- American Airlines built an AI tool that recommends vacations and flights based on specific prompts.
- I like the tool, but it doesn't handle nuance well and suggests nonexistent flights and places.
- Customers could use the tool as a research engine and then book their flight on a competitor.
The prompt: "I want to ski in January."
The answer came instantly: Aspen, Colorado; Whistler, Canada; even Niseko, Japan, with flights that ranged from $270 all the way up to $1,000.
That's courtesy of American Airlines' new AI-powered "destination recommender," signaling how airlines are increasingly offering artificial intelligence to influence travel planning.
The system wants to function like a personal travel agent: You type a prompt, and it generates destination suggestions with flights, fares, hotels, restaurants, and activities.
The new tech comes as travelers increasingly rely on AI tools like ChatGPT and Google's "Flight Plans" for vacation ideas. These offer an alternative to traditional travel advisors, saving on their fees, but they aren't close to a replacement.
MyBaggage founder and travel expert Paul Stewart told Business Insider that American's tool is "taking AI travel booking to the next level," but cannot replace "a tried and tested recommendation from a fellow traveller."
I tested American's tool in its trial phase, and while I can see how this elevates the customer experience, there were quirks that could frustrate travelers — or send them to competitors.
"A computer can't tell you which restaurant at your resort has that amazing dessert, or where that secret beach is," Sonia Bhagwan, CEO of travel agency Dreaming of Sun, told BI.
I like the tool, but the results can be misleading
I offered an easy prompt: "Where can I go with nature and cabin vibes for less than $300 for airfare for four days in November? Nonstop flights only."
Departing from LaGuardia, it suggested Asheville, North Carolina, for about $180 round-trip and recommended Pisgah National Forest and the Omni Grove Park Inn.
At a surface level, I like the interface and that it suggested destinations I may not have thought of.
The problem: Despite requesting nonstop flights, it included one-stop options like Flagstaff, Lake Tahoe, and Estes Park, Colorado, and you can't see that it has a layover until clicking in.
It even suggested Gatlinburg, Tennessee, as "nonstop" via Asheville — a two-hour drive away.
Another issue: the Omni is about $500 a night. Even when I requested budget options, the AI still recommended the Omni.
An American spokesperson told BI that the AI has a learning curve, which is why it is being rolled out "slowly and deliberately to gather data and learn from both our customers and the tool itself."
Anshuman Singh, American's managing director of customer experience — digital transformation, told BI that the tool is only available to 50% of people but will roll out to all customers over time.
He added that Gen Z travelers are especially drawn to the concept: "The whole idea is you're able to transpose your string of consciousness in terms of travel plans, and then curate from there."
Specific prompts can trip it up
To test nuance, I asked: "Show me warmer destinations in Europe in February where I can visit a castle and eat something with truffle, for $1,200 or less nonstop."
I got exactly zero nonstop options, but the one-stops included Barcelona, Florence, and Lisbon. However, I couldn't verify whether any of the recommended restaurants had truffles.
It also kept trying to send me to Cyprus, but it would give me an error when I tried clicking the flight. American told me that my query may have confused the AI, or there wasn't a relevant flight. American flies one-stop to Cyprus from New York-JFK via its Oneworld partnership.
For a family trip with specific needs — a seven-month-old baby, a large mall, a park, a gluten-free diet, wheelchair accessibility, and sensory considerations for a toddler on the autism spectrum — the AI suggested Orlando, Atlanta, and Dallas. Minneapolis was suggested as a one-stop.
The options all offered three activities that checked every box, including accessible places with sensory rooms for individuals with special needs.
But the restaurant recommendations were hit-or-miss. Orlando received a generic "downtown restaurants" suggestion, while Atlanta and Dallas recommended the True Food Kitchen, a real food chain with strong Google ratings and gluten-free options.
However, when I asked for more local options, nothing except a nonexistent restaurant in Minneapolis called "Hello Gluten Free" was populated — apparently confusing it with Heaven Gluten Free, located 30 minutes away from the city.
When I gave it another chance with tweaked wording, it offered up "The Bachelor Farmer" instead. That one is permanently closed, per Google.
Founder and CEO of travel agency Ensuite Collection, Chirag Panchal, told BI that advisors and travelers alike may use AI to aid vacation planning, but it can only take you so far.
"Even in an era of AI trip planning, the human element remains absolutely irreplaceable," he said. "AI can suggest, but it can't feel. It doesn't know what it's like to walk those streets, meet those guides, or stay in that hotel."
People could still shop around for cheaper fares
Ironically, American's AI might help travelers who don't even fly the airline.
Here's how I could see it playing out — myself included: you use American's AI to brainstorm vacation ideas and get a ballpark sense of flight prices. Then you hop over to Google Flights to see if another airline is cheaper.
Take Asheville — the November dates cost about the same on Delta from LaGuardia. For the Orlando trip in December, JetBlue and Delta were about $70 cheaper while offering similar flight times.
A spokesperson said shopping around is always an option, but American's tool keeps people engaged on its website, which it considers a "win" as people consider where to go and who to fly.
There's also a theoretical risk that American could use traveler prompts to gauge demand and tweak prices.
Singh assured this isn't happening: "We aren't going to our revenue partners and say, 'Hey, we found 500 people who will pay $500 for whatever destination, so we need to change pricing.'"
He added that the AI adheres to data privacy and regulatory standards — a reassurance for users wary of overreaching algorithms.
"I want to know when it doesn't give you an option — is that because we don't fly someplace, or is it because a bad actor prompted the model for something unkosher?" he said. "That's what we're collecting data on."
