The 5-Minute Build That Breaks Traditional Travel Tech
How AI agents and MCP-powered infrastructure are rebuilding travel distribution — from multi-year engineering projects to minute-scale deployments that shift power from brands to personalised agents.
Show Notes
Mike Putman, CEO and Founder of Custom Travel Solutions, has been at the centre of online travel since launching one of the earliest OTAs in the mid-1990s. Today he builds the infrastructure powering modern AI-driven booking systems. The conversation explores how AI agents and MCP-powered infrastructure have collapsed what used to be multi-year booking-engine builds into minute-scale deployments, fundamentally shifting who can participate in the travel ecosystem. The discussion covers why the real complexity in travel isn't search but data normalisation, deduplication, and pricing logic; how agentic AI moves power away from brands toward personalised user-controlled experiences; why loyalty programmes may weaken as agents optimise for outcomes rather than brand preference; and how AI is finally economic enough to fix operational gaps like booking reconfirmation — the "last mile" problems that still cost the industry around 2% of transactions. It closes on a future in which agents transact directly with other agents, reshaping the shape of commerce itself.
Click to expand the full episode transcript (5,409 words approx.)
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About the Travel Tech Podcast
Hosted by Alex Brooker, founder of Airside Labs, the Travel Tech Podcast features authentic long-form conversations with leaders, innovators, and startup founders shaping the future of aviation and travel technology. No scripts, no sponsors, no sales pitches — just real conversations about building technology that matters.