Expedia sees no booking shift from AI agents so far

“It’s a great way for people to do inspiration, to do trip planning,” Gorin told CNBC. “We haven’t seen it change the way they’re actually doing booking.” As personal agents such as Meta’s Muse and OpenAI’s Dots gain prominence, travel planning and reservations are emerging as potential areas of competition for sites like Expedia.

Gorin said Expedia is “working with all of the agents” to ensure the company appears in AI results, understand how the tools gather information and build the integrations they need. She acknowledged agents could develop their own travel programs and win market share. But, she said, handling customer service would be difficult for AI to replace.

Travelers already compare options across multiple sites, Gorin said, and agents could make that process easier. Booking requires confidence that listings, amenities and prices are accurate, as well as help when something goes wrong, she said. Gorin argued that those needs are why customers trust Expedia.

Expedia shares fell about 12% Thursday after the company issued weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter guidance on Wednesday. It forecast revenue of $3.69 billion to $3.75 billion for the quarter, putting the midpoint below the $3.74 billion analyst estimate, according to FactSet. Gorin attributed the outlook’s “moderation” to geopolitical events in the Middle East and Europe, the midterm elections and the company moving its fall sale from the fourth quarter to the third. Expedia reported an 11% rise in total gross bookings and a 12% increase in revenue in the third quarter.