OpenAI took a surprising turn, moving beyond a simple chatbot to create an app ecosystem called “Apps in ChatGPT,” revealed at their October 6, 2025, developer event. An Apps SDK aims to draw in developers. This is about creating a platform, giving ChatGPT’s huge user base—800 million weekly—easy ways to use Spotify, Canva, and other tools without leaving the chat.
In travel, the stakes are very high: Expedia and Booking.com integrations let users find flights, book hotels, and plan trips within the chat, changing how we plan vacations. With Tripadvisor joining soon, the question is: Will this help OTAs or hurt hotels?
From Queries to Bookings
Just imagine: typing “Find a nice Paris hotel for two next weekend with parking” into ChatGPT. Instantly, the Expedia app appears, showing options like Zoku Paris (photos, €250/night, free Wi-Fi, rooftop pool) or Le Meurice, all inside the chat. No switching tabs or downloading apps – just smooth planning with maps and prices.
Ariane Gorin, Expedia Group CEO, said on LinkedIn that this could be a big step from AI planning to actual bookings, making Expedia and Booking.com one of the first travel apps in ChatGPT. Booking.com also shared their excitement, using their OpenAI connection to highlight “hotels, vacation homes, and unique stays” with chat suggestions, leading right to bookings.
Tripadvisor is coming soon. Rahul Todkar, Head of Data and AI, teased an app with “personalized, context-sensitive hotel recommendations” based on reviews and AI. “Travelers will experience an agent-based journey,” Todkar said, making the hotel search easier. Soon, it will include full trip planning – activities, bookings, everything – maybe competing with dedicated trip planners.
Other apps like Uber (rides), TheFork and OpenTable (dining), and AllTrails (hikes) are planned for late 2025, adding transportation and dining. Early users are excited. One X user mentioned prototyping Figma layouts inside ChatGPT, while another saw Expedia’s integration as a big opportunity for developers.
MCP Magic and Global Rollout
The tech behind this? OpenAI’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) allows ChatGPT to use external data without disruption. The free Apps SDK helps developers create interfaces with buttons, forms, and live feeds, activated by naming the app (like “Expedia, compare Tokyo flights”) or by bot suggestions.
Click here to preview your posts with PRO themes ››
The rollout is happening for logged-in users outside the EU Economic Area, Switzerland, and the UK across Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans, starting with English and adding languages later. EU users will have to wait. Partners like Coursera (learning) and Zillow (real estate) are also part of the launch, but travel is getting most of the attention because of the high stakes and potential for bookings.
A Boon for Aggregators, Headache for Hotels
However, it’s not all good news. As OTAs like Expedia and Booking.com use ChatGPT’s large audience, some experts predict a shift in power. “This is a strong sales channel for aggregators,” one analyst pointed out, with seamless planning and booking boosting conversions but pushing traffic through middlemen. Hotels trying for direct bookings to avoid fees now face AI-powered rivals keeping users in the chat, limiting visits to hotel websites.
The issue? Visibility depends on user prompts or OTA promotion, like ad spending. Observers have noted the potential for LLMs such as ChatGPT to favor OTA results, which could hurt hotel parity. Looking ahead, hotels need to actively develop their own AI solutions. Think chatbot concierges, websites optimized for voice, or even SDK integrations. These moves are crucial to regaining control in what’s becoming a bot-driven marketplace.
Meanwhile, on X, the discussions are buzzing. Developers are considering app development for the large user base. Some wonder if OpenAI is developing an AI device, possibly with Jony Ive’s support, that could replace phones. As Altman considers “the next big browser,” the travel sector could determine ChatGPT’s success, or it might just become another app.
At present, one thing is clear: your next vacation might both begin, and possibly end, with a simple conversation with an AI. Here’s to the future of seamless air travel and bon voyage!