As AI travel tools spread, are they any good?

AI-powered tools can help you plan trips, squeeze value out of loyalty programmes and translate languages. But don't give up Google Flights just yet, writes Gabe Castro-Root from New York

- Gabe Castro-Root

Makers of travel technology powered by artificial intelligence say their tools can make your life easier by doing everything from planning your dream trip to maximising your loyalty points to telling you about a cool building down the street.

But can they really?

The answer, after putting some of the biggest players to the test: Sort of.

Droves of seemingly identical AI trip planners can help you lay out an itinerary and find hotels and restaurants, with varying degrees of success. The best ones can match the conversational style of chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's Gemini.

Of course, travel planning tools also have the same shortcomings as any AI program: They don't always have access to the latest data, they may not have the detailed information of sites like Google Flights, and, sometimes, they just make things up.

But there are ways to make the most of them. I got advice from experts and tested out these trip planners, as well as AI-powered tools to help you stretch your hotel and airline points and translate conversations. Here's how they did.

EXPEDIA TRIP MATCHING

Able to turn Instagram Reels into a vacation itinerary, this well-designed travel planner is easy to use.

When you see an Instagram Reel about a destination you're interested in visiting, send it to Expedia via direct message, just as you would share it with a friend. The AI chatbot will strike up a conversation and ask you about your preferences — "Are you more into history, food, nature, nightlife or something else?" — and tailor its recommendations for that place based on your responses.

Jochen Koedijk, Expedia Group's chief marketing officer, said Trip Matching was designed for people who are still toying with ideas and don't already have a trip planned. "We wanted to give a service to travellers who see something and they're like, 'Hey, this looks amazing. What is it?'"