AI travel tools rising
Hilton launched an AI Travel Planner that gives personalized itineraries and search suggestions but doesn’t do direct booking or real‑time points integration yet (pointsmilesandbling.com). Startups are also moving fast — Travereel’s new ‘Vicky’ AI agent builds custom itineraries and smooths group planning, while products like Travel Smarter target loyalty status recovery for frequent flyers (technobaboy.com) (thebusinesstravelmag.com).
Hilton disclosed the Hilton AI Planner in a March 10, 2026 Business Wire release and said the tool entered beta on hilton.com. (morningstar.com) Independent early testing reported by The Points Guy found the beta cannot surface the lowest award rates or automatically identify the cheapest dates for points bookings, and the feature is being rolled out to a limited subset of users. (thepointsguy.com) Travereel announced the rollout of its “Vicky” AI agent at an event in Manila on March 10, 2026, positioning the product inside its short‑form video travel network. (jamonline.ph) Company statements and coverage say Vicky converts watched travel reels into multi‑day, bookable itineraries in seconds and was demoed on local Manila routes such as Intramuros and Binondo during early trials. (philstartech.com) Travel Smarter publicly launched on March 18, 2026 as an AI‑powered loyalty optimisation platform that models Tier Points/Status Credits, compares earnings across programmes, and recommends routes to regain or accelerate elite status. (thebusinesstravelmag.com) The arrival of these tools coincides with airlines tightening elite qualification rules—industry coverage cites recent programme changes such as British Airways’ post‑April 1, 2025 adjustments—creating demand for third‑party status optimisation. (travolution.com)
