Artificial Intelligence (AI) often gets a bad rep, for example, when replacing real people with chatbots. But AI  is now an established fact of life, so it makes sense to use it for your benefit rather than rail against progress

One way to do this is when booking flights, especially if you have some flexibility in your travel plans

Magnificent 7 prompts

Here are the 7 prompts that you can use with your chosen AI app. Simply paste in any prompt and replace the bracketed placeholders with your specific details (like [route], [budget], or [city])

Hidden deal finder prompt

“Find the cheapest flights from [departure city] to [destination] around [dates]. Include alternative airports, off-peak days, and multi-stop/creative routes”

This prompt often reveals routes hidden from Google Flights

Budget airline tracker prompt

“Which low-cost carriers operate this route but don’t appear on Google or Skyscanner?”

This prompt reveals the 28% of the options that never show up in search engines

Stopover prompt

“What five cities could I stop over in to significantly reduce the cost of this trip?”

One layover can often give you huge savings.

Comparison prompt

“Compare this flight across Google Flights, airline websites, and booking platforms, where’s it cheapest today?”

This prompt lets AI handle the tab hopping for you.

Error fare scanner prompt

“Find error fares or flash discounts departing from [home airport] this month.”

An error fare is exactly what it sounds like: a flight price that’s wrong. It might be hundreds of pounds less than it should be – sometimes even 90% off. This prompt allows AI to identify them

Flight price drop notifier prompt

“Recommend three services that notify me when flight prices for [route] drop below [budget]. Include quick setup steps”

Use this prompt and never miss a fare drop again

Split-ticket prompt

“Check if combining a round-trip plus one-way ticket beats the price of a standard round-trip”

Split tickets are often the key to unlocking the best price

Get More Out of These Prompts!

Don’t treat it like a one-and-done search. Ask follow-up questions to dig deeper! Have a conversation with it

“What about mid-week flights?”

“Are there cheaper nearby airports?”

“Can you check one-way vs. round-trip pricing?”

“What if I’m flexible with my dates by a few days?”

“Are there any seasonal patterns I should know about?

AI will respond conversationally and give you more personalised options with a bit of back-and-forth

The more information you give it about you, your trip, and your preferences, the more helpful it will be

Once you get useful results, save them or set up the price alerts and tools the AI recommends

The real savings come from acting on what you discover, not just collecting information

Why this changes everything

Here’s what most travellers don’t realise: airline pricing algorithms are sophisticated revenue extraction machines, constantly adjusting fares based on demand, competition, and your browsing behaviour

These AI prompts essentially give you the same analytical power that travel agents and corporate booking systems use, but for free

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can start combining prompts for compound savings

Don’t stop at flights

These same prompt techniques work well for:

Hotels – “Find boutique hotels under [budget] in [city] with free breakfast and parking”

Car rentals – “Compare one-way car rental costs vs. round-trip for [route] including all fees”

Travel insurance – “Analyse travel insurance options for [trip type] and highlight coverage gaps most policies miss”

Take the 5-Minute Challenge

Ok, pick an upcoming trip right now, or pretend you have one coming up, and run just one of these prompts

Your goal isn’t to book something, it’s to find at least three alternatives to whatever flight search you’ve already done

It’s fun to discover options you never knew existed.