Booking and Expedia take opposite approaches to Meta's AI shopping agent threat in travel bookings.

Meta launched Muse, an AI shopping agent rapidly gaining users, prompting concerns for online travel agencies (OTAs) Booking Holdings and Expedia. Expedia partnered with Muse, integrating its travel bookings, while Booking Holdings avoided partnering to protect its direct consumer base and maintain control over independent hotel bookings. This split strategy affects their exposure to Meta's potential to bypass OTAs, with Booking better positioned due to its higher direct bookings and payment processing. Both stocks dropped similarly amid uncertainty about AI's impact on OTA bookings, but Booking's cautious approach may offer more resilience if AI-driven travel bookings grow.

The contrasting strategies of Booking Holdings and Expedia in response to Meta's AI shopping agent are mirrored in their current market behavior. As of Oct 01, 2026 20:22 WIB, Booking Holdings trades at USD 164.12 with a modest 1-day gain of 0.74%, supported by strong buy interest at 92% on Pluang. Meanwhile, Expedia is priced higher at USD 263.50 but shows a nearly flat 1-day change of 0.05%, with all Pluang orders favoring buys. This data highlights investor confidence in both companies despite their different approaches to AI integration in travel bookings.