Fall 2026 Product Release: Expedia Group launches AI-powered tools and services to simplify the entire trip, from planning and booking to payment and support

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 28, 2026--

Today, Expedia Group introduced more than 30 new and enhanced features across Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo to make it easier for travelers to plan, book, and manage their entire trip. Together, these updates help travelers make more informed decisions, create flexibility and value, and personalize experiences across the whole trip.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261028207262/en/

"Travel is a series of decisions, and travelers want the joy of discovery and planning to last through every stage of the journey," said Shilpa Ranganathan, Chief Product Officer at Expedia Group. "That's why we're building AI-powered experiences across our brands that help travelers make informed decisions, give them flexibility and value, and personalize every step of their trip. And when travelers need a person, our human agents step in with the full context to make things right.”

Expedia, the ultimate travel companion where you can search, compare and book the whole trip all in one place.

Family vacations mean balancing dates, destinations, room configurations, and everyone’s preferences. According to industry research, over a third of parents say finding fun, unique activities for the whole family is one of the most stressful parts of vacation planning, while more than half of family travelers place a high value on. 1 New Expedia features help families through the whole trip by finding options that work for them, coordinating the details and managing more of the itinerary in one place.

Hotels.com makes finding the right stay simple and rewarding

Finding the right hotel can mean bouncing between search results, maps, reviews, and cancellation policies. New Hotels.com features make it easier to find the right stay, adapt your experience for work or leisure trips, and help you get the most important details from search until you’re ready to book your next trip.

Additional Hotels.com experiences include Natural Language Search, Loved by Guests and Business Shopping Experience, and enhancements to Property Expert. See here for more information.

Vrbo, the group planner expert

Vrbo helps group planners find the perfect vacation rental that fits their needs to make lasting memories. But group travel comes with more people, more preferences, and more details to coordinate. New Vrbo features make it easier to find a home that works for everyone, compare options with confidence, and manage the shared stay.

Additional Vrbo experiences include smarter savings for travelers who book early or stay longer through Monthly, Weekly, and Early Booking deals. Travelers can also grab Last-Minute deals, and on select stays, Stacked Savings apply for even more value. Plus, Member Prices are available to those who sign in.

For more information, visit: expedia.com/product/release/fall2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What recent updates did Expedia Group announce?

Expedia Group’s Fall 2026 Product Release announced more than 30 new and enhanced features across Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo designed to help travelers make more informed decisions, create flexibility and value, and personalize experiences across the whole trip. The announcements include Natural Language Search and Reserve Now, Pay Later on Vrbo, a new Activity Planner feature on Expedia, and faster ways to compare hotels with Hotels.com.

How is Expedia’s new homepage more personalized?

The enhanced homepage helps travelers move forward at every stage of their journey, from browsing for inspiration and booking a trip to preparing for departure and managing it while traveling. Across web and app, it creates a personalized experience, surfacing relevant recommendations, deals, recent activity, and next steps in a richer, more visual experience that responds to travelers’ needs in real time.

How do I get a CLEAR+ discount through Expedia?

All One Key members in the U.S. can enroll in CLEAR+ at a tier-based discount after booking a flight on the Expedia app or Expedia.com.

I have a question about a hotel on Expedia/Hotels.com. Where can I go for help?

Property Expert is available on Expedia and Hotels.com (U.S., web and app) and helps travelers ask specific questions about a property and receive answers grounded in property information and guest reviews. Once you’ve found a hotel you’re interested in, either tap the floating “Ask” button in the bottom corner of the property page, or scroll down until you see a banner showing “Questions? Just ask.”

What’s the best way to compare hotels?

Hotels.com’s AI Compare helps travelers compare shortlisted Hotels.com properties side by side, matching the perfect property to the unique needs of their trips. It makes it easier to identify meaningful differences and ask questions about factors such as location, amenities, value, and flexibility. It’s available on the Hotels.com app and Hotels.com in the U.S.

How can I find things to do on my trip?

Expedia’s Activity Planner is a conversational shopping assistant that helps travelers find things to do once they’ve booked a trip. Activity Planner will surface bookable activities and tours, restaurants, and local points of interest, plus some helpful non‑bookable ideas like walks or free tours, that are tailored to their group. It also lets travelers save favorites to a trip board and build a daily itinerary. It’s available in the U.S. on the Expedia app and Expedia.com.

What is Vrbo’s Natural Language Search?

Vrbo’s Natural Language Search allows travelers to describe the hotel or vacation rental they want in their own words rather than being limited to an existing set of fixed boxes and filters. It is available in the U.S. English web and app experience on Hotels.com and Vrbo.

What is Homepage Trip Companion on Hotels.com?

Homepage Trip Companion on Hotels.com puts the relevant information front and center on the Hotels.com homepage (app and web), such as continuing a search, revisiting a saved property, or managing an upcoming stay.

Does Vrbo have flexible payment options?

Coming soon to Vrbo, the Reserve Now, Pay Later payment option allows travelers to reserve eligible homes for $0 at the time of booking by placing a credit card on file, giving group planners more time to confirm who is coming, collect contributions, and manage the cost of the stay.

What help is available if my flight is delayed?

Expedia offers Gold and Platinum members free lounge access for flights delayed 90 minutes or more. The benefit extends to up to nine travelers in the party. Available for qualifying flights booked through Expedia by 12/31/27. Terms apply.

Can I book more than one room for a group on Expedia?

Multi-Room Booking on Expedia lets travelers select different room types at the same hotel and pay for them together. A family can reserve a Deluxe King Suite for the parents and a Premium Ocean View room for the rest of the group, then manage the stay through one itinerary.

What is the best way to plan a family vacation with different preferences?

Expedia brings several family-planning tools together, including family-friendly maps, multi-room booking, Property Expert, and Activity Planner. Travelers can explore neighborhoods, find room configurations that work for their group, ask property-specific questions, and build an itinerary around activities, restaurants, and events.

How can I find a family-friendly area to stay?

Expedia’s family-friendly maps let travelers explore neighborhoods and see relevant details such as beaches, playgrounds, and restaurants. Travelers can use the map to find properties in an area that fits the needs of their trip.

What discounts does Vrbo offer?

Vrbo offers Monthly, Weekly, and Early Booking deals, as well as Last-Minute deals. On select stays, Stacked Savings may provide additional value, and Member Prices are available to travelers who sign in.

What’s the best site to book a vacation rental for a large group?

Vrbo is designed to help group planners find a vacation rental that fits their needs, compare options with confidence, and manage the shared stay. Its new search, payment, arrival, and support experiences are designed around the coordination challenges of group travel.

Notes to Editor:

* Family Travel Association, US Family Travel Survey 2025 (December 2025)

Access press materials here.

About Expedia Group

Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) is the global travel marketplace with one purpose: to help travelers explore the world, one journey at a time. Expedia Group™ connects travelers, partners, and advertisers through its trusted brands, leading technology, and rich first-party data, delivering predictive, personalized experiences that shape the future of travel.

Expedia Group’s ecosystem includes three flagship consumer brands — Expedia®, Hotels.com®, and Vrbo® — the largest B2B travel business, and a premier advertising network. Guided by an experienced and passionate global team, Expedia Group helps millions of travelers in more than 70 countries explore the world with confidence and ease.

© 2026 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Expedia Group and the Expedia Group logo are trademarks of Expedia, Inc. CST: 2029030-50.

 

Vrbo Natural Language Search

Hotels.com AI Compare

Expedia Activity Planner

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday acted to ease access to unproven peptide drugs favored by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Food and Drug Administration scientific staffers had little input on the decision and opposed the changes, according to six people familiar with its development.

The draft policy posted online by Kennedy’s Department of Health and Human Services covers a handful of injectable peptides promoted within the wellness industry for uses such as building muscle, healing injuries and boosting energy. The government will take comments on the measure for two weeks.

The document, primarily written by HHS, faced overwhelming pushback among FDA drug staffers who warned it could undermine the agency’s long-standing mission of keeping unproven health products off the U.S. market, according to the people familiar with its development.

The people spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential government deliberations.

The policy directs the FDA not to take action against specialty pharmacies that sell a half-dozen wellness peptides, including BPC-157, TB-500 and KPV. Under FDA rules, those chemicals would otherwise be considered illegal drugs because they have not gone through the agency’s rigorous review process for safety and effectiveness.

According to the newly posted document, Kennedy determined the change “advances patient choice and freedom” while protecting people in the United States from peptides sold online that are often made from unscreened ingredients.

Kennedy has called himself a “big fan” of peptides and previously described using BPC-157 to treat a muscle injury.

Lee Rosebush of the American Academy of Peptide Medicine said in an online post that HHS had taken “a huge step for patient and provider medical freedom.” The group, which is not a medical professional organization, represents people who prescribe or sell peptides.

The peptide business has caught the attention of major telehealth providers, including Hims & Hers, which recently announced plans to offer wellness peptides once the government changed its policy. Wall Street analysts estimate the market could be worth more than $2 billion.

Some peptides occur naturally in the human body, where they trigger hormones needed for growth, metabolism and healing. Drug companies have brought several to market as medications, including mainstay treatments for diabetes and weight loss.

The chemicals subject to the new policy have not been approved as safe and effective by the FDA. Still, they are promoted for a range of medical uses, including insomnia, anxiety, inflammatory conditions and migraines.

Dr. Peter Lurie, a former FDA official, noted that the FDA has approved rigorously tested drugs for all of those conditions.

As people “are diverted from those drugs toward this stuff, there will be more unnecessary pain and suffering,” said Lurie, who now leads the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest.

He also questioned the timing of the change, days before the midterm election.

“This is a wink and nod to the MAHA faithful in the hope that they'll show up at the polls,” said Lurie, referring to Kennedy's “Make America Healthy Again” movement.

A spokesperson for HHS said the agency is “confronting the risks of black-market peptides” by giving Americans “a more controlled alternative through licensed U.S. compounders.”

It is the latest example of Kennedy reshaping U.S. health policy in the MAHA mold. Some of the biggest figures in that movement sell peptide injections and supplements.

The decision is a stark break from FDA efforts to limit the availability of unproven wellness products, including peptides, stem cell therapies and dietary supplements, that make unsupported medical claims. But that approach put the agency at odds with Kennedy, who has publicly endorsed the benefits of all of those products.

The policy published Wednesday is a step back from HHS' original plan, according to two of the people who discussed its development.

HHS officials initially wanted the FDA to draft an official regulation that would add BPC-157 and other peptides to a list of drug substances deemed safe for use by compounding pharmacies, specialty businesses that make customized medications.

FDA officials warned that the agency's scientific staffers had major safety concerns and would not support a regulation deeming the peptides safe. HHS officials moved to a different approach that directs the FDA not to enforce its rules against pharmacies that compound the substances.

FDA staffers ultimately provided technical assistance in drafting the HHS plan, including guardrails intended to improve safety, such as requiring pharmacies to use peptide ingredients from FDA-registered factories. Additionally, compounders are directed to collect information on side effects for safety analysis and verify the purity of peptides they use.

Lurie pointed out that the FDA, under federal law, does not have the authority to enforce those pharmacy requirements.

The Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding, which represents specialty pharmacies, said several details need to be clarified — including when the policy takes effect and how it will intersect with state pharmacy boards, who traditionally regulate pharmacists.

Decisions about regulating peptides and compounding pharmacies have almost always come from the FDA, which has an office dedicated to protecting U.S. consumers from unsafe or poor-quality compounded drugs.

The issue of compounding safety became a greater focus for the FDA after a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis in 2012 was linked to contaminated injections from a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy. Once a niche business, compounding has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry, providing customized medications to doctors, clinics and hospitals.

It’s extremely rare for HHS to take the lead in drafting policies over the compounding industry, former FDA officials said. But federal law technically gives HHS authority over drug regulations, which are then delegated to the FDA.

Many in the U.S. who are using peptides today do not deal with a doctor or a pharmacy to get the injections, but often order vials online sold by chemical manufacturers based in China. Peptide sellers often try to skirt U.S. regulations by labeling their products as “for research use only” because the FDA does not regulate research chemicals.

In 2023, the FDA added more than a dozen peptides, including BPC-157 and TB-500, to its list of substances that should not be compounded due to risks of allergic reactions, kidney damage and tumor growth.

At a meeting in July, FDA staffers reiterated that more than half a dozen peptides brought forward for reconsideration remained unproven in terms of safety and effectiveness.

But a panel of outside experts voted to drop restrictions on the six peptides named in Wednesday's document. The panel — selected by Kennedy’s HHS — included several doctors, pharmacists and consultants who work in the peptide field.

The Associated Press’ health and science coverage receives financial support from the AP Fund for Journalism and private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks before President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Alico Arena, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Fort Myers, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a campaign rally with President Donald Trump at Alico Arena on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Fort Myers, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks as President Donald Trump listens during a campaign rally, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, at Alico Arena on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)