Expedia Group has acquired Layla, an AI travel agent that has planned over $1 billion worth of trips. The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction. The deal brings Layla’s consumer-facing AI platform under the umbrella of one of the world’s largest online travel agencies.
Layla operates as an always-on AI concierge that learns a traveler’s preferences, plans and books end-to-end trips in minutes, and proactively adjusts itineraries when plans change. Expedia Group, which owns brands such as Vrbo and Hotels.com, has been investing heavily in AI-driven personalization across its booking ecosystem. The acquisition gives Expedia direct access to Layla’s proprietary trip-planning technology and its user base, which has already generated over $1 billion in booked travel value.
For Expedia, the strategic rationale centers on integrating Layla’s conversational booking capabilities into its existing platforms. Rather than building a similar AI assistant from scratch, Expedia gains a tested product with real-world transaction data. Layla’s technology is designed to handle complex, multi-stop itineraries and dynamic changes, a feature set that aligns with Expedia’s push toward more flexible and automated travel services. The deal also removes a potential competitor from the standalone AI travel agent space.
For Layla, joining Expedia provides access to a vast inventory of flights, hotels, and rental properties, along with established supplier relationships. The startup’s team is expected to continue developing its consumer product while integrating with Expedia’s backend systems. No changes to Layla’s core service have been announced, and existing users can expect the same interface in the near term.
The combined entity will likely focus on scaling Layla’s AI across Expedia’s global markets, with an emphasis on improving booking completion rates and reducing customer service friction. The success of the integration will depend on how smoothly Layla’s adaptive planning engine can operate within Expedia’s larger commercial framework.