Banks have always paid for the trip. Now, they want to help plan it. Most travel decisions get made on travel sites and, more and more, in artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, before a user takes their card out to pay.
Banks and card networks now want a place earlier in that journey. On Oct. 5, Dubai-based Emirates NBD launched an AI travel assistant built with Visa and Tripadvisor. The free tool draws on Tripadvisor’s more than 1 billion reviews and 8 million listings to build itineraries around a traveler’s preferences, budget and style. It also surfaces Visa cardholder offers such as hotel discounts and car rental perks. Those offers could shift spending. Seventy percent of consumers changed what they bought after seeing an offer or reward, and 43% switched payment methods to earn one, PYMNTS Intelligence found.
Emirates NBD, Mastercard, Revolut Build AI Travel Assistants
The Emirates NBD assistant runs on the bank’s website and requires no account or login, so people who don’t bank there can use it. Rohit Garg, chief digital officer of retail banking and wealth management at Emirates NBD, said travel is “a major lifestyle driver for residents across the UAE.” The bank tuned the tool for the 15 destinations UAE travelers favor most.
Mastercard is taking a similar approach through travel platforms. In March, it said it would bring Lifestyle Navigator, an AI travel and lifestyle concierge, to MakeMyTrip, the Indian online travel company, later this year. The tool will combine MakeMyTrip’s Myra assistant with Mastercard’s AI to recommend experiences and suggest the card that gives a traveler the most benefits. India is the first market.
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Revolut is building travel help into its own app. AIR, the FinTech’s AI assistant, began rolling out to U.K. customers in April, PYMNTS reported. It can help with trip budgets, sort travel essentials and sell Revolut eSIMs in the app, according to the company.
Travelers Want AI Trip Planning but Lack Trust
Interest is there. About 1 in 4 U.S. consumers would be interested in an autonomous AI agent helping plan travel and local activities, according to a PYMNTS Intelligence survey of 2,113 adults. Trust trails interest. In Hilton’s 2027 Trends report, just 22% of travelers said they trust AI to build an itinerary tailored to their interests, PYMNTS reported. Bookings trail further. Large language models drive less than 1% of room nights at Booking Holdings, PYMNTS reported in its coverage of the company’s second-quarter results.
The travel spending at stake runs through cards. Among consumers who paid for travel or vacation expenses, 26% used credit card installments and 8% used buy now, pay later, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence report “Credit Card Installments Outrun BNPL in Summer Travel Surge.” AI could steer that choice, too. Thirteen percent of U.S. adults would consider a pay-later option for travel recommended by an AI shopping assistant, PYMNTS Intelligence
Banks and Networks Tie Travel Planning to Payment
Some banks are focusing on booking rather than AI. Bank of America expanded its Travel Center in July to nearly 1 million options, including more than half a million properties and flights from more than 170 airlines, the bank said. Eligible cardholders can book in its app and online banking and pay with card rewards, a card or both. Rocket Travel by Agoda, part of Booking Holdings, runs the platform.
Mastercard is also testing how to connect AI discovery to payment. In September, Mastercard, Trip.com and Network International, a payments company in the Middle East and Africa, showcased an AI system that lets Trip.com’s TripGenie agent search, compare and pay for attractions and other travel services on a traveler’s behalf. The companies expect a phased rollout and commercial launch in early 2027.
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