The Future of Travel Planning with ChatGPT: The Good, The Quirky, and The Revolutionary

Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash

In a digital age dominated by AI advancements, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has taken yet another groundbreaking stride. Imagine the day when planning your travel—from flights to hotel bookings, from activities to dine-outs—happens within a conversation. Thanks to ChatGPT’s newest plugins, this day may be closer than we think.

But, like any budding technology, it has its highlights and hiccups. Let’s dive in.

Taking Off with ChatGPT’s Travel Plugins

Recently, OpenAI announced the integration of plugins for over 70 third-party websites into ChatGPT. This is analogous to the synergy of the iPhone and its Apple Store. A significant enhancement that signifies a potential revolution in travel planning and booking.

For all travel aficionados, ChatGPT now boasts plugins that cover a broad spectrum:

• Flights 🛫
• Lodging 🏨
• Ticketed events 🎟️
• Car rentals 🚗
• Ground transportation 🚅
• And a lot more...

To add a cherry on top, ChatGPT assimilates restaurant data from OpenTable and activity details from Expedia. And yes, it promptly serves booking links on your platter.

The Road Ahead: Glimpses of Brilliance and Hurdles

Yet the journey isn’t all smooth sailing.

1. Accuracy and Completeness: While ChatGPT dishes out precise booking options, there are moments when it overlooks available choices.
2. Technical Glitches: Occasionally, there are interruptions in content generation, especially with intricate prompts. The lesson? Maybe let’s take it slow and ask one question at a time.
3. Integration Limitations: Not all plugins play well together. The platform restricts the simultaneous use of certain plugins, like KAYAK and Expedia.
4. Memory and Contextualization: ChatGPT sometimes misses remembering specific links or ensuring all suggested activities align with your travel schedule.
5. Interaction Depth: Unlike some AI tools, like the one by HomeToGo, ChatGPT misses the mark in asking follow-up questions to refine travel propositions.

The Expanding Universe of ChatGPT Plugins

The list of companies unveiling plugins on ChatGPT Plus is impressive:

Heavyweights:

• Skyscanner, the UK-based metasearch travel engine
• Omio: Focusing on ground transport, with data from over 1,000 providers
• Expedia, Kayak, and OpenTable—the pioneering trio from March, with Expedia offering access to Vrbo
• GetYourGuide and Turo: the former is a global booking platform for ticketed tours, and the latter is San Francisco’s blossoming car share app.
• Trip.com, Singapore’s online travel agency, is branching out from its primary platform.

Rising Stars:

• Klook and OwlJourney are Asian gems in travel and activity booking.
• Got2Go and JetBook.click are US and global flight search tools, respectively.
• Kakuyasu Idou, Vio.com, GetByBus, Travelmyth, and Tryp.com—covering ground transport, travel bookings, and more across Europe and Asia

Getting Started

The functioning is pretty simple:

1. Download and Enable: Choose up to three plugins at a time.
2. Question Away: Ask about flight availability, hotel reservations, or anything else.
3. Chat & Plan: ChatGPT amalgamates data from various sources, sometimes even crafting a comprehensive itinerary.

To Conclude,

The integration of travel plugins in ChatGPT marks a transformative moment for the world of travel planning. It’s a blend of excitement, innovation, and certain quirks. But as technology matures, one can only imagine the sheer convenience and efficiency it promises to bring to our travel tables.