OpenAI shifts strategy, Booking.com and Expedia surge

OpenAI appears to be backing away from handling bookings and other purchases directly inside ChatGPT, a change that sent shares of Booking.com and Expedia higher. TD Cowen analysts called the move a "stunning admission." The company had been testing integrated checkout features that let users book hotels or buy products without leaving the chatbot.

It is now moving its Instant Checkout feature into apps run by other companies and pushing transactions into third-party apps. The shift reflects the operational complexity of commerce — payments, cancellations, refunds, customer-service complaints and the logistical headaches of booking trips.

Online travel agents bear legal obligations as direct contractual intermediaries, with liability for bookings, customer service and the accuracy of listings and prices, a burden highlighted by the travel chaos in Dubai. There is precedent: Google launched "Book on Google" in 2015 and ultimately shut it down in 2022 after failing to gain traction.

United Arab Emirates, Dubai

openai, chatgpt, booking.com, expedia, instant checkout, third-party, payments, cancellations, customer service, google