Will AI Wreck Air Travel?

The world of airfare is changing before our eyes.

Airlines have jacked up the price of one-way flights and targeted solo passengers with higher fares, too. And, more troublingly, carriers like Delta (and others) are now leaning on AI to set airfare … raising the prospect of personalized pricing. What does it all mean?

Kyle and Gunnar break it all down on this week’s episode of the Thrifty Traveler Podcast, telling you how airfare is changing, why, and who’s responsible. Plus, why this is your year to go to Costa Rica … and the airline that both Kyle and Gunnar are embarrassed to have never flown before.

Tune in now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! Be sure to subscribe to get each new episode every Thursday morning.

Have a question you want answered on-air or an idea for the show? Let us know at [email protected]. 

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Show Notes

• 00:00 – Did AI write this intro?
• 01:08 – Should we be worried about AI-fueled airfare?
• 02:43 – Want to go to Costa Rica? Go this year (while deals are white hot)
• 06:25 – The surprising return of one-way airfare penalties
• 11:45 – Stay current on the news: Subscribe (for free!) to The Daily Beat email newsletter
• 13:00 – As AI enters airfare, how does airfare actually work right now?
• 19:30 – By penalizing one-way travelers and solo travelers, the airlines are shifting strategies…
• 22:25 – How Delta (& others) are actually starting to use AI to price flights
• 27:00 – What is Fetcherr? What they’re doing for Delta – and the article they didn’t want you to see
• 34:40 – What can we do to protect ourselves from AI? Are there any guardrails out there? 
• 41:20 – Listener Question: Done with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card? What to pick up next?
• 46:10 – On the spot: What airlines have you not flown? 

Produced by Gunnar Olson & Jackson Newman
Edited by David Strutt
Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot