The launch of Kayak.ai signals the company’s push to personalize travel booking through conversational, real-time AI features
Apr 14, 2025
Kayak, the metasearch engine for travel, is ramping up its efforts in AI to maintain its relevance in the evolving travel industry. It recently launched Kayak.ai, a “test lab” for experimenting with AI-driven features to make the platform more personalized and conversational. Kayak.ai is designed to cater to AI enthusiasts and travel hackers, offering an advanced, real-time, conversational search engine distinct from Kayak’s standard interface.
Key takeaways
- Kayak.ai: A new experimental AI platform by Kayak, aiming to improve personalized, conversational travel search using real-time data.
- AI integration: Kayak has been incorporating AI into its services (e.g., Price Check and Ask Kayak), with plans to expand AI’s role through Kayak.ai.
- Real-time pricing: Kayak.ai’s search engine distinguishes itself by offering real-time pricing in its conversational search, unlike traditional cached data.
- Agentic AI: Kayak envisions integrating “agentic AI,” similar to ChatGPT’s ability to book travel, and sees partnerships with major AI platforms like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT.
- Future of AI in travel: CEO Steve Hafner predicts that large AI engines may eventually replace many third-party travel sites, offering efficiency and monetization opportunities.
- User loyalty: Kayak is focused on direct consumer service while exploring AI-driven partnerships as a side initiative, acknowledging its potential to become a larger part of its business.
Get the full story at Kayak
