A Microsoft executive showed how AI agents can help travelers avoid Airbnb fees

Detailed summary

A Microsoft executive used an AI agent to find the same Airbnb property on its own website and book directly for less.

Here's a clever way to save money on your next vacation rental. And it shows how AI agents can make everyday tasks easier. Nicolas Bustamante, an AI executive at Microsoft, recently shared a trick on X that saved his family 14% on an Airbnb booking. Before paying, he asked an AI agent to search the web for the same property on its own website. The agent found it, checked availability for the same dates, and discovered that booking directly was cheaper. This isn't a new trick. Savvy travelers have long found properties they like on Airbnb or Vrbo, then searched the web to find the exact same rental and book directly with the owner.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Business Insider. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.