For many travelers, planning a holiday means spending endless hours tracking flights, weighing layover options, and trying to predict when to click “buy.” But could artificial intelligence soon take over that headache—or make it worse?

AI Behind the Curtain

Artificial intelligence has quietly infiltrated nearly every corner of the travel industry. It already sets airfares, scans rental cars for damage, blocks suspicious Airbnb bookings, and even sniffs out hidden smokers in hotel rooms. For companies, AI is a relentless cost-cutter. For travelers, it’s more complicated: AI can be a helpful personal agent—or a watchful gatekeeper that drives prices higher.

Transparency is scarce. “The question is whether companies are using AI for your benefit or their own,” notes Ari Lightman, professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Often, those two goals don’t align.

The Delta Controversy

This summer, Delta Air Lines revealed it was using generative AI to set prices for about 3% of U.S. flights, with plans to expand. Lawmakers swiftly raised concerns about fares climbing beyond reach.

Delta stressed it doesn’t use personal data to tailor pricing, but instead adjusts fares based on broader demand patterns—a modern twist on dynamic pricing. Still, the company admitted the system learns and adapts over time, a prospect that excites investors but unnerves passengers already wary of fluctuating costs.

Winners, Losers, and Faster Price Swings

Dynamic pricing isn’t new, but AI makes it faster and sharper. Instead of daily or hourly shifts, fares may now fluctuate within minutes, says Richie Karaburun of NYU. Some travelers snag deals; others pay a premium.

Meanwhile, Airbnb has used AI to block potential party bookings, citing a 54% drop in complaints since 2020. But that also risks excluding legitimate guests.

Travelers Fighting Back

Consumers aren’t powerless. New tools like Mindtrip, Gondola, and Kayak’s ChatGPT-powered assistant promise personalized itineraries and smarter use of reward points. Expedia even generates vacation plans from Instagram reels. Yet glitches remain: a recent study found 90% of ChatGPT-built itineraries contained errors.

As younger travelers’ trust in AI for trip planning dips, one thing is clear—AI isn’t just changing how we travel. It’s changing how we decide if the journey is worth the ticket.