Business travel Daily · Thursday, 29 October 2026

On October 28, 2026, Expedia Group announced at its Fall 2026 product release that it was expanding natural language search and adding multiple AI features for Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo. Among them, Expedia launched a conversational activity planning tool that can generate itineraries and book experiences; the Property Expert tool answers property questions based on property information, guest reviews and traveler bookings. On the same day, first-hand information published by the Expedia Group newsroom said the fall product update launched more than 30 new features and enhancements across Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, covering trip planning, booking, payment and customer service. Earlier reports mentioned only the natural language search expansion and specific features such as conversational activity planning and Property Expert, without giving a total number of features; later first-hand reports said the new features and enhancements totaled more than 30 and added that they cover areas including payment and customer service. On November 3, 2026, Hospitality Technology reported that the release introduced more than 30 new features, including conversational itinerary planning, AI-assisted property comparison and smarter group coordination, and said it was intended to defend against general-purpose AI platforms and compete for in-stay spending. None of the reports disclosed a launch timeline, market coverage or phased implementation arrangements for the above features.

On October 28, 2026, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Air New Zealand and Hong Kong International Airport became the first organizations to receive One ID certification, with the certification presented at the IATA World Passenger Symposium held in Macau. The certification confirms that the organizations meet IATA global standards in digital identity and biometric applications, covering four categories of activities: digital entry eligibility, contactless travel, biometric processing, and privacy, consent and governance. Current reports show that both organizations have completed certification and received the presentation, with no further information yet on subsequent implementation or expansion of the certification.

On October 27, 2026, Travelport and Cognizant announced a deepened strategic partnership, with the goal of making Travelport a truly AI-native platform in global travel retail. According to a press release issued by Travelport, the two parties will embed AI in the platform, products, and operations. This is the latest public information currently available about the partnership; the report did not disclose the partnership amount, timetable, or phased implementation arrangements. On October 30, PhocusWire reported in its business travel technology weekly that Travelport and Cognizant had completed the first phase of the modernization plan announced in May, building the technical infrastructure for subsequent AI development; the next phase will launch AI tools for travel agencies and suppliers, with initial engineering focused on Travelport Trip Services, which handles services such as bookings, exchanges, and refunds, and teams from Cognizant across 18 countries will participate. Earlier reports did not mention the connection between the partnership and the May modernization plan or the phased arrangements; subsequent reports added the completion of the first phase and the direction of the next phase.

IATA released the 2026 Global Passenger Survey on October 28, 2026, based on more than 10,000 responses from over 200 countries. The survey shows that 58% of passengers experienced biometrics at airports in the past 12 months, up from 50% in 2025, with satisfaction with biometrics reaching 87%. 49% of passengers have used AI to plan travel, of which 21% used it to search for flights to a specific destination. Entry requirements became a travel obstacle: 43% of passengers abandoned a destination due to entry requirements, up from 33% in 2025, of which 53% considered the process too complex.