Travel Management

How to use ChatGPT to build a travel itinerary

Learn how to create seamless and personalized experiences for your business travelers, using ChatGPT. In this article we'll give you practical tips and tricks for efficient AI-powered research and itinerary building.

Josefine Bovbjerg

Apr 17, 2024

Travel Management

Imagine describing an upcoming trip that you're planning for your boss, and getting handpicked suggestions for flights, tours, activities, hotels and restaurants that fit their preferences perfectly - all available instantly, at the click of a button.

While the leisure-focused travel planners like like justasklayla.com, wonderplan.ai, tripplanner.ai, and Iplan.ai might be a bit off-target if you are trying to schedule your boss’ conference trip, Generative AI tools like ChatGPT can still be a helpful travel planning sidekick - and even help you research, build and structure your next travel itinerary.

Cheat sheet of terms

What is ChatGPT - ChatGPT stands for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer. It's an AI-powered chatbot, designed to engage in human-like conversations using natural language processing. ChatGPT operates as a form of generative AI, allowing users to input prompts and receive human-like responses generated by the AI.

What is a prompt - A prompt is a question or written statement that users input to interact with ChatGPT or other Generative AI chats. The quality of the prompt determines the quality of the output received, so exercising your prompt writing muscles is a sure way to master AI travel planning.

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Work smart not hard - how to use ChatGPT to research travel planning

Traditionally, planning a trip meant diving into endless Google searches, sifting through numerous google ads, comparing searches on different booking pages, and deciphering generic, one-size-fits-all advice, usually targeted at leisure travelers. You might find yourself buried in a flood of information about accommodations, local attractions, and dining options, often leading to decision fatigue. So we say - work smart, not hard - and use AI to cut through the noise to find better, more tailored recommendations, that will make planning and decision making a breeze.

A great first step when you start using ChatGPT for research, is to master the art of prompting. We have broken down the key elements of creating ChatGPT prompts for travel planning here. If you're already a prompt expert, here are some practical tips to elevate your trip planning research with ChatGPT.

Filter recommendations

Your boss is going on a short business trip to Berlin, with meetings all over the city. You know the dates and the budget, but the list of hotels within the budget is long - so why not kick your search off by using AI to filter? Filters help you narrow down the options based on specific criteria, making it easier to find the most suitable choices that align with your requirements.

Here’s an example of how you can effectively use filters in your research:

Start by listing all the necessary criteria that need to be met. For a business trip to Berlin, this might include proximity to meeting locations or central transportation hubs to ensure ease of movement across the city.

"I’m planning a 3-day business trip to Berlin for my boss from June 5th to June 8th. The budget for the hotel is up to $200 per night. Please make suggestions for hotels that are within a 10-minute walk from major public transportation lines for easy access to various meeting locations around the city, primarily located near Friedrickshain and Kreuzberg. My boss prefers staying in hotels that offer breakfast, free Wi-Fi, and a gym. Can you provide a list of hotels that meet these criteria?"
After receiving the initial list from ChatGPT, you may need to refine your search further. Perhaps you realize you also need hotels specific check-in and check-out times. You can adjust your prompt accordingly:
"From the list provided, which hotels also offer late check-out options?"
If there are certain things you want to exclude from your search, you can use negative filters. For example, if you know your boss prefers not to stay near a certain area due to traffic or noise, you can specify this in your prompt:

"Exclude hotels located near Alexanderplatz due to potential noise issues. Which options does that leave us with?"
To keep all this information organized, and help you pick the best option, ask ChatGPT to summarize the results. If there are several great options, request a comparison table or bullet points highlighting the key features of each option:

"Can you summarize the top 3 hotel options, including their proximity to transportation, key amenities, and nightly rates?"

Use side-by-Side Comparisons

If you're tired of comparing flight times, prices, and accommodation options manually, ChatGPT can help you with a comparative analysis. For example, you can enter your travel dates and ask for a comparison of business class flights from several airlines, highlighting the best combination of price and timing.

Ask for Summaries

Instead of wading through detailed descriptions, ask ChatGPT to summarize options, highlighting key points such as pros, cons, and pricing.

Local insights

Crafting a business trip that seamlessly blends into the local community not only elevates the travel experience but also sets the traveler up for success. Local insights, such as dining options, transportation or customs play a crucial role in ensuring the traveler navigates the destination with ease. In this light, ChatGPT becomes an indispensable ally by offering rapid access to tailored local knowledge that can significantly boost a traveler's confidence and performance.

Here are a few ways to enrich your traveler experiences with essential local insights:

Dining recommendations: For a business traveler, dining is not just about finding a place to eat but can also be an extension of the business day, whether for solo reflection or client meetings. You can ask ChatGPT for dining recommendations based on specific criteria such as cuisine type, atmosphere, location, and any dietary restrictions. For instance, you could ask:

"Can you recommend upscale vegetarian restaurants within walking distance of The Grand Hotel in Berlin that are suitable for business dinners?"

Public Transport Tips: Navigating an unfamiliar city's public transport system can be daunting. ChatGPT can provide tips on the most efficient routes, ticket purchasing options, and passes, as well as advisories on peak hours to avoid. Tailor your prompt for specific needs, such as "What is the best way to travel from Manhattan to Brooklyn for a 9 AM meeting, considering traffic and public transport options? Are there any passes for a week-long stay?"

Local Business Etiquette: Understanding local customs and business etiquette is crucial. ChatGPT can offer advice on appropriate dress codes, greeting protocols, or gift-giving practices, ensuring your traveler makes a great first impression. For instance, you could ask, "Can you explain the business etiquette for a first meeting with clients in Tokyo in 2024? Specifically, what should one know about exchanging business cards?"

Leisure and Networking Spots: Business trips often include downtime or opportunities for informal networking. You can ask ChatGPT for recommendations on coffee shops with Wi-Fi, quiet spots for relaxing, or trendy places for casual business encounters. For example, you could ask, "List some coffee shops in central Paris that are conducive to working on a laptop and could be good informal spots to meet local professionals."

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How to use ChatGPT to build your travel itinerary

ChatGPT can assist in drafting a detailed itinerary by piecing together all the components of the trip. From airport transfers to meeting schedules and dining reservations, ChatGPT can help organize each element in a coherent, time-efficient manner.

Customized itinerary creation: Once you've gathered all the necessary information about the trip, such as flight details, hotel bookings and meeting schedules, ChatGPT can help you organize this information into a coherent itinerary. By considering your preferences, ChatGPT can generate a customized itinerary that outlines your travel plans in a chronological order. This will help both you and the traveler get a day-by-day overview, and help you detect any conflicts or overlaps in your itinerary schedule.

“Please organize the provided travel information into a structured itinerary. Include flight details, hotel reservations, meeting schedules, and leisure activities. Present the itinerary in a table format, sorting all activities, meetings, and transportation chronologically by time and date. Each day should be represented in a separate table for clarity."
Optimization and Synchronization: ChatGPT can assist in optimizing your itinerary by suggesting the most efficient routes between locations, considering factors such as travel time, distance, and available transportation options.

If you're tech savvy (or just really interested in saving time with automation), you can even use ChatGPT to help you synchronize your itinerary with Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Apple Calendar or scheduling apps, ensuring that all your appointments and activities are seamlessly integrated into your daily agenda.
Real-time assistance and changes: If you encounter changes or disruptions during your trip, ChatGPT can provide real-time assistance in making adjustments to your itinerary. Whether it's rescheduling a meeting, finding alternative transportation options, or suggesting nearby attractions to visit in case of unexpected downtime, ChatGPT can offer personalized recommendations based on your traveler's preferences and priorities on the spot.

Tip: If you’re in a time crunch, ChatGPT can also be used for quick translations and currency conversions.

Things to be aware of when using AI for travel planning

Using AI to get quick suggestions for cafes, restaurants, and hotels is a great idea for planning your travel. However, it is essential to keep in mind that generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT may occasionally provide outdated information or have trouble distinguishing reliable and up-to-date sources. That's why it's crucial to verify the information you get when using the current status of hotels, restaurants, and attractions directly through official websites or contact numbers. When planning travel using AI, these are some weak points to keep in mind:

Outdated Information and operational changes: Even advanced generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT can occasionally provide outdated information or struggle to discern reliable sources. This can lead to recommendations for businesses that might have changed their operating hours, services offered, or even closed down. Therefore, it is crucial to verify the current status of hotels, restaurants, and attractions directly through official websites or contact numbers.
Technology Glitches and unclear prompts: Like any technology, AI chatbots can experience glitches or misunderstandings. To make sure nothing gets lost in translation, avoid complex or ambiguous prompts and questions.
Lack of Human Insight: While AI can streamline certain aspects of travel planning, it's the human touch that truly shines when it comes to handling the unpredictable nature of travel. When unexpected situations arise, like flight cancellations or visa issues, the ability of professionals like executive assistants, office managers, or travel managers to act swiftly, think on their feet, and utilize their network to find alternative solutions, becomes indispensable.

Save time on trip planning with our AI-powered Travel Companion

Learn how our AI-powered Travel Companion can help you build sleek travel itineraries in a flash.