How agentic AI could transform travel

'Tis the season of holiday travel and family dynamics aside, for many of us that means it's a time rife with logistical vexations. There are carry-on fees to decipher, there's the array of airline options, determining how much you're willing to pay for a seat upgrade. McKinsey senior partner Jules Seely says these practical steps take away from the delight of travel. It's very interesting today because the typical customer says they like the travel research and experience.

They like to kind of explore and think about where they want to go, but they just don't enjoy the practical side of then converting that into a specific trip itinerary. But agentic AI just might be the tool to alleviate that less fun side of booking travel. So over time, we're excited about Agentic because we think it could be a very different way to manage travel for a customer and have them focus on the excitement and not as much on the friction and pain. This is the McKinsey Podcast, where we make sense out of the world's toughest business challenges.

I'm your host, Lucia Rathali. Jules Seely, welcome to the podcast. Thank you. It's great to be here. McKinsey and Skift just collaborated on a new report about the potential impact of Agentic on the travel industry.

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