Smart Summer Travel Avoid AI Scams Find Deals

As the summer vacation season approaches, American travelers are navigating a landscape filled with uncertainty. Concerns range from the economic climate to the reception U.S. tourists might face abroad. This raises crucial questions: What can travelers expect? Where are the best deals hiding? And, importantly, how can one steer clear of the increasing number of travel scams, especially those powered by AI?

These pertinent questions were recently posed to travel expert and consumer advocate Christopher Elliott, author of the syndicated “On Travel” column, during an episode of Checkbook’s Consumerpedia podcast. For those planning trips, insights from the discussion, highlighted below, could be invaluable. You can listen to the entire episode for a deeper dive. With airports like SEA Airport bracing for nearly 1 million travelers over Memorial Day weekend as reported by KOMO News, being prepared is more important than ever.

Navigating Summer Travel Uncertainties

When asked about the travel outlook for summer 2025, Elliott described it as a year of unpredictability, largely due to the economy. "Travelers are concerned about prices and inflation," he stated. Additionally, he noted, "We’re also seeing a lot of people worried about traveling overseas because of the anti-American sentiment."

The Silver Lining Potential for Travel Bargains

Despite these concerns, Elliott pointed to a potential upside. "What [consumers] don’t realize is that this year we have some really amazing opportunities for travel," he explained. Airfares are likely to decrease, as is typical in such economic conditions, potentially leading to very inexpensive flights. Furthermore, with fewer international tourists visiting the United States due to the political climate, domestic travel could offer great bargains. "Maybe wait until next year to do your international vacation?" Elliott suggested.

This downturn in international visitors to the U.S., including from Canada, means hotel reservations are down. Elliott confirmed this could lead to price breaks on hotels and possibly rental cars. "That is exactly what I’m saying," he affirmed. "Right now, it’s very unadvertised and people are hush-hush about it." He emphasized that consumers ultimately control pricing; if demand drops and inventory is high, prices must fall. "In the summer, we’re [probably] going to be seeing some bargains."

Beware the Rise of AI Powered Travel Scams

In a recent “On Travel” column, Elliott warned of a "minefield of travel scams" this year, with criminals leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create fake websites, listings, and social media profiles.

"AI is a blessing and a curse," Elliott commented. While it can aid in trip planning, it also empowers scammers. "Clever scammers use AI to create websites that make them appear to be legitimate hotels or airlines and then entrap people." A common tactic involves SEO manipulation: scammers create a website with a phone number for an airline that ranks high in search results for queries like "how do I get a hold of a live person at British Airways?" Unsuspecting travelers call the number, reaching a scammer who may then illicitly charge their credit card or steal personal information.

Spotting and Avoiding Deceptive AI Tactics

Scammers also employ AI to craft highly realistic phishing emails and text messages that appear to originate from legitimate travel companies, all designed to steal personal data. "Scammers can use AI to create very realistic-looking emails with a signature and a phone number. They then pretend to be the airline when they’re not," Elliott warned.

Fake listings for vacation rentals are another persistent issue, now exacerbated by AI. Manipulating photos to make properties look better than they are is easier than ever. "We have always had Photoshop, but now it’s so much easier to make something look deceptively much better than it actually is." Elliott cautioned, "If it looks too good to be true, it probably is."

The Lure of Free Offers A Word of Caution

Elliott also highlighted that the most dangerous travel scams often begin by offering something for free. He explained, drawing on insights from psychologists, "If you offer something free, people will do crazy things." He used loyalty programs and frequent-flyer miles as an example, noting the phenomenon of "mileage runs" – flying solely to gain status – as people chase free perks. "What they don’t realize is that they’re giving the airline either their valuable time or their valuable money. In the end, it’s like Las Vegas: the house always wins. The airline is going to do better than you will."

AI in Travel Planning Promise and Pitfalls

According to an Adobe survey, about 53 percent of Americans have used AI to plan trips, for tasks like comparison shopping, finding restaurants, and creating itineraries. Elliott's current view is that AI in travel "is still not quite ready for prime time."

He uses AI for planning himself, citing an instance where he asked for recommendations in the Caribbean, considering security warnings. "AI allowed me to determine which islands were safe or not, and where the good stories were." However, he cautioned, "AI gave me useful information, but in each response, there was always at least one ‘hallucination.’ A hallucination means bad information, something that AI is making up." This could lead travelers to non-existent or closed attractions if not double-checked. His advice: "Trust but verify. AI is definitely not a human travel agent."

More from Checkbook:

• 60 Strategies for Finding the Best Travel Deals and Avoiding Trouble
• Do You Need Travel Insurance? (Spoiler: For Most Trips, Probably Not)
• Hotel Intel: How to Find the Best Rates for Rooms
• Cell Phone Services: How to Avoid a Big Bill When Traveling Abroad
• Tips for Traveling with a Pet

Checkbook.org is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help consumers get good service and low prices. It does this by providing unbiased ratings, advice, and price information. Checkbook is supported by consumers and takes no money from the service providers it evaluates. You can reach Herb at his website, Consumerman.com.