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AI can help plan a cheaper holiday — but only if you ask the right questions
From ChatGPT to Gemini and Copilot to Claude — AI prompting explained
Use of artificial intelligence (AI) to book holidays is still in its infancy, but growing fast.
More than two in five Britons told Abta, the travel association, they would feel somewhat confident using AI to plan a holiday, even if only 8% are actually doing so. Expect that number to double by next year. AI tools such as Google’s Gemini, Claude, Microsoft’s Copilot and OpenAI’s ChatGPT can learn your preferences, understand context and answer complex questions in seconds.
You can ask AI a question on your computer or phone as simply as you would Google. That could be something basic, such as checking the weather at your destination, or more complex, such as creating a custom packing list for hand luggage only. You can ask it to compare travel insurance policies, suggest the best ways to spend credit card points to save money or to write you personalised phrasebooks and mini-scripts to use at your destination.
But whatever you want to know, you'll only get good answers if you ask questions in the right way. The quality of the answer depends on your wording, known as the ‘prompt’, which we’ll show you how to master.
Without these, you risk getting generalised responses. A sort of auto response that doesn't involve a great deal of nuance and is no better than a Google search. With the prompts, you start getting fully researched answers, drawn from AI's innumerable sources.
Even with these prompts, always double-check answers for errors. AI makes plenty of them, such as repeating a tabloid myth that UK tourists are banned from Spain. It's convincing, too.
Earlier this year, a pair of tourists hiked into the Andes to see the 'Sacred Canyon of Humantay', which ChatGPT had described in detail. It didn't exist. ChatGPT had imagined it based on two real places.
Use our guide to get shortcuts to cheaper deals and planning, but always check the sources.
This article first appeared in Which? Travel magazine. We don't accept freebies from travel companies, airlines or hotels, so you can be sure that our investigations, recommendations and reviews are completely unbiased.
How to write an AI prompt
- Start by asking the chatbot to ‘act as a travel adviser’. This will help to ‘brief’ it.
- The more it knows about your preferences, the better the results.
- Vague prompts such as ‘where should I go on holiday?’ will get generic answers.
- Explain what you are and aren’t willing to compromise on.
- Build on advice that you’re given or ask for alternatives, as you might a travel age.
Finding cheap flights
Don’t say: Cheap return flights from London to Berlin.
Instead, say: I need to be in Berlin on May 14, but want to stay for three to four days on either side. Help me find the cheapest direct flights from any London airport between 9am and 10pm, considering the cost of public transport, taxis and Ubers to and from the airport in London.
What’s the difference? The first prompt is too vague for tailored results. The chatbot could offer you a red-eye flight that’s a great deal, failing to mention that your savings will be later spent on a taxi home in the early hours. With the second prompt, the tool can compare overall travel costs instead.
Shopping holiday sales
Don’t say: Help me find a cheap holiday in July.
Instead, say: I’m planning a last-minute holiday for two between 6 and 13 July. Somewhere sunny in Europe, but not Spain, from Manchester airport. My budget is £750 per person, or £1,000 for something really special. Minimum three-star hotel room, and I’d like to be walking distance from the sea or for the hotel to have a pool.
What’s the difference? Sharing dealbreakers, budget and specifics means you’ll get a list of personalised suggestions, rather than generic suggestions that require follow-up questions or research.
Find the best way to spend your points
Don’t say: What’s the best way to spend my Tesco Clubcard and Amex points for holidays?
Instead, say: We’re planning a holiday for a family of four, to Gran Canaria for a fortnight in August. We’ll hire a car when we’re there. I have 15,000 Tesco Clubcard points and 10,000 American Express points. How can I spend them so they go as far as possible?
What’s the difference? The latter gives the chatbot enough detail to compare current, relevant conversion rates, suggest where you’d get the best value per pound and offer hybrid strategies, such as using some points for accommodation and saving the rest for airport parking or car hire discounts.
Planning successful shoulder season travel
Don’t say: Should I visit Queensland, Australia, in November for cheaper flights?
Instead, say: I’m planning a two-week trip to Queensland, Australia, in November 2026 and want to see if it’s a good shoulder-season choice. I’m hoping for warm weather, wildlife sightings and to swim the Great Barrier Reef. My budget is around £2,500 for flights and hotels. Is November typically cheaper and what trade-offs should I expect? Please flag any highlights or experiences I might miss at that time of year.
What’s the difference? AI bots can be programmed to be overly optimistic or reassuring. With prompt one, you might get a sunny sales pitch about the pros of visiting in November, without mention of humidity, the fact that November is jellyfish season or storms. Prompt two clarifies your goals, signals the type of information you want back, and gives enough detail for the AI to find real pricing data to inform its reasoning.
Strategising for jet lag
Don’t say: Jet lag advice for flying from the UK to the US.
Instead, say: I’m planning a trip from the UK to New York and Los Angeles, departing 15 March and returning 30 March. Budget is £1,000. I can fly into either city. Check flights and suggest the best order and times for reducing jet lag. Tell me what time to eat and sleep on my travel dates.
What’s the difference? The first prompt will get you generic tips. The second provides the chatbot with enough information to compare real flights, arrival times, and time zones, then tell you which direction makes adjusting easier and whether to nap on the plane or push through until bedtime.
