Travellers will pay more and switch brands for ease, new Accenture research finds

94% of travellers describe travel as 'moderately or very complex' to book

91% of Travelers are Willing to Pay More and 96% will Switch Brands for a Faster, Easier Travel Experience

New research from Accenture, Win the AI agent, win the traveller, has revealed that travellers are increasingly willing to pay more, and switch brands, for a faster and easier experience.

It found that nearly all travelers (96%) said they would switch from their preferred travel brand if another option offered a significantly easier and faster experience. 

Moreover, 91% said they would accept a more expensive travel option if it significantly reduced the time and effort required to plan and manage their trip.

Accenture’s recent Consumer Pulse Research, featured in the report Talk to My AI Agent, found that more than a third, (36%) of loyal travellers (those who typically choose from 1-3 preferred brands within a particular category i.e hotel/airline) would let an agent switch from their favourite brands for a better fit on price, preference or performance. 

Unfortunately for the industry, it also revealed disturbing statistics on the perception of fragmentation and whether it still remains. More than nine in ten travellers (94%) described the booking process as moderately or very complex, with nearly two-thirds (65%) using four or more platforms before booking a trip.

Payment problems continue to drive lost bookings as well with more than eight in ten travellers (83%) have abandoned a travel booking because of payment-related issues such as unexpected fees, declined cards or limited payment options.

More than four in ten travellers (43%) said payment experience strongly influences which provider they choose.

Open sentiment towards AI remains, with 37% of travellers allowing an AI agent to complete a travel booking and nearly one-third (32%) willing to let an AI agent make a payment on their behalf but nine out of ten travellers (91%) want approval rights at key points of the journey; for example, confirming final bookings or making changes to their plans.

The industry is beginning to respond to this demand. 28% of travel, airline and transport companies are currently developing plans to integrate AI agents into their broader AI strategy, up from 23% in Jan 2026 and Sept 2025 according to Accenture’s Pulse of Change survey.

The extent of which travellers want ease is telling with 96% of travellers from the survey said the idea of a single system that connects payments, rewards and travel preferences appealing and 97% said they would use such a system even if it required sharing personal and travel data.

"Convenience has always mattered in travel, but our research suggests it is becoming an even more important factor in how travellers choose and stay with brands," said Emily Weiss, global travel lead and senior managing director, Accenture.

"The opportunity for travel companies is to make travel simpler and more intuitive by helping customers find relevant options faster, reducing the number of steps required to complete a task, and providing proactive support when plans change, all while giving travellers transparency, trust and control over key decisions." 

Sulabh Agarwal, global payments lead at Accenture, added: "The rise of agentic commerce is changing how customers discover, book and pay for travel. But one thing hasn't changed: customers will always reward brands that make life easier. 

"As AI takes a greater role in purchasing decisions, the payments experience becomes a critical driver of trust, conversion, or, when done wrong, frustration. 

"Travel companies that reduce friction, expand payment flexibility and make transactions feel seamless will be best positioned to win customer trust and stay top of mind in an increasingly AI-driven marketplace."