Would you let AIbook your next holiday?
We asked Americans how they plan, pay for and rethink travel. From surprise fees at checkout to handing the booking over to AI, explore what builds trust and what makes travellers think twice.
The 2026 holidaydepartures board
Three in ten Americans expect to travel more this holiday season than last, while fewer than one in five expect to travel less.
The hidden costof a holiday
Nearly half of Americans rank unexpected fees as the number-one reason they would abandon a travel booking.
Click “Continue to payment” to reveal the number-one reason people abandon travel bookings.
Illustrative booking
Your trip to Lisbon
- Return flight · NYC to Lisbon$612
- Taxes and airport charges$94
- Checked bag$60
- Service fee (added at payment)$49
A surprise $49 fee. This is the moment 48% would walk away.
What would make you abandon this booking?
How much controlwould you give AI?
People become less comfortable as AI moves from finding travel options to making purchases. See how survey responses change for each task.
Searching 214 flights to Lisbon
Paused. Only 40% are comfortable letting AI buy without asking first.
Would your generationtrust AI with the booking?
Comfortable letting AI make travel purchases without approving each transaction.
Gen Z
Born 1997–2012
59%
Millennials
Born 1981–1996
52%
Gen X
Born 1965–1980
35%
Baby Boomers
Born 1946–1964
13%
Gen Z
Before AI spends your money,what rules would you set?
Configure an illustrative AI travel assistant. Each safeguard shows how many Americans rated it very or somewhat important.
Transaction flow
Hotel in Lisbon · $1,180
- Assistant selects hotel
- Spending cap: $1,500
- Fraud screening passed
- Cancel within 24 hours
- Category check: flights, hotels
- Merchant verified agent identity
- Payment completed
3 of the 5 illustrated safeguards enabled. The percentages describe consumer preferences, not a security score.
Crossing borders shouldn'tmean crossing your fingers
Follow an international trip. Each stop is an illustrative journey moment, not a measured country.
Stop 1 · Exchange
Every payment, everywhere.
Each obstacle is a payment moment. Connected infrastructure is how the journey stays smooth.
Who would you trustwith your money?
Who would Americans trust most to provide an AI assistant that makes travel purchases for them?
Would trust no company
39% would trust no company to provide an AI travel purchasing assistant.
ResetWho Americans would trust
I would not trust any company to provide this service
My bank or credit card provider (e.g., Chase, Bank of America, American Express)
A digital wallet (e.g., Apple Pay, Google Pay)
An online travel booking platform (e.g., Expedia, Booking.com, Priceline)
An airline (e.g., Delta, United, JetBlue)
A payment provider (e.g., Venmo)
A hotel company (e.g., Hilton, Marriott)
A major technology company (e.g., Apple, Google, Amazon)
An AI company (e.g., OpenAI/ChatGPT, Anthropic/Claude)
Explore the researchfor yourself
Every question from the survey, broken down by generation, gender and region.
Q7_8
Make travel purchases without asking me to approve each transaction
How comfortable would you be allowing an AI-powered travel assistant to do each of the following on your behalf?
Read more
What travelling home for the holidays reveals about how context shapes paymentsNuvei’s US research explores why refunds, purchase protection and installment options matter to holiday travelers, and what that means for travel merchants.Travel & mobility
What travelling home for the holidays reveals about the future of agentic commerceWhat would it take for travelers to trust AI to book a flight home? Explore spending limits, traveler consent and how merchants can verify AI agents.Travel & mobility
What travelling home for the holidays reveals about the limits of purchase intentNuvei’s US research shows why travelers abandon bookings despite strong purchase intent and how merchants can keep prices consistent from search to checkout.Travel & mobility