Finance
Online travel stocks rise after report that OpenAI to scale back direct checkouts
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 5, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 5, 2026
Quick Summary
Online travel stocks jumped sharply on March 5, 2026, after reports that OpenAI will de-emphasize direct checkout in ChatGPT—easing disintermediation fears and buoying Expedia (+12%), Booking Holdings (+8%), and Tripadvisor (+5%).
Online Travel Stocks Rise Following OpenAI's Reduced Direct Booking Plans
Impact of OpenAI's Strategy Shift on Online Travel Agencies
March 5 (Reuters) - Shares of online travel agencies surged on Thursday after a report that OpenAI is scaling back plans to integrate direct bookings into ChatGPT, easing investor fears that the AI chatbots could eventually cut out travel intermediaries.
Market Reaction to OpenAI's Announcement
Shares of Expedia were up over 12%, while Booking Holdings and Tripadvisor rose 8% and 5%, respectively.
Details Behind the Stock Rally
The rally followed a report by The Information that OpenAI found ChatGPT users were researching products in the chatbot but not completing purchases through it.
OpenAI's Revised Integration Approach
The AI company will instead focus on checkouts within specific third-party apps that plug into ChatGPT, the report said, citing an OpenAI spokesperson.
OpenAI did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Industry Concerns Over Generative AI
Investors and analysts have grown increasingly concerned that generative AI tools could become the dominant platform for planning and booking travel, potentially bypassing intermediaries such as online travel agencies.
Analyst Perspectives
We see the OpenAI news as incrementally positive for online travel agencies, Bernstein analyst Richard Clarke said in a note.
"This means that Booking and Expedia can continue to get in front of consumers on AI-platforms, lowering the risk of disintermediation," Clarke added.
Early Adoption of ChatGPT by Travel Companies
Expedia and Booking Holdings were among the first companies to integrate with ChatGPTwhen OpenAI launched its plugins programme in 2023.
(Reporting by Aishwarya Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
Key Takeaways
- •OpenAI is scaling back plans for direct booking in ChatGPT, opting to support checkouts within third‑party apps instead, reducing threat to travel intermediaries (benzinga.com).
- •Investors reacted positively: Expedia shares rose over 12%, Booking Holdings gained about 8%, and Tripadvisor climbed roughly 5% on March 5, 2026 (benzinga.com).
- •Analysts view the shift as a win for OTAs: continued visibility on AI platforms lowers risk of disintermediation, while Expedia and Booking are also investing heavily in AI and loyalty ecosystems themselves (benzinga.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Online travel stocks rise after report that OpenAI to scale back direct checkouts
1Why did online travel stocks surge recently?
Online travel stocks surged after reports that OpenAI is scaling back plans for direct bookings in ChatGPT, easing fears about disintermediation.
2Which online travel companies saw stock increases?
Expedia, Booking Holdings, and Tripadvisor all saw their stock prices rise following the news.
3What changes is OpenAI making to ChatGPT's travel booking integration?
OpenAI is focusing on checkouts within third-party apps rather than enabling direct bookings through ChatGPT itself.
4Why were investors concerned about OpenAI's travel booking plans?
Investors feared generative AI platforms like ChatGPT could bypass online travel agencies and diminish their role in booking processes.
5How are companies like Expedia and Booking Holdings connected to ChatGPT?
Both companies were among the first to integrate with ChatGPT when OpenAI launched its plugins programme in 2023.
