Year-end getaway anyone? I asked an AI browser to plan mine.
🕓 Read time: ~2.5 min
As we head toward year-end, many of us are dreaming about escaping, to the mountains or somewhere warm. So I ran a little experiment: what if I let an agentic browser, Perplexity’s Comet in my case, do the travel planning for me?
Three challenging test runs later, I’m genuinely impressed and I learned a lot about how to guide AI well (and how not to).
1️⃣ Ski holiday in the Swiss mountains
Goal: an apartment for four, max three hours from Zurich, post-Christmas, with all sorts of constraints.
Key Insights: Comet’s first attempt failed — nothing matched the long list of constraints. But then it adapted: “I didn’t find anything; want me to check other resorts?” Once I relaxed the “max 10-minute shuttle to the ski lift” rule, it found real, available options.
Lesson: Be specific, but not suffocating. Some rules just block results.
2️⃣ A week of winter sun in Europe
Goal: I asked for direct flights under 2.5 hours with my go-to airline, no luggage, within budget.
Key Insights: Asking for available destinations and then selecting 5 for a deep dive was a smart move. And again, Comet adjusted mid-way: “Want me to check other airlines?” Yes, please. It surfaced realistic alternatives just above my budget.
Lesson: Guide it step by step and tell it when to explore or adjust. Oh, and if you want to travel around Christmas, plan ahead... AI can't fix flight availability ;-)
3️⃣ A London weekend
Goal: A weekend trip to London, sometime between now and the end of March, with a few additional constraints and a set budget.
Key Insights: Here, Comet excelled. It compared airlines, dates, and airports, then offered: “Your budget won’t work for London City, but Heathrow should fit. Should I check?” Smart move.
Lesson: Like any assistant, it thrives when you communicate clearly.
⏱️ Effort?
All three runs took roughly 45 minutes total (in parallel). For human planners, that’s hours of clicking between tabs. This time, I followed along to see what Comet was doing. Next time, I will do something else and review the results once they are ready, or step in when Comet prompts me for input.
Key Takeaway
AI browsers like Comet can genuinely save you time, if you guide them well:
- Clearly outline your request
- Be specific but not suffocating
- Follow a step-by-step approach
Til next time, happy (AI-assisted) travel planning,
Elena
P.S.
I’m hosting a new series of three hands-on, down-to-earth webinars, each exploring a different practical use of AI. The first one kicks off 18 November at 17:00 CET and dives deep into how to use Perplexity’s Comet effectively.
It’s exclusive to newsletter subscribers, so watch your inbox for your invite or, if you can't wait, sign-up right here.
