Expedia Group has acquired Layla, an AI-powered trip planning and booking platform designed to help travelers discover destinations, build personalized itineraries and book complete trips through conversation.
Expedia Group announced the acquisition on July 31, 2026. Layla uses artificial intelligence to help travelers move from inspiration to itinerary creation across flights, accommodations, activities, dining and transportation.
The deal strengthens Expedia Group’s growing AI strategy. By combining Layla’s planning and personalization capabilities with Expedia Group’s global travel supply, first-party traveler insights, marketplace scale and booking technology, the companies aim to create a more seamless journey from discovery to booking.
The acquisition also builds on Expedia Group’s wider approach to artificial intelligence. The company has been incorporating AI into its core traveler experiences while partnering with leading AI platforms and developing new AI-native products such as Layla.
Expedia Group expands AI-powered travel planning
Shilpa Ranganathan, Chief Product Officer at Expedia Group, said Layla’s technology aligns with the company’s vision for the future of travel.
“Layla has built an exceptional AI-powered travel planning experience that aligns perfectly with our vision for the future of travel,” Ranganathan said.
She added that travelers increasingly want personalized and complete experiences. AI, she said, is opening up new ways to deliver them.
By combining Layla’s technology with Expedia Group’s marketplace, travel supply and technology platform, the company expects to accelerate the development of its next generation of travel planning and booking experiences.
Layla joins Expedia Group
Layla was founded in 2023 by Saad Saeed and Sardar Bali with the goal of making travel planning as easy as having a conversation.
Saeed, Layla’s co-founder and CEO, said joining Expedia Group would give the company greater scale, travel supply and resources.
“Joining Expedia Group gives us the scale, supply, and resources to bring that vision to millions more travelers around the world,” Saeed said.
The acquisition will allow Layla to expand its AI-powered travel planning experience to more travelers worldwide. At the same time, the companies will work together to develop new ways for people to discover, plan and book trips.
What Layla brings to Expedia Group
Layla’s AI-native platform focuses on conversational travel planning. Travelers can use it to explore destinations, create personalized itineraries and organize different elements of a trip in one experience.
Its capabilities cover key parts of the travel journey, including:
- Flights
- Accommodations
- Activities
- Dining
- Transportation
- Personalized itinerary planning
For Expedia Group, the acquisition adds another AI-focused travel experience to its existing ecosystem. It also gives the company an opportunity to connect conversational trip planning more closely with its global supply and booking infrastructure.
About Expedia Group
Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) is a global travel marketplace focused on helping travelers explore the world.
The company’s ecosystem includes three flagship consumer brands: Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo. It also operates a large B2B travel business and an advertising network.
Expedia Group connects travelers, partners and advertisers through its technology, first-party data and travel marketplace. Its services are available to millions of travelers across more than 70 countries.
Through its brands and technology platforms, Expedia Group is developing more predictive and personalized travel experiences as artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly important part of travel planning and booking.
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