When Mike McGearty returned to the WiT Studio this year, the conversation quickly moved beyond “what’s new” in mobility tech to a more complicated question; has the industry actually changed all that much? From his vantage point as CEO and co-founder of Meili, the answer is nuanced. While the underlying technology landscape hasn’t shifted dramatically, the way large travel brands are thinking about ownership – of customers, data and commercial relationships – is clearly evolving. McGearty points to the growing appetite among airlines and travel companies for direct partnerships with car rental providers, and asks a critical question; why should an intermediary decide what a traveller sees, when transparency and trust are now the real conversion drivers?
McGearty is candid about where much of the friction in travel and mobility tech still comes from. Is it legacy systems, biased displays or insurance models that create confusion at the rental desk? What happens when travellers don’t see the brands they expect or when “removing excess” still turns into an awkward upsell on arrival? McGearty alsoexplains why direct booking models matter more than ever, not just for loyalty, but for trust, and why AI, despite the hype, is not a silver bullet. Instead, he challenges the industry to ponder if AI really help customers if it’s constrained by margin bias and revenue targets.
McGearty openly acknowledges that Meili’s biggest risks may not come from competitors, but from shifts in how travel is discovered in the first place. As AI-driven platforms like OpenAI and Perplexity begin to influence search behaviour, who decides what gets surfaced… and why? What happens if discovery becomes shaped by partnerships rather than openness? And with “vibes”, video and voice rapidly reshaping how travellers express intent, how should travel brands respond without losing transparency?
Direct booking models are gaining traction as travel brands seek control, transparency and higher conversion
Legacy tech debt remains one of the biggest constraints across travel, limiting innovation and customer experience
AI can reduce friction and improve servicing — but only if it isn’t biased by commercial incentives
The biggest disruption ahead may come from changes in travel discovery, not traditional competitors
Trust, content and transparency are becoming as important as price in driving loyalty
