A new survey from airport transfers booking platform hoppa found that almost 1 in 4 Brits would rather use AI than a travel agent to book a holiday, with almost 40% of respondents saying they would be likely to use AI to book a holiday rather than through a travel agent, while just 7% said they would choose a travel agent and 13% preferred a combination of AI and a travel agent. The statistics come as hoppa launches its new ChatGPT plug-in, allowing holidaymakers to search for and book airport transfers directly within their AI-powered trip-planning experience. The survey found the biggest perceived benefits of using AI are saving time (40%), reducing planning stress (25%), and receiving personalised recommendations (21.5%). More than 45% of respondents said they would be either ‘very comfortable’ or ‘somewhat comfortable’ with AI booking a trip on their behalf, compared with 32% who said they would not trust AI to do so. Cost is also a major consideration, with 16% using AI to find budget-friendly destinations and 12% relying on it to search for cheaper flights. Chris Harrington, managing director and Travel Expert, commented on the change in how customers interact with travel brands, noting that potential travellers are starting their booking journey with AI, but some people are hesitant to trust AI for expensive purchases such as travel. He said the next phase of travel technology combines the conversational approach of AI with human-grade ability by pairing with trusted travel booking platforms