The Iran war disrupted a major global travel corridor, exposed the limits of AI-powered support during crisis moments, and reignited the long-running airline vs. OTA customer ownership battle as travelers struggled to rebook flights at scale.

On today’s Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down how the conflict revealed lingering weaknesses in travel’s disruption response, why AI customer service largely vanished during the biggest test since Covid, and what happens when airlines and online travel agencies push responsibility back and forth while passengers try to get home.

This episode is presented by Lodgify!

Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG
How the Iran War Broke Travel
Middle East Crisis: AI Goes Missing When Travelers Need It Most
Who Owns the Customer When OTA Clients Try to Rebook a Flight During the Iran War?

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Iran War Stress-Tests Travel, AI Falls Silent, Rebooking Chaos