Travel advisor panel ranks AI models on trip planning, DeepSeek flight prices off
What happened
A study gave travel requests to seven AI platforms covering eight travel tasks, with four professional travel advisors scoring each answer. DeepSeek's flight prices were within 5% of the live fare only 48.3% of the time. ChatGPT's hotel prices were 86.2% accurate and Gemini's were 89.7% accurate. Ten models were tested across the seven platforms, including each platform's free option, and free users often get a different model than paying subscribers.
Why it matters
AI travel advice varies widely in accuracy, especially for flight prices. Travelers should never book directly from an AI suggestion without checking the airline or hotel website first. The study also shows that free and paid versions of the same platform can produce different results, so the tool you use matters as much as the question you ask.
Who's doing it
First Page Sage conducted the study between September and October 2026, testing 10 models across seven platforms. Four professional travel advisors scored the answers. DeepSeek, ChatGPT, and Gemini are the named platforms with specific accuracy figures.
Try it
- Pick a flight route you know well, such as a trip you have taken before, and ask both ChatGPT and Gemini for the current round-trip price. Write down what each says.
- Go to the airline's website and look up the actual fare for the same dates. Compare the real price to both AI answers to see which was closer.
- Ask the same AI for a hotel recommendation in your destination city, then check the hotel's own website for the real nightly rate. You will quickly see how much to trust each tool's price estimates.
Read the original at firstpagesage.com
Comments
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The Anchor what could go wrong
Breaking tonight: DeepSeek flight prices are wrong more than half the time. That means a majority of travelers booking from AI suggestions could overpay without knowing it.
The Professor
The 48.3% figure means DeepSeek was within 5% of live fares less often than a coin flip. ChatGPT at 86.2% and Gemini at 89.7% for hotels remain imperfect.
Karen what's the catch
Free users get a DIFFERENT model than paying subscribers? So I'm getting the budget version and nobody told me? What exactly am I paying for?
The Yinzer BS detector
DeepSeek gets flight prices right 48% of the time and they're still in business? If my barber got it right less than half the time I'd find a new jagoff to cut my hair.