer decides who owns the traveler, and loyalty points now lose a race they used to win: shopping agents compare every program in seconds.

The leaders of International Airlines Group, JetBlue, and Air Canada, plus the commercial chiefs of American Airlines and Agoda, take the stage on this at the 6th annual forum, Thursday at the TWA Hotel, JFK.

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