Traditional channels continue to dominate trip planning over artificial intelligence (AI) platforms according to research from Expedia Group.
In its AI Trust Gap study, the company said it is still a small percentage of consumers, 8%, who rely on AI chatbots and agents when planning a trip compared with 59% who use search engines.
Recent research from Phocuswright on U.S. travelers highlighted a growing reliance on AI. It revealed that 39% are using AI to research and plan travel. It also found that search engines are losing ground, dropping from 51% in late 2024 to 36% in the second half of 2025.
The Expedia Group survey of more than 5,700 adults in the U.K., U.S. and India, found:
- 53% are comfortable letting AI suggest travel options
- 42% use or would use AI to monitor prices
- 40% use AI to help build itineraries
The research from the online travel company also found that when it comes to booking 68% of consumers turn to travel brands they trust over AI chatbots and agents. In addition, 66% said they would not trust an AI assistant to book for them and only 8% would be comfortable booking through an AI platform.
More than half of consumers, 57%, said they were concerned about loss of control as well as data and payment privacy when it comes to AI-driven transactions. Misuse of personal data was cited as a concern by 56%.
"Travelers don't have a technology problem with AI. They have a trust problem," said Xavi Amatriain, chief AI and data officer of Expedia Group. "Trust in travel isn’t built through technology alone. It’s built through real-world relationships and assets, strong customer support and decades of deep industry knowledge.”
His comments echo sentiment from a recent PhocusWire article on the trust gap in agentic commerce and AI booking. Industry executives highlighted the importance of technology that enables safe transactions alongside a user experience that consumers can trust.
And research published earlier this month by marketing agency Dune7 also revealed concerns around trust as the biggest barriers to AI usage to plan and book travel.
The online survey of 1000 U.S. adults highlighted irreversible AI errors, lack of accountability and human support and data privacy as top concerns.
Tom Buckley, co-founder of Dune7, said consumers want AI to help them save time and find deals but within a set of rules including “approval rights, transparency and a human fallback when it matters.”