Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin said Thursday that the company has not yet seen AI agents change how customers book travel, although early signs point to a possible industry shift. In an interview with CNBC, Gorin said AI tools are useful for inspiration and trip planning. "We haven't seen it change the way they're actually doing booking," she said.
Gorin said Expedia is "working with all of the agents" to appear in AI results, understand how those agents gather information, and build the necessary integrations. She acknowledged that AI agents could eventually develop their own travel programs and take market share. She said, however, that customer service would be hard to replace. "If something goes wrong, someone's going to actually either solve it for you, answer the phone, be there for you," Gorin said. "I don't think those agents are going to do it for you, and that's why people trust Expedia and come to us."
Expedia shares fell about 12% Thursday after the company gave weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter guidance on Wednesday. The company forecast revenue of $3.69 billion to $3.75 billion for the quarter. The midpoint is below the $3.74 billion analyst estimate, according to FactSet. Gorin attributed the guidance to geopolitical events in the Middle East and Europe, the midterm elections, and the move of Expedia's fall sale from the fourth quarter to the third. She also noted that total gross bookings rose 11% and revenue climbed 12% in the third quarter.