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
With consumers getting more comfortable using the technology for trip planning, the pace of experimentation is unlikely to let up. Phocuswright Research’s U.S. Consumer Travel report revealed 48% of millennials and 42% of Gen Z are more or much more comfortable with using AI to help them plan trips compared to a year ago.
In its latest research, "How AI is reshaping every step of the traveler journey," Lufthansa Innovation Hub (LIH) has laid out some of the most interesting use cases announced so far across eight stages. The study looks at recent AI developments across stages, including inspiration and planning, booking and purchase, in-flight experience and in-destination activities.
Developments from online giants, including Expedia with its AI-powered Trip Matching feature and Booking.com using AI to gain a better view of traveler intent, often grab the most headlines.
The two companies are also among the first partners named to have apps in the recently announced ChatGPT initiative.
Beyond the U.S., online travel agencies (OTAs) such as MakeMyTrip and Trip.com Group have also unveiled their own initiatives. And many travel startups and smaller companies, including many in PhocusWire’s Hot 25 Travel Startups for 2026 and some of the class of 2025, also have skin in the game.
In the planning and inspiration stage, LIH also calls out large and small players: AI trip planner Mindtrip, for example, alongside Google, which announced earlier this year that it is using Gemini to identify location place names from screenshots.
There is no shortage of developments in the travel booking stage. LIH highlights a move from Indian airline Indigo, which enables travelers to search, book and manage flights within a chat interface, while Turkish Airlines has announced a Modern Context Protocol (MCP) server, which enables AI platforms to access live airline data. Another worth mentioning is Kiwi’s development of an MCP server enabling AI assistants to trawl its platform for flights.
For the airport experience, Lufthansa highlights use cases for helping passengers during disruptions. United Airlines, for example, provides personalized messages via text or email to passengers during disruptions. There are also initiatives to get passengers through the airport terminal more efficiently, such as AI-powered walk-through security scanners at Frankfurt Airport.
Beyond consumer developments
While the Lufthansa study looks at recent traveler-facing initiatives, there have also been many announcements around B2B developments. Airlines are increasingly using AI for route and aircraft optimization and to help them recover operations more efficiently during disruptions.
United has also announced an investment in and collaboration with voice and conversation AI specialist AiOla with what it has described as "limitless applications." Examples include safety reporting and maintenance.
Further recent examples of more behind the scenes developments include Apaleo’s launch of an MCP server enabling AI agents to perform tasks across hotel operations, including checking availability and modifying reservations.
More recently, Boom unveiled its Business Agentic Manager for the short-term rental industry. The agent makes decisions across functions such as marketing, guest communications and financial reporting.
And, Mirai has unveiled Sarai, enabling hotels to offer guests natural language search and booking in text and voice in numerous spoken and written languages. The initiative is part of a wider strategy to provide a “direct-sales ecosystem,” according to the company.
It’s too early to predict who might win the AI race in travel. Many executives are concerned about the power the OTAs wield and the deals they have struck with AI platforms. Others feel more confident that the companies who own the inventory, such as airlines and hotels, could have the upper hand.
What is clearer is that the rapid pace of innovation will not subside; new models will emerge, and everyone from supplier-direct to intermediaries and metasearch somewhere in between will be disrupted.
Tags: Expedia, ChatGPT, travel industry, travel technology, Artificial intelligence
