In nearly every aspect of our lives, AI seems to be creeping in — so of course, planning your next big vacation is no different. Many new AI-powered apps have popped up in the past year or so, promising to design the perfect trip itinerary full of cheap flights, hidden gem destinations and incredible accommodations. Some of these new apps and tools are definitely useful, but many are just looking to charge you a few bucks for features that don’t have much benefit. So before you plan your next getaway, it helps to know which ones actually make booking a trip easier, and which ones you should skip — here’s a quick rundown.
Flight Finders
There’s no shortage of flight aggregator websites that return search results from hundreds of airlines and booking sites in seconds — Kayak.com, Skyscanner, Momondo, and Google Flights have been around for years, known as the most effective way to find the best flights. But recently, AI-powered tools like Kayak.ai, Layla, and MindTrip have jumped into the mix, promising to find personalized options with less effort.
However, these tools don’t always provide useful results. They often ask the user to be very specific about their request which can take a while to type up, and in some cases — like with Kayak.ai — the output simply links to their regular flight search page. While it might be helpful to know that flights, say, between Paris and New York are cheapest during the second week of December, you’ll still have to visit the regular results page to see the specific airlines, flight times, and any connections. At that point, it almost feels easier to forget the AI interface entirely and go straight to the source.
While some people might prefer using a chat-style tool to plan their itinerary, it’s essentially just pulling results from the same public databases everyone else uses, so it’s not like you’ll be unlocking secret prices or special discounts. If you’re spending a couple hundred dollars or more on a big trip, it’s probably still worth spending a few minutes to double-check multiple platforms — including both AI and existing travel websites — to make sure you are really choosing the best flight.
Hotel Recommendations
Searching for hotels is not all that different from searching for flights — supply is limited, pricing fluctuates with demand, and the same room can show up at different rates depending on which platform you use to book. That’s why relying on AI tools to uncover the “best” accommodation runs into many of the same issues covered above. Where these tools do shine, however, is in quickly narrowing down thousands of available properties to match what you’re looking for.
Instead of ticking dozens of search filters on platforms like Booking.com, Expedia, or Airbnb, you can ask a tool like hoteller.ai or iMean.ai something along the lines of “boutique hotels in Barcelona with a pool, under $250 a night, and close to the Gothic Quarter.” Instead of wading through hundreds of listings, you’ll get a decent head start on a few probable candidates — even if you do still need to click through to confirm the details and make the reservation yourself.
