OpenAI's purchase of AI travel agent Odessia was announced on 10 November; Expedia, Tripadvisor and Booking shares fell, and United Airlines barred unauthorised AI agents from booking a day later.
Cover image: A smartphone showing the ChatGPT web app (2023 file photo) — photo by Jernej Furman from Slovenia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
OpenAI has bought Odessia, a start-up that planned and booked trips through an AI travel agent, and online travel shares slipped on the news. The OpenAI Odessia acquisition was announced on Tuesday 10 November by Odessia's founder, Francis Davidson; the same day Expedia Group shares were down nearly 4 per cent, Tripadvisor more than 3 per cent and Booking Holdings more than 2 per cent, according to PYMNTS, citing Seeking Alpha. By the close the falls were 2.1, 0.4 and 2.6 per cent, Nasdaq price data show, and all three rose the next day.
A day later United Airlines moved the other way. It said it would bar unauthorised third-party AI agents from booking its flights, including agents that reach it through travel agencies and aggregators. Terms of the Odessia deal were not disclosed, and OpenAI has not announced a travel product.
What did the OpenAI Odessia acquisition include?
Davidson co-founded Sonder, the short-term rental company that TechCrunch says topped $600 million in revenue before its bankruptcy. He wrote that he is joining OpenAI "to focus on the future of travel", Skift reported.
Odessia was unveiled in June with a team of eight in San Francisco and about $6 million of funding led by Sequoia Capital, according to Skift. It opened to the public on 14 October as a free concierge reached by text. Its IATA accreditation as a travel agent gave it access to private hotel rates, Skift adds.
"Over $60M/year of travel was planned by Odessia over the past summer by tens of thousands of early adopters," Davidson said in his announcement, as quoted by PYMNTS. That is his own annualised figure for trips planned, not booked revenue.
TechCrunch wrote that the deal "looks like an acqui-hire" and that the tool has already been shut down.
Is ChatGPT about to sell flights and hotels?
Nothing announced so far says so. An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed Davidson's hiring to TechCrunch and said 1.2 billion people use ChatGPT each week for everyday tasks, trip planning among them. Skift says the deal brings OpenAI Odessia's IATA accreditation and hotel content; OpenAI has not said how it will use them.
Until now OpenAI has worked through partners. Booking.com and Expedia were among the first apps inside ChatGPT when its app platform opened in October 2025, Skift notes.
Traffic from large language models was below 1 per cent of room nights at Booking Holdings in the second quarter, PYMNTS reported. Booking Holdings is backing its own agent, Vayo, launched in October, and its third-quarter results were covered here last week.
Why is United Airlines blocking AI agents from booking?
United gave two reasons on Wednesday 11 November: security and regulation. "United is taking steps to restrict access—directly within our digital platforms and indirectly via travel agencies and aggregators—to prohibit use by unauthorized, third-party personal AI agents or assistants," the airline said in a statement quoted by The Epoch Times.
In the statement, also carried by Travelweek, it said sharing account credentials with an AI assistant can expose sensitive information and lead to "unintended purchases, account changes, or use of MileagePlus miles". It also cited FAA and DOT rules: passengers must personally confirm at check-in that their bags hold no prohibited items.
Chief executive Scott Kirby said at an event in Chicago on 10 November that he did not want another intermediary between United and its customers, according to The Wall Street Journal as reported by Air Data News.
AI assistants can still display United's flights and fares. United has set no timetable, Air Data News reports. Citing Travel Weekly, it adds that the airline has authorised no third-party agent yet and will honour bookings such tools made before 11 November.
What should agencies and suppliers watch next?
United's revised booking, ticketing and distribution policies. Agencies and aggregators are named in its statement, but the reports we have seen do not say what compliance will involve. The channels are explained in our guide to NDC and airline distribution.
Other suppliers are choosing differently, PYMNTS and Air Data News report. Our AI in travel tracker follows them.
| Company | Position on AI booking agents | When |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | Acquired Odessia; no travel product announced | Announced 10 November 2026 |
| United Airlines | Bars unauthorised third-party agents, direct and via agencies and aggregators | 11 November 2026 |
| Delta Air Lines | Authenticated AI assistants can complete bookings | Not stated |
| Southwest Airlines | ChatGPT integration for flight search | Not stated |
| Airbnb | Building its own agent for its app | Rollout from first half of 2027 |
Frequently asked questions
Did OpenAI buy a travel agency?
OpenAI acquired Odessia, a San Francisco start-up that ran an AI travel agent, according to founder Francis Davidson, who announced the deal on 10 November 2026. Terms were not disclosed. TechCrunch reports that the tool has been shut down.
Will ChatGPT start booking flights and hotels?
OpenAI has not announced a travel product. A spokesperson told TechCrunch that trip planning is among the everyday tasks people bring to ChatGPT. As of 13 November 2026, no launch or date is public.
Why did Expedia, Booking and Tripadvisor shares fall?
PYMNTS, citing Seeking Alpha, reported that on 10 November Expedia Group was down nearly 4 per cent, Tripadvisor more than 3 per cent and Booking Holdings more than 2 per cent after the deal became public, on concern about disruption to established booking platforms. By the close the falls were 2.1, 0.4 and 2.6 per cent, Nasdaq data show.
Can AI agents still book United Airlines flights?
Not without United's authorisation. The airline said on 11 November that it is restricting unauthorised third-party personal AI agents on its own platforms and through travel agencies and aggregators.
Sources
- Skift, OpenAI acquires Odessia
- TechCrunch, OpenAI acquires Odessia
- PYMNTS, Online travel agencies' shares drop
- Nasdaq, historical closing prices (EXPE, TRIP, BKNG)
- PYMNTS, United blocks AI agents
- Travelweek, United Airlines tightens AI booking restrictions
- Air Data News, United blocks AI agents
- The Epoch Times, United moves to ban AI agents
