Travel AI: Not Yet Ready for Departure

News this week: Delta told lawmakers it will not personalize fares targeting customers using AI. Part of this is in response to the notion that airlines use “cookies” to increase airfare for a particular route based on your searches. The latter is not true. The beauty of the Internet is that airlines can dynamically change pricing based on many factors, from seasonality, demand, route changes, and things other than just you. Airlines currently use various AI tools for all layers of business planning. For example, Delta didn’t just randomly decide to test serving Shake Shack burgers.

Practical Everyday AI: Travels

I’m traveling to Ireland for the first time. While I’d normally start with a basic Google search, I decided to try the chatbot, Copilot, from Microsoft. (A chatbot, like Copilot, ChatGPT, and others, is “a computer program designed to simulate conversation with a human”). Copilot’s results were just okay.

Then, I discovered Layla. It looked pretty cool and “was” free. Like many new AI tools, after a few requests, it wanted $4.17 per month, which is pretty reasonable given the average time spent planning a vacation*. Before I committed, I tested it further for this specific trip. After it gave me a few basic tips, thereby giving me no compelling reason to pay, it further alienated me when it decided that “home base” for this “romantic trip,” which it had incorrectly inferred, would be the Residence Inn in Cork. 😝 

When AI gets it wrong — as it did on so many levels — there is no second chance. This is especially true of vertical use applications like travel and others, such as fashion recommendations and language learning.

Travel: Good Old Chatbot

I still have a trip to plan, however, so this time, I tried Google’s Gemini. If you primarily use Google to search, you may already be using Gemini without knowing it. The results were so completely thorough that I could not even think of anything else to ask. Except to wonder if I should include a detour to Dublin. These are only a few screenshots of the pages of detail that it came up with.

EVERYDAY AI TRAVEL TO TRY: TINY TIPS

Two things are worth mentioning. There are all kinds of apps for Walking and Guided Tours. There are reviews for all of them, which in and of themselves can be time-consuming! But for the real-time adventurer, Google Lens, an extension for Google Chrome, is a must-have and a don’t-forget-to-use-it. It comes in handy in so many ways — which I’ll continue to highlight — but when traveling, simply open Google Chrome on your phone, tap on the lens symbol, and take a picture of what you see, and a wealth of knowledge will be returned to you.

NEWSLETTER FANTASY VS REALITY and AI GETTING IT WRONG

Fantasy vs reality content seems to strike a chord in many and will continue to do so. We are in the Creator Economy. This morning, NBC ran a piece on content creators who use AI to make up “feel-good” content. So what’s the big deal? It’s basic supply and demand. People want feel-good content, and some people create it. Whether it’s generated using AI or is a stranger-than-fiction real story, does it matter? The particular Creators interviewed said that while they made up the heart-warming or heart-crushing vignettes, they argued that the stories aren’t all fictional. After all, what is advertising? As long as there is truth in advertising. Sit with that one.

Until Next Time

Stay curious, stick with basic chatbots, and maybe try a new one other than ChatGPT. Most importantly, take a walk and try Google Lens. It might just remind you of when you first discovered a magnifying glass. Curiosity never gets old, only you do.

Connie

*Priceline Study: The average American spends 16-18 hours planning a vacation.