Travel booking stocks plunge as Meta's AI threatens to bypass traditional platforms.

Shares of major online travel booking companies Expedia, Airbnb, and Booking Holdings fell sharply after Meta introduced Muse, an AI agent that can book flights and hotels directly without using traditional aggregator sites. This threatens the commission-based business model of these platforms by enabling direct bookings with suppliers. The selloff reflects broader market concerns about middleman businesses facing disruption from AI agents, with Expedia seeing the largest drop due to its pure aggregation model. Investors will watch for company responses or strategic shifts to address this new AI threat and its impact on travel and other sectors reliant on intermediaries.

Expedia shares dropped 6.47% to USD 262.54 on Pluang as of Sep 24, 2026 01:21 WIB, showing significant investor reaction. Airbnb also fell 6.08% to USD 151.97, while Booking Holdings declined 4.61% to USD 156.65. Pluang order activity shows mixed sentiment, with Expedia evenly split between buyers and sellers, Airbnb favored by buyers, and Booking Holdings mostly sold.