The good news is that you may be able to save big by shopping around, in some cases with help from artificial intelligence (AI)—computer systems that can draw on vast amounts of data to perform tasks that mimic human learning and language. After trying out some of the latest travel apps and talking to travel professionals about how they save, I came up with this bargain hunter’s tool kit.

▶︎ Ask a chatbot. AI-powered assistants have been added to apps such as Tripadvisor, Expedia and Booking.com, and they’re part of many new travel-planning sites, including Mindtrip (mindtrip.ai), Vacay (usevacay.com) and Layla (layla.ai). Along with general-purpose chatbots ChatGPT (chatgpt.com) and Google Gemini (gemini.google.com), they can quickly build itineraries based on your budget, trip dates and interests. They might save you money, although that’s not always their strong suit. My advice for using chatbots: Try asking the same questions in different ways to get good answers. Double-check results to make sure they’re accurate. Most importantly, shop around to make sure you’re getting the best deals.

▶︎ Fly for less. Most experts I spoke with recommended Google Flights (flights.google.com). “There really is no better starting point,” says Madison Blancaflor, a managing editor at the Points Guy website. Alternatives include Skyscanner, Hopper and Kayak. On Kayak, I love the “best time to travel” tool, which recommends particular months to visit cities. Clark Howard, founder of the consumer site Clark.com, says he likes the Kayak Explore tool to find flight deals. Also check out the free version of the Going app for deals on continental U.S. airfares.

▶︎ Maximize your points. The free new Points Path browser extension helps you compare the cost of flights in points vs. cash. If you have a lot of points, Blancaflor recommends Point.me, a paid service for booking award travel, and MaxMyPoint.com, which looks for points deals at major hotel chains. Go to ThePointsGuy.com for more great info about points travel.

▶︎ Get hotel deals. Hotwire, Priceline and HotelTonight are tough to beat. Sometimes the best deals are “opaque,” meaning you can’t see the hotel you’ve booked until after you’ve paid—all sales are final—but you can filter choices by star level, neighborhood and more. Even if you don’t book on these apps, they’re great for gauging prices, Howard says. If room type is important (say you’re traveling with children), Christopher Elliott, founder of the Elliott Report travel site (Elliott.org), advises booking directly on hotel websites, since third-party sites may not show all options.

Whatever tool you use, seek out the total price. Fees and taxes might not be included, or may be posted in tiny type. Check refund terms; even a “no prepayment” booking isn’t necessarily refundable.

▶︎ Fill ’er up on the cheap. Gas price tools are one of my favorite features of Google Maps and Waze. On Google Maps, tap on the gas icon under the search bar. On Waze, tap on the search bar and then the gas icon to see nearby prices.