Travel planning just got a lot smarter. This week, Kayak launched its new AI Mode, a feature that lets travelers ask questions, compare flights, hotels, and rental cars, and even book trips—all powered by artificial intelligence.

With Kayak AI Mode, users can type in natural questions like “What are the cheapest destinations from New York next month?” or “Find me a beachfront hotel in Bali under $200 a night,” and receive contextual, real-time results. The AI chatbot, now integrated directly into Kayak’s website, merges the platform’s deep travel data with ChatGPT’s conversational capabilities.

A Smarter Way to Plan Trips

The launch of Kayak AI Mode expands on the company’s April experiment, Kayak.ai, which acted as a sandbox for testing AI tools. Now, those innovations have been integrated directly into Kayak’s main website—bringing intelligent, interactive trip planning to a wider audience.

Users can access the AI chatbot on both desktop and mobile web, allowing them to research destinations, compare prices, and refine searches with natural dialogue instead of complicated filters.

The AI doesn’t just handle straightforward requests—it’s designed for open-ended exploration too. For instance, travelers can ask:

• “Where should I go for New Year’s Eve parties?”
• “When’s the cheapest time to visit Japan?”
• “Show me nonstop flights under $400.”

The AI responds conversationally, pulling data from Kayak’s flight, hotel, and rental car systems to generate personalized suggestions.

Powered by ChatGPT, Enhanced by Kayak

The Kayak AI Mode uses ChatGPT to understand and respond to user prompts in natural language, while Kayak’s backend ensures the results are relevant and actionable. The integration allows users to not just discover destinations but also move seamlessly into comparison and booking.

According to Kayak, this feature aims to help travelers during the early stages of trip planning—when they’re browsing for ideas or evaluating multiple options. It’s a step toward making AI a built-in part of the travel experience, not just a standalone experiment.

Currently, Kayak AI Mode is available in English across the United States, but the company plans to roll it out globally in additional languages later this month. A voice-activated version is also in development, allowing travelers to interact hands-free while planning their next adventure.

AI in the Travel Industry

The timing couldn’t be better. The travel industry is rapidly embracing generative AI, with companies like Expedia and Booking.com (Kayak’s parent company under Booking Holdings) partnering with OpenAI to launch ChatGPT-powered travel apps.

However, unlike those integrations that live within ChatGPT, Kayak AI Mode lives on Kayak’s own platform. That gives the company more control over data, personalization, and user insights—key advantages as AI-driven booking becomes the new normal.

As travelers increasingly seek faster, more intuitive planning experiences, Kayak AI Mode could mark a turning point for how we research, explore, and book our journeys in 2025 and beyond.