American Airlines Tests New AI Travel Search Tool for Unique Flight Booking

FORT WORTH- American Airlines (AA) is introducing a new AI-powered booking tool that shifts flight searches away from airport codes and towards experiences. Instead of entering specific origin and destination airports like Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) or Los Angeles (LAX), travelers can now type prompts such as “I want to go on a family trek for Thanksgiving.”

The tool, currently live for about 50% of American’s website users, returns results tied to trip ideas rather than strict locations. A test search for Thanksgiving travel suggested airports near national parks across the western United States and even into Canada (YYC).

American Airlines Dallas Hub. Photo: American Airlines

American Airlines Tests AI Search Tool

American Airlines (AA) designed the tool to match how many travelers are now thinking about vacations—experience first, logistics second. The feature uses natural language prompts, letting customers request trips around themes like skiing, beaches, or budget limits.

For example, entering “I want to take a ski vacation before Christmas or after New Year’s” produced results that included flights to Denver (DEN) for Vail and Aspen, Salt Lake City (SLC) for Park City, Geneva (GVA) for Chamonix, and Zurich (ZRH) for Zermatt.

This highlights how the system can surface both U.S. and international options that travelers might not have otherwise considered.

Rollout and Availability

The AI booking tool is currently available to half of American’s website users. The airline expects to expand it to 100% of site visitors within four to six weeks, pending smooth testing. A mobile app version is also planned within the next month.

According to Anshuman Singh, American’s Managing Director of Customer Experience – Digital Transformation, the phased launch is intentional: “We are trying to step our way into this and see the kinds of prompts people are asking for. We need data to be our guide every step of the way.”

Budget-Friendly Search Options

One standout feature of the new system is its ability to flag results that fall outside a traveler’s stated budget.

A query like “I want to take a beach vacation in February and spend less than $500 on flights” will return options within and over that price point, with higher fares tagged as “over budget.”

This approach helps customers plan realistically while still being aware of all available routes. It also gives travelers more flexibility in balancing cost with destination choices.

Photo: James Cridland | Flickr

Rewards and Partner Airline Integration

AAdvantage members can use the AI search tool to find award flights. At launch, mileage redemption results apply only to American Airlines flights, though cash fare searches also include partner airlines within the oneworld alliance.

This integration ensures that travelers exploring trip ideas will see not only American-operated flights but also options across key partners, expanding destination possibilities.

Photo: Cado Handerson

Standing Out in a Competitive Market

American Airlines is not alone in this move. Google Flights also recently introduced natural language flight search. Both prioritize results by price, though American emphasizes the ability to align travel with specific experiences.

Samuel Liyanage, Vice President of Digital Customer Experience at American, said the shift reflects evolving customer expectations: “We are trying to respond to the way more people are thinking about their vacations, and be proactive about meeting customers where they are when it comes to booking flights.”

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