Gone are the days of consulting a simple guide book when planning a trip – nowadays, for many Brits, artificial intelligence and ChatGPT will be the first port of call when seeking advice on any holiday-related queries.
Indeed, more than two in five people feel confident booking a holiday through AI, the latest ABTA report revealed.
But with this sort of technology, what you get out of it will depend greatly on what you put in.
If, for example, you’re looking to find the cheapest flights when travelling, the way you frame your query will impact the outcome of what ChatGPT suggests for you.
Which? has revealed the best questions to ask ChatGPT when you want clear answers on your travel conundrums.
The consumer price champion said you could find cheap flights, search for a route that gave you the least amount of jet lag, and the best way to spend air miles.
But you’ll only get helpful answers if you ask the right questions, Which? experts shared.
If you don’t phrase your question or ‘prompt’ right, your answers will be vague.
Booking your travels with the help of ChatGPT can be helpful – if you use it right
If you’re looking to find cheap flights, instead of a simple query such as ‘cheap flights from London to Berlin’, you’ll want to clarify the parameters.
For example, you should say the dates you have in mind, how long you want to stay, the airports you wish to use, the times you’re willing to fly and what should be factored into the cost.
Which? suggests something along the lines of: ‘I need to be in Berlin on May 14, but want to stay for three to four days either side. Help me find the cheapest direct flights from any London airport between 9am-10pm, considering the cost of public transport, taxis and Ubers to and from the airport in London.’
If you’re consulting AI to shop holiday sales, again, you should clarify the details of your trip – as well as your budget.
Including any dealbreakers, such as being close to the beach or finding a hotel with a pool, will also help.
To find the best way to spend your points, don’t ask an overall vague question, experts at Which? advise.
Instead, try saying you’re organising a holiday for a couple to Lanzarote for 10 days in September, for instance, and plan to hire a car. You could add how many Virgin Points or Avios you have, and ask how you should spend them to make them go as far as possible.
And for tips on dealing with jet lag, if you ask a basic question, such as ‘jet lag advice for travelling’, you won’t get anything specific.
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The best questions to ask ChatGPT are specific and detailed rather than general
If, however, you clarify your start and end locations, travel dates, budget and airport options, and then ask ChatGPT to ‘tell me what time to eat and sleep on my travel dates’, Which? suggests you might be more successful.
Despite these helpful prompts, there are downsides to using ChatGPT when planning a holiday – so it’s always worth doing your own research and fact-checking.
For instance, earlier this year, tourists hiked into the Andes to see the ‘Sacred Canyon of Humantay’, which ChatGPT had suggested – but it didn’t even exist.
Similarly, an American woman who used an AI chatbot to plan her holiday, realised she’d been given bad advice when she was directed to a museum that was closed.
Orit Ofri, a marketing consultant from Oregon in the US, used ChatGPT for travel advice on a recent trip to Paris. The chatbot made multiple mistakes, including recommending visiting the Musée d’Orsay on Monday when it’s closed.
Guy Hobbs, Which? travel expert, said: ‘AI can be a useful tool for making travel plans, but it is always worth fact checking the results before booking a trip. In one case, we found that AI had sent tourists on a hike to a place that did not exist.
‘Our findings show that there is useful advice available, for example on finding cheap flights and handling jet lag, but only when given specific prompts. For reliable and trustworthy advice and recommendations, check the Which? website.’
