How to Use AI Trip-Planners from CES 2026 to Score Early Spring Travel Deals

Quick orientation: CES 2026 emphasised smart consumer AI across travel and planning tools, and that context explains why apps now offer predictive holds and itinerary suggestions rather than listing fares only.

In practice, this often means flight search and booking apps will suggest a short hold or an integrated cruise+flight package instead of just showing prices. A common pattern is that those suggestions do not always show the underlying fare class, which is what causes problems for loyalty accrual and seat selection.

For background reading, see the CES overview here and the trends video here.

Step 0 – Before-you-start checklist

• ☐ Confirm travel windows and acceptable alternate dates (±2-4 days).
• ☐ Ensure your frequent-flier number and cruise loyalty ID are current.
• ☐ Have a single payment card ready for holds to avoid duplicate-authorisation issues.
• ☐ Note refundable vs non-refundable priorities and acceptable fare classes.
• ☐ Install Hopper and set up Google account alerts (you will use both simultaneously).

Three-step cross-platform process (what to do, mistake to avoid, how to verify)

Step 1 – Build your baseline on Google Flights

What to do: Search your route with flexible dates in Google Flights and use the calendar heatmap to spot the cheapest day range. Set an alert for that specific date pair rather than a broad route alert.

Common mistake here: Relying on a single, long-running Google alert that drifts from the original itinerary. A recurring issue is that alerts update when you later change searches, so you end up tracking a different pairing than you intended.

How to verify success: When an alert hits, expand the itinerary to record carrier, flight numbers and the fare code (click the fare details). Save a screenshot that includes flight numbers and the fare class so you can directly compare offers from Hopper or MSC Cruises.

Step 2 – Put Hopper to work for predictions and holds

What to do: Enter the same origin/destination and date window into Hopper. If Hopper offers a Price Freeze or Price Guarantee, use it selectively on fares that match the carrier and fare class captured from Google Flights.

Common mistake here: Using Hopper’s prediction or Price Freeze without checking the fare class and refundability. Many users find Hopper’s AI prediction useful for timing purchases, but what surprises most people is how often the cheapest option is Basic Economy or a fare that won’t earn miles.

How to verify success: After placing a Price Freeze, check the hold confirmation for explicit fare class code, booking reference and expiry. If Hopper’s confirmation omits fare-class data, treat the freeze as provisional and don’t cancel an existing reservation until you have matching fare-class confirmation from the carrier.

Skip this step if: you need a fully refundable fare or your employer requires direct billing via an approved travel agent.

Step 3 – Use MSC Cruises’ AI itinerary features for cruise+flight combos

What to do: If your plan includes an MSC cruise, use MSC Cruises’ AI itinerary builder to match flights and transfers. Let the tool suggest integrated flight-cruise combinations, then cross-check suggested flights against the Google Flights baseline and any Hopper holds.

Common mistake here: Accepting an AI itinerary without verifying the connection buffer or cabin/booking class. One overlooked aspect is that an AI suggestion can pair a low-cost flight whose fare class is incompatible with cruise transfer packages or loyalty accrual.

How to verify success: Confirm the flight numbers, arrival times and the transfer cut-off for embarkation on the MSC booking page. Retain screenshots and PNRs for both flight and cruise so you can show exactly which fares and classes were used if anything needs retroactive correction.

Common mistakes that cost money (and how to prevent them)

• Mixing fare classes: You book a lower-priced fare that excludes seats or baggage and assume you can add benefits later. Prevent it by verifying fare codes across platforms and adding baggage/seat fees to the total cost before accepting an AI suggestion.
• Relying on stale AI predictions: Hopper and other tools use historical patterns; market shocks can invalidate a prediction. Keep your Google Flights alert open and treat Hopper predictions as an input, not a certainty.
• Alert/calendar drift: You create one alert but later tweak the search and the alert updates to a different date pair. Avoid this by creating distinct alerts and saving screenshots of the original offer.
• Loyalty conflicts: Booking through an aggregator or third-party package can strip loyalty accrual or status perks. If loyalty benefits matter, contact the airline or cruise line with the proposed PNR before finalising.

Most guides miss this – the fare-class reconciliation step

Many tutorials tell you to “set alerts” and “follow Hopper’s prediction” but skip the reconciliation: write down the fare class code from Google Flights, Hopper or the airline fare rules and ensure every hold or package cites that same code.

A common issue is accepting a cheaper option without confirming the fare bucket. If the codes don’t match, ask for clarification in the vendor’s chat or phone line before paying.

When not to use this workflow

• This is not for travellers who require fully refundable tickets or immediate invoiceable corporate bookings.
• Avoid this if you cannot tolerate booking holds and cancellations – the method relies on short holds and active monitoring.
• Not ideal when your travel window is inflexible and you must guarantee specific flights for work commitments.

Trade-offs – what you gain and what you give up

• Gain: Better odds of catching a low fare by combining predictive holds (Hopper) with live-market alerts (Google Flights).
• Give up: Time and attention – this approach needs active cross-checking and occasional manual intervention.
• Hidden cost: Payment-card authorisations from multiple holds can temporarily reduce available credit; keep a card with adequate limit for holds and releases.

Troubleshooting: common problems and fixes

• Duplicate bookings: If you accidentally create two similar PNRs, contact the airline and Hopper support immediately. Keep screenshots and timestamps to show which booking you intended to confirm.
• Hold expiry mismatch: If a Hopper Price Freeze expires but Google still shows the fare, reopen the Hopper suggestion and compare fare class – it may be a different inventory bucket.
• Lost loyalty credit: If an aggregator booking shows no loyalty line, request carrier-level retroactive credit using receipts and flight numbers. This is much easier when you’ve captured fare-class codes at booking.

Practical example (walkthrough)

Suppose you want a mid-March trip from London to Barcelona with an MSC cruise segment. Create a Google Flights alert for Mar 10-14 and save the flight numbers and fare class from the cheapest suitable pairing.

Next, enter the same dates into Hopper. If Hopper offers a Price Freeze on that exact flight and fare class, place the freeze and save the confirmation with screenshots of the fare code and expiry.

Then consult MSC Cruises’ AI itinerary builder to see suggested flights and transfer timing. Confirm the AI suggestion uses the same flight numbers or a matching connection window. If anything differs – fare code, carrier or arrival time that leaves insufficient transfer buffer – don’t accept the package until the vendor clarifies or updates the booking.

A recurring issue is ending up with the right time but the wrong fare class. In my experience, keeping a short checklist of carrier, flight numbers, fare class and screenshot timestamps prevents most of these headaches.