The modern travel industry was built for the age of search. Artificial intelligence (AI) is forcing companies to rethink what comes next.
During a session at Phocuswright Europe 2026, OAG CEO Filip Filipov traced the industry's evolution from traditional travel agents to online travel agencies, mobile apps and now AI-powered assistants. Each shift, he argued, has changed traveler behavior and business models.
"We trained the world to buy travel like they're buying a commodity," Filipov said, describing how search and aggregation pushed consumers to focus on the lowest price.
The next phase, he believes, will be driven by AI agents that understand a traveler's preferences, manage bookings and help navigate disruptions across an entire trip.
But realizing that vision will require industry collaboration and significant changes behind the scenes. According to Filipov, today's travel infrastructure remains fragmented, making it difficult to deliver the seamless, connected experiences that AI promises.
"The winners of the next operating system will not be the ones that own the interface," he said. "I think they will own the trusted context and the trusted intelligence, if we end up working together."
In a conversation with Mitra Sorrells, Phocuswright's senior vice president of content, Filipov also discussed the challenges of data sharing, digital identity and which companies may be most vulnerable as AI reshapes travel distribution.
See below for the full session.
Filip Filipov on the new logic of travel -