According to travel technology company Travelport’s Traveler Confidence Survey, U.S. consumers are looking for greater clarity, transparency and certainty as they research and book travel. While AI can help simplify the experience, the findings also point to a gap between what travelers expect from AI and the confidence today’s tools provide.
Seeking Security
When it comes to travel options, more options do not always create a better experience.
- Nearly half of U.S. consumers (46 percent) say they have abandoned a booking because it became too complicated or time-consuming, with 38 percent claiming fewer options would most improve their flight booking experience.
- Overall, 69 percent feel overwhelmed by online travel options at least sometimes, including 36 percent who feel overwhelmed always or often.
The proliferation of airline offers and digital booking channels has created a more complex decision-making environment for travelers. The findings highlight that U.S. consumers increasingly value reduced friction in moving from inspiration to a confident booking decision.
AI and Travel
Consumers see value in using AI for travel, but their comfort level varies significantly between researching a trip and completing a booking.
- While more than half (53 percent) of U.S. consumers responded that they would trust an AI-powered tool or agent to recommend the best flight (the remaining 47 percent said no), approximately 72 percent of U.S. consumers also feel that AI-powered travel booking causes stress or anxiety.
- Leading causes of these stressors may include worries over getting the best price, booking the wrong details (dates or destinations), and having too many travel options.
- For U.S. consumers who are using AI for travel needs, 32 percent say they use it to research best prices and options, while only 8 percent use it to book their final trip.
The difference between consumers’ willingness to use AI for research and their reluctance to rely on it for final booking points to a confidence gap. Closing the gap will require more than adding another interface: AI-powered booking experiences must be grounded in trusted, accurate travel content and supported by infrastructure that can reliably translate traveler intent into bookable options.
These findings reinforce a central message of Travelport’s AI in Travel campaign: consumer expectations will help shape the next generation of travel technology. Travelport is working at the infrastructure layer to organize complex travel content and give AI the reliable foundation it needs to deliver greater clarity, confidence and certainty over time.
Transparency and Confidence
Even as personalized travel experiences become more important, Travelport’s Traveler Confidence Survey shows that price transparency and simplicity remain the qualities U.S. consumers value most.
- When asked what would most improve the booking experience, clearer pricing was the top priority: among respondents who named it one of their top three improvements, 61 percent ranked it their single biggest ask.
- Along similar transparency lines, U.S. consumers expressed they are fed up with add-ons and fees, with 32 percent ranking these additions as the most frustrating part of the booking experience.
- Comparing fares/offers (25 percent) and understanding what’s included in a price (21 percent) ranked as the next most frustrating part of the booking process.
Whether consumers book through AI, an online travel agency or a travel advisor, the expectation is the same: clear pricing, understandable choices and confidence that the selected option is right for their trip. Travel brands that can provide that certainty will be better positioned to convert interest into bookings.
“The travel industry is entering a new era where travelers can describe exactly what they want in natural language and expect relevant recommendations,” Andrew Jordan, chief product and technology officer at Travelport, said in a statement. “But inspiration alone is not enough - travelers also need certainty that the options they see are accurate, transparent and bookable. Our research shows that consumers are open to AI, but they want it to reduce complexity rather than introduce more of it. By connecting AI to trusted travel content and intelligent infrastructure, the industry can turn an overwhelming amount of information into clearer, more confident decisions.”
The survey was commissioned by Travelport and conducted by first-party data company Dynata. The survey was conducted in late June 2026 of 1,000 U.S. consumers 18 years and older to understand consumer preferences and influences when engaging in travel booking experiences.