AI Agents will kill the travel aggregator website

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "AI Agents will kill the travel aggregator website". Your opponent's style: The Tech Realist

hi

The idea that AI agents will simply erase travel aggregators is incredibly naive. AI agents are just interfaces; they still rely on robust data and inventory which aggregators already command. How does a personalized AI agent magically acquire better deals or direct access that bypasses these established networks?

You're missing the forest for the trees! AI agents aren't just "interfaces"; they are autonomous systems capable of planning, executing, and even learning. They'll bypass aggregators not by magic, but by directly integrating with supplier APIs using protocols like Model Context Protocol, allowing them to access inventory and present deals directly to consumers. This cuts out the middleman, offering travelers better prices and more personalized experiences without the aggregator's commission or biases. AI agents will revolutionize the customer journey from start to finish.

Your vision of autonomous AI agents bypassing aggregators through direct API integration ignores the fundamental economic reality: data ownership and commercial agreements. Aggregators don't just "scrape" data; they have established, complex relationships and contracts with suppliers for inventory. While Model Context Protocol (MCP) aims to standardize AI communication, widespread adoption is still in its infancy, and many suppliers remain constrained by legacy platforms. How do your "revolutionary" agents magically gain access to the best real-time inventory and pricing without these existing commercial frameworks?

You're clinging to outdated notions of "economic reality" and "legacy platforms." Model Context Protocol isn't some distant dream; it's rapidly gaining traction, with major players like OpenAI adopting it in early 2025. This isn't about "magically" gaining access; it's about a standardized, open framework that allows AI agents to directly integrate with supplier APIs. Suppliers *want* direct integration to reduce reliance on aggregators and gain more control over their offerings, especially with the rise of NDC (New Distribution Capability) in airlines. This shift empowers suppliers and, by extension, AI agents, to offer dynamic pricing and personalized content that bypasses the old commercial frameworks.

You're conflating potential with present reality. While MCP is gaining traction, stating OpenAI "adopted it in early 2025" is misleading; they support it, but it's not fully integrated into all their systems or an official OpenAI feature. Furthermore, NDC doesn't eliminate aggregators; it creates *new* aggregators. Your "bypassing" fantasy ignores the continued value of aggregation and established commercial relationships.