As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to shape how we accomplish daily tasks, a recent national survey commissioned by leading online travel agency justfly.com reveals that travellers in the United States are open to using AI when booking their journeys.
Despite the growing role of AI, only 19% of respondents were aware of its involvement in their most recent travel booking.
However, the survey shows that 44% of participants are open to exploring AI’s capabilities for future trips, with half of Generation Z (51%) and Millennials (52%) expressing their willingness to turn to AI for assistance.
Henri Chelhot, CEO of justfly.com, emphasises the importance of AI: “AI is becoming a critical tool in our industry. Justfly.com is committed to leveraging advancing technology to improve our customer's experience and enable them to create affordable itineraries based on their needs.”
A source of controversy
Despite this openness to AI, it remains a source of controversy and uncertainty for some travellers. The survey indicates that 59% of those open to AI appreciate its potential to uncover discoveries they wouldn’t find otherwise and 49% believe it can make tedious tasks more efficient.
Scepticism persists, however, with 49% expressing doubt about AI's capabilities in planning travel. Concerns about data security also emerge, with 42% hesitant to provide personal information to AI.
Mistrust is most prominent among older travellers, with 45% of Boomers and 42% of Gen X expressing a lack of trust in AI for planning their trips. Millennials appear to be the most open, with 16% expressing complete trust.
Human interaction remains important
While digital channels dominate travel bookings, the survey underscores the significance of human interaction. Regardless of age, almost 90% of respondents believe that human interaction is crucial, especially when needing assistance or contacting customer support.
Concerning flight and hotel bookings, 35% consider human interaction very important and 29% believe live customer service agents are best for itinerary planning.
44% of Gen Z and 54% of Boomers stressed the importance of having access to a person.
