Etraveli Group has launched a flight model context protocol (MCP) providing access to its B2B and B2C flight content.
The launch gives artificial intelligence (AI) agents and developers access to the company’s air content using Claude, ChatGPT or other MCP-compatible platforms.
Bookings are completed through a payment link to the company’s Flight Network brand. Travel companies wanting to take the payment themselves would need to build integrations to payment providers and have a partner contract with Etraveli.
Andreas Marquardt, the company’s chief corporate development officer, said MCP is “becoming table stakes” now and said the development is a step towards Etraveli’s journey to become the “flight infrastructure layer for AI and digital commerce.”
Other flight and wider travel content providers such as the global distribution companies and metasearch companies have made similar claims in recent months. Marquardt said he believes Etraveli stands out because it is more of a turnkey solution.
Etraveli previously unveiled a Flight Network plugin in the ChatGPT app store but Marquardt said was a “redirect solution.”
In terms of how quickly consumers might adopt agents, he said his crystal ball was “blurry” but that different solutions will continue to exist for some time.
“Even with agentic tech, you will see that some people might prefer the webpage experience whereas others might prefer the chat experience. And you will probably find quite a lot of hybrid solutions.”
Etraveli provides its flight booking API to Booking.com and other travel providers. In 2023, Booking Holdings, which initially tried to acquire Etraveli and was blocked by European regulators, said it had extended its partnerships with the flight content provider until the end of 2028.