Redefining travel with Autonomous Agents
Discovering new Ownable Moments™ in travel
Many industries are set to be disrupted by the rise of Autonomous Agents—AI-powered systems that can perform tasks on behalf of users with increasing sophistication. Much like how the internet reshaped human communication, Autonomous AI Agents have the potential to reshape how customers interact with information, services, and experiences.
But beyond the efficiency gains, the challenge lies in striking the right balance between automation and human touchpoints.
Travel, a complex customer experience
The travel industry in particular is a good place to begin. Planning and booking travel can feel stressful; it’s multifaceted, with many decisions and steps. A good travel agent can alleviate these pains, but they’re prohibitively expensive to most. This R&D project explores how Autonomous AI Agents could transform travel, streamlining journeys and creating whole new opportunities for personalisation.
The success of Autonomous Agents in travel will depend on more than just functionality. As processes becomes more automated, we will need to identify moments where “positive friction”—those human interactions that inspire trust and delight—can be preserved or enhanced.
While agents can efficiently handle logistical tasks, such as booking flights or accommodations, travellers still derive emotional satisfaction from making choices. In this sense, the role of AI should be to augment the experience, not replace it entirely. For example, an AI could present a shortlist of handpicked hotel options based on a user’s preferences, leaving room for the traveller to make the final, personalised decision.
Planning a trip: the role of positive friction points
Planning a trip, often an overwhelming and time-consuming endeavour, is one area where AI Agents could significantly alleviate stress. By filtering through an endless sea of options, comparing prices, and cross-referencing preferences with real-time data, agents could provide travellers with curated suggestions tailored to their needs. This removes the burden of endless decision-making while allowing travellers to focus on the more enjoyable aspects of planning, such as choosing destinations or activities.
“We spend on average 10+ hours planning a holiday”
Skyscanner
Booking a trip: a secure and safe way of handling the transaction
During the booking phase, the streamlined capabilities of autonomous agents could drastically reduce friction. Imagine an agent using your credentials to book everything from flights to tours, seamlessly integrating payments and verifying travel documents with minimal input required from the user. This type of frictionless booking is already seen in services like Amazon’s “1-click” purchasing, but in travel, it becomes far more complex. Here, the role of the agent will be to ensure that every step of the journey, from entering passport numbers to making payments, is handled securely and efficiently.
With Web 3.0 technologies such as tokenized payments and decentralised identifiers, these agents could complete transactions with the utmost responsibility for data security, earning user trust along the way.
“85% of leisure travellers decide on activities only after arriving at the destination”
Think Google
During a trip: on-the-ground decisions and changes
Once on the journey, autonomous agents can act as personal concierges, constantly monitoring conditions and making adjustments in real time. Whether it’s pushing back a reservation due to a delayed flight or suggesting a scenic detour based on traffic patterns, these agents will be able to provide an unprecedented level of convenience. This real-time adaptability is where autonomous agents can truly enhance the travel experience, turning unforeseen disruptions into opportunities for discovery. A spontaneous detour suggested by the agent could become the highlight of a trip, exemplifying the power of AI to not only handle logistics but also enrich the traveller’s experience.
A pocket assistantImagine a local tour guide in your pocket, making quick suggestions so you can make a spontaneous detour. But this tour guide doesn’t just make suggestions, it can make the arrangements for you too. |
Changing circumstancesRain stops play? Need a bit more rest than expected? Your travel advisor can anticipate issues with your plans and make sure you’re ready to pivot and don’t miss out. |
Group travel: solving a major pain-point
The rise of AI-assisted travel planning could also resolve a major pain point: group travel. Coordinating preferences across multiple travellers can be daunting, but agents could use generative AI to create optimal itineraries that account for everyone’s individual preferences. It would then modify your trip based on preferences and requests – optimising the experience for everyone.
Conclusion
The future of travel will likely see a blend of Autonomous Agents handling the more mundane, time-consuming aspects of planning and booking while leaving the moments that require human input or emotional engagement untouched.
The travel industry stands on the shore of this transformation, where there is no doubt that AI will play a significant role in reshaping customer experiences. The key will be in designing experiences that balance automation with carefully crafted touchpoints—moments where the human experience is amplified, not diminished. Autonomous Agents, when designed thoughtfully, have the potential to not only make travel more efficient but also more enjoyable, personalised, and deeply connected to individual needs.
And the most exciting thing? The disruption may well not come from the industry itself, but from services that work on behalf of travellers, changing the dynamic of how people research, plan, book and enjoy their future travel experiences.
Advanced thinking at Else
Our R&D program explores how emerging technologies can shape and enhance customer experiences. By exploring these new horizons we aim to develop forward-thinking solutions that address evolving consumer & societal needs.