The human advantage: Why expert support matters more in the age of AI
AI can now plan a holiday in seconds, but new research shows most travellers still won't let it have the final say.
Robin Lawther, VP of Expedia TAAP
AI is already changing travel. It is helping people search faster, compare options more efficiently and build itineraries with far less effort than ever before. For travel advisors, that brings real opportunity. AI can remove friction, speed up admin and help surface better choices for travellers in less time.
At the same time, the travel industry continues to remind us that planning a trip and navigating the full travel journey are two very different experiences. Travel can be unpredictable. This summer alone, travellers have faced flight delays, cancellations and operational disruptions that even the most advanced technology would never be able to predict or resolve.
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These disruptions expose an important truth about the role of AI in travel. It can certainly help travellers prepare for a trip, but it can’t replace the confidence that comes from knowing someone can step in and support when plans change. When a booking is wrong, a payment fails, a hotel cannot find a reservation or a flight disruption changes everything mid-journey, people do not just want an answer. They want reassurance, ownership and a path to resolution.
That’s why, in travel, efficiency alone has never been the ultimate measure of value. Trust is.
Expedia Group’s AI Trust Gap research emphasises this notion. While travellers are increasingly comfortable using AI in a supporting role, many still draw a firm line when it comes to handing over control. Sixty-six percent say they would not trust AI to buy or book on their behalf.
The same research found that travellers trust AI to suggest, not decide. That distinction matters for travel advisors. AI can be a powerful assistant, but it is not a substitute for the knowledge, judgement and advocacy that travel advisors bring. If anything, the rise of AI makes the advisor role even clearer: using technology to work smarter, while remaining the trusted expert travellers turn to when decisions and support really matter.
In travel, support is accountability made visible. For travel advisors, that is especially important. Their value has always gone beyond the transaction itself. Advisors guide, reassure, interpret and advocate. They know when a traveller needs flexibility over price, when a supplier policy deserves a second look and when a situation requires judgement rather than a scripted response. Great servicing strengthens that role rather than replacing it. The best use of AI is not to remove the advisor from the journey, but to free them up to focus on the human expertise travellers value most.
Of course, speed matters.That is an important signal because responsiveness builds confidence. But fast service only matters if it leads to effective outcomes. That is why quality, expertise and consistency are just as critical.
Scale also matters. Travel advisors are serving clients across all sorts of destinations, suppliers and time zones – and their support system must reflect that reality. Servicing cannot be designed around one market, one language or one time zone. It has to reflect how advisors actually work: across borders, across supplier types and often outside traditional office hours.
Just as importantly, support should help travel advisors do their job better. That means giving them access to knowledgeable people who understand the realities of travel selling and servicing, and who can help move an issue towards resolution quickly. When an advisor is trying to protect a client relationship, salvage an itinerary or navigate a time-sensitive disruption, the right support does more than answer a question. It helps them deliver on their promise to the traveller.
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That principle applies just as strongly to travel advisors. When they need help, they need more than generated text. They need experienced people backed by operational infrastructure, supplier relationships and the ability to act. In many cases, the difference between a good support model and a great one is not whether someone can explain a policy. It is whether someone can intervene, escalate and resolve.
That is also why I do not see AI and human expertise as opposing forces. The most effective future for travel will combine both. AI should enhance the advisor experience by making workflows more efficient and information easier to access. Human experts should remain at the centre of the moments that require judgement, empathy and advocacy. One improves productivity; the other delivers confidence.
For travel advisors, that balance is essential. Advisors are under pressure to do more, respond faster and serve increasingly informed travellers. They deserve tools that help them move quickly. But they also deserve support partners who understand that servicing is not a cost centre or a box to tick. It is part of the product. In many ways, it is proof of the product.
The future is not about replacing travel advisors. It is about equipping them with better tools and better support so they can do what they do best.
Technology will keep evolving and it should, but the companies that win will not be the ones that automate the most. They will be the ones that combine innovation with trust, and speed with real human expertise. In travel, that is the real advantage. And it is still, fundamentally, human.
