Expedia Group Announces 30-Plus AI Features Across Three Brands

Expedia Group Inc. announced more than 30 new and enhanced AI-powered features in its Fall 2026 release, distributing them across the Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo consumer brands. The release covers natural-language discovery, hotel comparison, itinerary building, voice support and flexible vacation-rental payment.

Shilpa Ranganathan, Expedia Group’s chief product officer, said: “Travel is a series of decisions, and travelers want the joy of discovery and planning to last through every stage of the journey.”

She added: “That’s why we’re building AI-powered experiences across our brands that help travelers make informed decisions, give them flexibility and value, and personalize every step of their trip.” Expedia said human agents step in with full trip context when travelers ask for a person.

The Family Travel Association’s U.S. Family Travel Survey 2025, released in December 2025, found that more than one-third of parents consider finding fun, unique activities for the whole family among their most stressful planning tasks; more than half of family travelers place high value on room configuration.

A broader Expedia workflow

The redesigned Expedia homepage surfaces recommendations, deals, recent activity and suggested next steps in real time on web and app, whether a traveler is seeking inspiration, continuing a search or preparing for a booked trip.

• Flexible packages: Expedia says bundling flights, stays and cars can produce savings. Packages now let users arrive in one city, stay in another and add a hotel or rental car only for the dates needed.
• Activity Planner: The conversational tool, available in the U.S. on Expedia.com and its app, proposes bookable activities, tours, restaurants and local points of interest, plus non-bookable walks and free tours. Users can save options to a trip board and build a daily itinerary.
• Property Expert: The tool answers property questions before or after booking using property details, guest reviews and the traveler’s reservation. U.S. web and app users can open it from the floating “Ask” button or a property-page banner.
• Multi-room booking: Groups can select different room types at one hotel, pay together and manage one itinerary. Expedia’s example pairs a Deluxe King Suite for parents with a Premium Ocean View room for the family.
• Family-friendly maps: The maps add beaches, playgrounds, restaurants and other neighborhood details when travelers compare locations.

Hotels.com comparison and work-trip tools

Hotels.com’s enhanced AI Compare replaces the need to open separate search, map, review and policy pages for each shortlisted stay. Available in the U.S. on web and app, it produces personalized, plain-language comparisons based on location, amenities, price and policy details, then answers follow-up questions about trade-offs.

Hotels.com adapts its homepage for work or leisure. Users can manage a booking, extend a stay or retrieve receipts for expense reporting. On app and web, Homepage Trip Companion surfaces searches, saved properties and upcoming stays. The release also includes Natural Language Search, Loved by Guests, Business Shopping Experience and Property Expert enhancements.

Vrbo targets group coordination

Vrbo’s Natural Language Search replaces fixed search boxes and filters with descriptions such as a Hawaii beachfront home with a well-stocked kitchen and outdoor gathering space. The U.S.-English web and app tool, also available on Hotels.com, explains why each result fits a stated group need.

Coming soon, Reserve Now, Pay Later will let travelers reserve eligible homes with $0 due at booking by placing a credit card on file. The option gives group planners time to confirm participants, collect contributions, manage total stay costs and pay closer to the stay.

The enhanced Arrival Experience consolidates check-in and checkout times, door codes, directions and house rules that groups previously had to find across messages. A conversational voice service handles common requests and transfers to a human agent with call context, reducing repetition.

Vrbo also offers Monthly, Weekly and Early Booking discounts, Last-Minute deals, Stacked Savings on select stays and Member Prices for signed-in users.

What does this change for hotel and rental operators?

Property facts, room layouts, amenities, policies and review language become inputs to automated discovery. AI Compare translates differences into plain language, while Property Expert answers pre-booking questions and confirms inclusions against a reservation. Family maps frame surroundings through nearby beaches, playgrounds and restaurants.

Expedia did not announce separate fees for the AI tools or changes to merchant commissions. The release identifies tier-based CLEAR+ discounts and requires a card on file for Vrbo’s $0-down reservation, making payment terms more explicit than the AI pricing itself.

New payment and disruption benefits

All U.S. One Key members can enroll in CLEAR+, the airport-security program, at tier-based discounts after booking a flight through the Expedia app or Expedia.com. The release directs members to expedia.com/product/clear for pricing by tier.

For eligible delays of at least 90 minutes, Gold and Platinum members can receive complimentary lounge access or OneKeyCash regardless of airline, covering up to nine travelers. Qualifying bookings must be made through Expedia by Dec. 31, 2027, subject to terms.

Gold and Platinum members who book eligible flights in the Expedia app also receive free One Key Price Drop Protection. If the price falls before departure, Expedia automatically issues the difference in OneKeyCash.

Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) describes itself as a global travel marketplace connecting travelers, partners and advertisers. Its ecosystem includes Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, its largest B2B travel business and a premier advertising network, and serves millions of travelers in more than 70 countries.

The release positions AI across search and support. The next measure is whether cleaner comparisons, deferred rental payment and faster issue resolution produce completed trips while preserving the economics of underlying reservations.