Agentic AI Is Raising Travel’s Tech Bill
Amadeus and Spotnana told the Skift Global Forum that AI agents are increasing infrastructure and operational costs now, while the industry still hasn’t decided who will pay or who will capture the revenue.
Useful takeaways from this story.
AI agents increase immediate costs: compute, heavier search traffic, security, and data governance are already driving up travel distribution expenses.
Revenue and value capture are uncertain: conversion and personalization gains may lag, leaving unclear whether suppliers, intermediaries, or travelers will pay.
Post-booking servicing is the clearest near-term ROI: both Amadeus and Spotnana see automated servicing as the most viable use case to reduce costs.
The useful part
Login Unlock your next read Enter your email for a complimentary article + exclusive offers. Login Agentic AI Is Raising Travel's Tech Bill Adriana Lee September 23rd, 2026 at 9:20 PM EDT headphones Listen summarize Summarize Decision Intelligence Photo Credit: Steve Singh, executive chairman and CEO of Spotnana, and Elena Avila, executive vice president of travel distribution at Amadeus, at the Skift Global Forum 2026 in New York City.
How it works
- The session raised tough questions: who the tech should serve, what it will cost, how much of travel it could automate, and whether the industry will converge on shared standards.
- Ask Skift Explore Skift Intelligence arrow_upward Ask Skift Key Points Amadeus says AI costs — compute, search load, security, data governance — are hitting now, while conversion and personalization gains...
- Amadeus CEO Luis Maroto warned in July that AI could push look-to-book ratios higher, meaning more searches per actual booking.
- Avila would not predict where the bill lands, saying only that where value is created and captured will change.
- Avila said the value depends on identity, data, and systems that talk to each other, and called for fewer "walled journeys." Singh doubts the industry moves to shared standards quickly.
What to take from it
Skift Skift Take Amadeus and Spotnana agree the plumbing for AI-powered travel costs more now. For Elena Avila, executive vice president of travel distribution at Amadeus, the costs are already here. What remains uncertain is whether the revenue will arrive quickly enough to offset them.
Example or evidence
- Spotnana Executive Chairman and CEO Steve Singh argued that suppliers and, in some cases, travelers could eventually pay if the value proves out.
- Login Adriana Lee Adriana Lee is Skift's travel technology and AI reporter.
- Is AI-driven post-booking servicing far enough along for travel management companies to cut costs on it in 2026?
- Who takes the biggest slice of a hotel booking once AI agents sit between the traveler and the supplier?
Details worth keeping
Agentic AI Is Raising Travel's Tech Bill First read is on us. The industry still hasn't settled who pays — or who captures the value. Spotnana's Steve Singh expects suppliers to pay for AI that reaches travelers more efficiently, and expects some travelers to pay for better service.
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