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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
Today, 9:48 AM
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Two weeks after launching agentic bookings in AI Mode to reserve restaurants, buy event tickets and make beauty and wellness appointments, Google confirmed it is developing similar capabilities for hotel and flight reservations.
“Our goal is that you'll be able to also book flights and hotels directly in AI Mode,” Julie Farago, Google’s vice president of engineering for travel and local search, told PhocusWire.
To make this a reality, she said Google is working on building out the experience with industry partners such as Booking.com, Expedia, Marriott International, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels International and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
Google said specifics regarding the booking flow, payments and other details are still being worked out, and it did did not provide a timeline for the launch of agentic travel booking.
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
Today, 4:43 AM
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Google is rolling out a global expansion of its AI travel features, including the Flight Deals tool, new trip-planning capabilities in AI Mode’s Canvas, and broader access to agentic booking assistance. The updates move Google closer to offering an end-to-end travel discovery and booking experience directly inside Search.
Key takeaways
Global rollout of Flight Deals: Google’s AI-powered bargain finder now covers 200+ countries and supports 60+ languages.
Describe-your-trip search: Users simply outline where, when, and how they want to travel, and AI surfaces the best available fares.
Canvas becomes a trip-planning workspace: AI Mode users can now generate full itineraries using real-time data from Flights, Hotels, Maps, and the broader web.
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
Today, 2:23 AM
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For context, we’ve broken the traveler journey down into eight major stages, starting with inspiration and planning, and ending with post-trip activities (including loyalty plays that get travelers thinking about their next trip).
For each of these eight stages, we’ve selected three concrete examples.
So that’s 24 real-world AI applications in total.
And yes, these are real products, not theoretical agentic concepts that might happen someday.
Below, we’ll walk you through all 24 examples in a bit more detail: what each company does, where along the journey it fits, and how you can explore them further through their respective websites and company pages.
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
Today, 2:11 AM
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Artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives have come thick and fast in the travel industry over the course of 2025.
Consumer-facing solutions covering all parts of the traveler experience and B2B tools helping companies show-up on the AI platforms are all vying for attention.
In the background, travel technology providers are scrabbling to create solutions to help travel brands drive efficiency as well as be seen on AI platforms
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
Today, 2:05 AM
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By 2026, agentic AI will transform travel from a process of searching and booking into a fluid, predictive system that anticipates traveler intent, resolves disruptions proactively, and powers new loyalty models built on data and personalization.
Key takeaways
From efficiency to imagination: AI is moving beyond automating tasks toward understanding mood, intent, and context to inspire and assemble personalized itineraries.
Agentic assistants take action: Next-generation systems will monitor flights, weather, and events, and rebook proactively—often before travelers notice a disruption.
Data becomes the competitive moat: The combination of first-, zero-, and third-party data enables predictive personalization that raises loyalty and creates higher switching costs.
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
November 15, 3:06 AM
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The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is increasing across cruise lines, from customer service chatbots to the modernization of legacy booking systems. Three cruise lines have launched recent digital initiatives in this sector, exploring marketing automation, guest personalization and data integration.
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
November 15, 1:26 AM
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Intégré début novembre à Gmail, Docs, Slides et Sheets, la fonctionnalité Deep Research de Gemini débarque maintenant dans NotebookLM. Dans un billet de blog publié ce jeudi 13 novembre 2025, Google annonce que tous les utilisateurs de son assistant de recherche alimenté par l’IA pourront en profiter « d’ici la semaine prochaine ».
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
November 14, 7:37 AM
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Loin des prévisions les plus alarmistes, le web n’est pas encore dominé par les contenus générés par l’IA. Et c’est tant mieux, puisqu’il doit impérativement conserver une part d’humanité, plaide Sane Lebrun dans une tribune pour BDM.
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
November 13, 5:24 AM
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Les géants américains de la technologie multiplient les investissements massifs sur le continent. Ils ne cessent de mettre en avant leur apport à la souveraineté numérique. Mais il n’en est rien
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
November 12, 10:41 AM
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"Onlinebewertungen sind die neue Währung der Gastfreundschaft: Zahlreiche Studien zeigen, dass Onlinebewertungen heute zu den wichtigsten Entscheidungsfaktoren bei der Buchung gehören. In vielen Modellen übertrifft der Einfluss eines starken Ratings sogar den des Preises.
Besonders ausgeprägt ist dieser Effekt im 4- und 5-Sterne-Segment, wo höhere Preise und ein intensiverer Leistungsvergleich die Erwartungen zusätzlich erhöhen. Doch immer öfter geraten Bewertungen in Verruf, weil Gäste Unwahrheiten posten und Betriebe positive Bewertungen einkaufen."
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
November 12, 9:53 AM
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AI is moving beyond guest personalization to reshape the fundamentals of hotel profitability — optimizing rates, staffing, and operations while reducing waste and labor costs. From predictive maintenance to dynamic pricing, artificial intelligence is becoming a quiet but powerful force behind the bottom line.
Key takeaways
Smarter pricing: AI-driven revenue management systems use real-time data such as booking pace, competitor rates, and local events to optimize room pricing and forecast demand more accurately.
Labor efficiency: AI-powered occupancy forecasting helps align staffing with demand, preventing overstaffing in low periods and shortages in busy ones.
Automation at the front desk: Chatbots, digital concierges, and self-check-in kiosks are reducing front desk workloads and improving operational efficiency, especially in mid-scale and budget hotels.
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
November 12, 2:10 AM
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The world is inching closer to end-to-end artificial intelligence (AI)-powered travel booking in chat, and the payments layer is essential to achieving that goal.
In September, Stripe and OpenAI announced “Instant Checkout” within ChatGPT, powered by a co-developed, merchant-friendly open-standard called “Agentic Commerce Protocol.”
“By co-developing the Agentic Commerce Protocol with Stripe, we’re making it possible for businesses of all sizes to meet people where they are—and for shoppers to complete purchases seamlessly in conversation,” Fidji Simo, CEO of applications for OpenAI, said in a release.
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
November 6, 1:37 PM
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"Booking Holdings reported strong quarterly results, but the most notable insight came from early data on AI-assisted bookings: travelers who plan and book through conversational AI tools show higher engagement, convert more often, cancel less, and report greater satisfaction. While it’s still too early to know how disruptively AI will reshape the travel market, these behavioral signals suggest a meaningful shift in how travelers make decisions.
Key takeaways
Stronger conversion rates: Bookings initiated through AI-enabled planning tools are converting at a higher rate than traditional search-based flows.
Fewer last-minute cancellations: AI-guided bookings tend to result in more confident decisions, reducing post-booking churn.
Higher customer satisfaction: Travelers report feeling the trip recommendations are more tailored, which improves satisfaction with the overall planning experience.
Discovery still uncertain, fulfillment still essential: Booking.com acknowledges that travelers may start trip planning elsewhere (e.g., AI assistants), but expects OTAs to remain central to fulfillment and servicing."
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
Today, 4:45 AM
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Google is developing agentic tools that can plan and book travel across flights and hotels, while expanding its broader suite of AI travel features. The company aims to make AI Mode a unified hub for trip discovery, planning, and eventually booking — though travel’s complexity and consumer hesitation will slow full autonomy.
Key takeaways
Google’s agentic booking ambitions: The company is building a conversational tool that can compare and refine travel options — and ultimately complete bookings with partners.
Early-stage partnerships: Google is working with Booking.com, Expedia, Marriott, IHG, Choice, and Wyndham, but stresses the project is in its early phases.
Competitive pressure: OpenAI, Perplexity, Expedia, and Booking.com are all developing agentic travel tools, pushing Google to signal its direction early.
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
Today, 2:32 AM
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"Truly agentic travel tech is complicated and all the major travel brands are working on it. Now Google aims to plant a flag in this space.
Google is developing an agentic tool for booking flights and hotels, the company said Monday, as it unveiled several new travel features tied to its artificial intelligence and search systems.
The ambition is to turn AI Mode into a travel hub that can plan trips and help users complete them.
In a blog post, Google wrote: “Just describe what you’re looking for to compare different flights or hotels and browse schedules, prices, room photos, amenities and reviews. You’ll be able to follow up and refine your options, and then once you’re ready, you can quickly complete the booking with the partner of your choice.”
Google is working with Booking.com, Choice Hotels International, Expedia, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, though the project is at an early stage."
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
Today, 2:15 AM
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After months of development, Mirai introduces Sarai, the new generation of AI agents designed to revolutionize guest service, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across multiple channels and in any language. Agents that help you evolve traditional chatbots, moving from automation to true intelligence.
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
Today, 2:08 AM
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Revolut has launched a global payments partnership with Booking.com, allowing travelers to pay for accommodation — and soon flights and cars — using Revolut Pay. The collaboration deepens Revolut’s push into travel and offers travelers faster checkout, biometric security, and boosted loyalty rewards.
Key takeaways
One-click payments: Booking.com customers can now pay via Revolut Pay, enabling a fast, secure checkout directly through the Revolut app.
Large overlapping user base: Around 9 million Revolut customers already use Booking.com, making the partnership a strategic fit for both brands.
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
Today, 1:51 AM
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Am ersten Tag des Digital Hotel Days dreht sich alles um die Digitalisierung der Hotelbranche. Doch um Künstliche Intelligenz überhaupt nutzen zu können, müssen Betriebe einiges beachten. Experten klären in Hamburg auf.
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
November 15, 2:38 AM
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A new scam is targeting travelers who book hotels through platforms like Booking.com and Expedia, using compromised hotel accounts to send guests fake payment-verification requests. The campaign relies on a multi-step ClickFix attack that first infects hotel systems, then uses that access to phish customers.
Key takeaways
“I paid twice” phishing tactic: Scammers impersonate Booking.com or Expedia, urging guests to “verify payment” to avoid cancellation.
Fake landing pages: Links lead to highly convincing spoofed sites designed to capture credit card information.
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
November 15, 1:25 AM
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"Digitale Buchungssysteme gehören heute zum Alltag der Gastronomie und Hotellerie. Sie erleichtern die Planung, schaffen Transparenz und liefern wertvolle Daten. Das Tischreservierungssystem Foratable von Lunchgate verarbeitet jährlich über 15 Millionen Gästereservierungen in mehr als 1200 Restaurants, darunter rund 300 Hotelrestaurants. Auf dieser Basis lassen sich Trends im Gästeverhalten ableiten, die im jährlichen Report «Gästeverhalten» zusammengefasst werden.
Ein zentrales Ergebnis: Onlinereservierungen machen zwar die Mehrheit aller Buchungen aus, bringen aber weniger Gäste als manuell erfasste Reservierungen. Manuell erfasste Reservierungen, beispielsweise durch die Réception oder telefonisch vereinbarte Buchungen, führen hingegen zu deutlich grösseren Gruppen und damit zu einer höheren Auslastung. "
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
November 13, 8:52 AM
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Für die Reise- und Hotelbranche stellt sich seit Ende Oktober 2025 eine existenzielle Frage: Ist der neue Browser «Atlas» von OpenAI der Game-Changer, der die Art und Weise, wie wir Hotels buchen, fundamental verändert? Und: Wie verändert sich die Rolle der OTAs? Erleben wir gerade eine Evolution, die zwar disruptiv, aber weniger apokalyptisch verläuft als viele befürchten?
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
November 13, 12:30 AM
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been significantly reshaping the hospitality industry over the past decade. From luxury hotels to fast food joints, AI tools are affecting how services are delivered and how operations are run, ultimately having an enormous impact on the customer experience overall. But what does this digital transformation really look like?
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
November 12, 9:55 AM
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says ads will likely appear in ChatGPT eventually—but not in the way Google does them. Rather than relying on search results that fail users, Altman envisions a model where ChatGPT earns commissions only when it delivers genuinely helpful recommendations that users act on.
Key takeaways
Not like Google Ads: Altman criticized Google’s model, saying it profits when search results don’t deliver—forcing advertisers to pay for visibility.
Trust over placement: OpenAI will avoid “pay-to-play” answers. If ChatGPT ranked a worse hotel above a better one because of money, Altman said, that would “catastrophically” damage user trust.
Commerce through conversation: Altman imagines users asking for recommendations, seeing the best option, and completing purchases (like booking a hotel) in one click—where OpenAI earns a small, transparent commission.
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
November 12, 9:52 AM
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Apple is embedding its digital wallet into multiple stages of the travel experience — from unlocking cars and passing security to paying for hotels, rides, and in-flight purchases — as it seeks to capture a larger share of global travel spending traditionally dominated by credit card issuers.
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Scooped by
Roland Schegg
November 10, 8:19 AM
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"The hospitality search experience has undergone a quiet revolution. Where travelers once Googled their way to vacation options, many now turn to AI assistants like ChatGPT, Copilot, and other “agentic” tools to dream, plan, and book. With tools like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), users receive detailed answers, trip summaries, and personalized insights based on conversational prompts."
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