- ACSI: Travel returns to normal as demand eases.
- Lodging, OTAs and car rentals gain.
- Hilton, down 1 percent, ties at 79; Marriott unchanged at 78.
THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY is seeing its most normal year in some time as post-pandemic demand eases, operations stabilize, inflation cools and consumer demand holds, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Lodging, OTAs, car rentals, airlines and rideshare all report gains.
ACSI’s “Travel Study 2026” finds airlines up 3 percent to a score of 76 on a 0 to 100 scale, one point below the 2024 high. Car rentals, rideshare and online travel agencies each rise 1 percent. Lodging leads at 77, up 1 percent.
“Many brands are meeting with initial success in leveraging AI solutions to deliver improved service to customers and in some cases remaking industry business models,” said Forrest Morgeson, Michigan State University associate professor of marketing and ACSI director of research emeritus. “At the same time, customer value propositions appear to be in flux as consumers recalibrate their expectations. Continued focus on technological innovation, along with the nuts and bolts of customer service, will be critical for firms that wish to fully capitalize on these dynamics.”
The ACSI Travel Study 2026 is based on 14,910 surveys. Customers were selected at random and contacted by email between April 2025 and March 2026.
Lodging, OTAs
Lodging results vary by brand and type, indicating shifts in customer views of value as operating models evolve. Satisfaction among business travelers rises faster, with scores up 3 percent year over year.
Airbnb, up 1 percent and Hilton, down 1 percent, tie at 79 on the scale. Marriott is unchanged at 78. IHG falls 4 percent to 76, with declines at Holiday Inn, down 6 percent and Holiday Inn Express, down 4 percent. Wyndham ranks last at 70, down 1 percent.
Among OTA brands, Tripadvisor rises 4 percent to 77, tying Booking.com, down 1 percent. Orbitz rises 3 percent after a 10 percent drop last year but remains last at 68. Priceline falls 4 percent to 71 as complaints rise, while Expedia drops 3 percent to 75.
Results reflect a shift to AI-enabled services, including customized packages and experiences and the use of loyalty programs.
Satisfaction among those under 42 rises, suggesting the industry is gaining younger customers. Separately, a recent study by Booking.com finds nearly three-quarters of travelers consider extreme weather when choosing destinations and timing, both at 74 percent. About 31 percent cancel trips due to these risks.
