With travel costs steadily rising, I decided to tap into artificial intelligence for some money-saving wisdom. I asked ChatGPT for the best travel hacks to save money this year, and the AI delivered a comprehensive guide that goes way beyond the usual “book in advance” advice.
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Here’s what ChatGPT told me about cutting travel costs without sacrificing the experience.
The Flight Game Has Changed
ChatGPT’s first revelation was that flight booking strategies have majorly evolved. The AI recommended using “AI-powered fare alerts” through tools like Google Flights, Hopper and Skyscanner, explaining that these platforms now “predict price drops and track deals in real-time.”
But the most interesting tip was about browser extensions. ChatGPT suggested TravelArrow, a Chrome extension that “shows cheaper options from other sites right inside Google Flights.” This kind of comparison shopping automation wasn’t available just a few years ago.
The AI also confirmed that some old-school wisdom still holds true: “Data from Expedia and ARC shows Sunday is still the cheapest day to book, especially for international trips.” For actual travel days, ChatGPT recommended Tuesday and Wednesday flights while warning to “avoid Fridays and Sundays, which are now spiking again due to post-pandemic travel demand.”
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The VPN Strategy That Actually Works
One of ChatGPT’s more sophisticated suggestions involved using VPNs to search for flights. “Airfare pricing sometimes varies by location,” the AI explained. “Switch your virtual location to India, Mexico or Eastern Europe and compare.”
This isn’t just theoretical advice — airlines do practice location-based pricing, and a VPN can sometimes reveal significantly cheaper fares for the exact same flights.
ChatGPT also recommended mixing and matching airlines or airports, suggesting sites like Kiwi.com or Skiplagged for “hidden city” tickets or separate one-way legs that are cheaper than round trips.
Credit Card Points Get Strategic
The AI’s approach to credit card rewards is strategic. Instead of just suggesting any travel card, ChatGPT recommended maximizing “credit card points using portals like Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Travel or Capital One Travel.”
The key insight? “These often give 25-50% extra value per point when redeemed for travel.” This is a much better idea than simply cashing out points or using them for non-travel purchases.
For actual travel cards, ChatGPT suggested specific options like “Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture X or Amex Platinum for travel perks plus no foreign transaction fees,” writing that some offer “airport lounge access, travel insurance or TSA PreCheck reimbursements.” This means you can travel in style, for less.
Hotel Booking Gets Smarter
ChatGPT’s hotel strategy challenged the conventional wisdom of always booking through third-party sites. The AI recommended comparing prices on “Kayak or Trivago, then book directly with the hotel.”
Why? “Most chains now offer a ‘price match guarantee’ and perks like free Wi-Fi or upgrades when booking direct.” This is different from how things used to work, when booking sites like Expedia always had the cheapest prices.
For alternative accommodations, ChatGPT went beyond the usual Airbnb suggestion, recommending “TrustedHousesitters for free stays in exchange for pet sitting” and platforms like “SabbaticalHomes or HomeExchange” for longer trips.
The AI also shared a clever Airbnb hack: “New hosts often price 20-30% lower to get early reviews. Filter for listings with 0-3 reviews and recent host activity.”
Technology Makes Travel Cheaper
ChatGPT recommended several newer tech options to save money. For staying connected abroad, the AI suggested eSIMs from companies like “Airalo, Holafly, or Nomad” instead of buying new SIM cards or paying expensive roaming charges.
The AI also recommended downloading apps that work better in certain places: “Use Bolt or Grab instead of Uber in Eastern Europe or Southeast Asia, TooGoodToGo to find cheap leftover meals and Rome2Rio to figure out the best way to get around.”
Local Experiences Without Tourist Prices
For food and things to do, ChatGPT focused on finding real local spots that cost less. The AI suggested using “Google Maps > Restaurants > ‘Local favorites'” or checking “The Infatuation to find places locals actually go to.”
Instead of pricey tourist restaurants, ChatGPT recommended “food halls, street vendors, or markets.” For activities, the AI suggested free walking tours that you can find in “most big cities” on sites like “GuruWalk, FreeTour.com, or just ask at local hostels.”
Things To Keep in Mind
Despite all the technological advances, ChatGPT confirmed that timing is still key. The AI recommended traveling during “spring (April-May) and fall (late September-November)” for better weather and savings while avoiding “revenge travel peaks like summer, Christmas and Spring Break.”
ChatGPT also addressed the increasingly expensive reality of airline fees, writing that “airlines are cracking down on basic economy bag fees.” The solution? “Stick to a carry-on and personal item when possible” and use “packing cubes and compression bags to maximize space.”
Perhaps most cleverly, ChatGPT suggested setting up “Google Alerts for destinations” with searches like “cheap flights to Tokyo” or “hotel deals in Croatia” to “get notified when blogs or forums share deals.”
This kind of passive deal hunting can catch time-sensitive offers that manual searching might miss. Nice work, ChatGPT!
The Bottom Line
What impressed me most about ChatGPT’s travel advice was how it mixed old-school tricks with new tech solutions. The AI didn’t just repeat the same old travel tips. Instead, it gave me an updated guide for 2025 that shows how both technology and travel have changed.
Combining things like AI flight tracking, smart credit card choices, using VPNs to find better prices and clever hotel booking creates a complete money-saving approach that just wasn’t possible a few years ago.
ChatGPT even offered to make “a cheat sheet to save or share” or customize the advice “for different types of trips (solo, family, Europe, etc.)” — showing that even while giving money-saving tips, the AI was thinking about making it easy and personal for users.
Whether you’re planning a quick weekend trip or a long adventure, ChatGPT’s 2025 travel guide shows that with the right tools and strategies, you don’t have to pick between seeing the world and sticking to your budget.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I Asked ChatGPT the Best Travel Hacks To Save Money in 2025: Here’s What It Said
