Future Around & Find Out Will AI Disrupt — or Entrench — the Travel Industry's Big Players? | Rafat Ali (Founder & CEO, Skift)
Jan 13, 2026
Rafat Ali, founder and CEO of Skift, dives deep into the intersection of AI and travel. He discusses how AI could either create new intermediaries or reinforce existing giants. Despite the hype, no consumer AI travel startups have succeeded yet, while B2B automation thrives. Rafat highlights the extractive nature of travel pricing, emphasizing rising fees and transparency issues. He also shares dad hacks for traveling with kids, blending practicality with insights on optimizing travel experiences.
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Big Money Likely Wins Early AI Intermediaries
- Large players with the most capital are positioned to win early AI travel intermediaries.
- Pure consumer travel AI startups haven't produced a breakout yet, while B2B ops automation leads adoption.
Trip Planning Is Great For Demos, Not Always Results
- Trip planning is a demo-friendly AI use case but often fails without specific direction.
- Quality depends on how you prompt and rarely gives truly surprising or deep recommendations.
Google Maps Is The World's Most Used Travel App
- Google Maps functions as the most-used travel app despite not being labeled travel.
- Location search and local discovery drive everyday travel behavior more than many travel apps.