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Vancouver Sun
15 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
How — and where — to travel this summer if you're on a tight budget
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Travel during Canadian summers may seem like an unattainable thing for those who must adhere to a strict budget — but it doesn't have to be. KAYAK has released its annual Travel Check-In: Summer 2025 report , and according to the data, there are ways to save on your latest adventure. 'Canadians are making the most of their travel plans this summer and continue to look for ways to save,' Kayla DeLoache, travel trends expert for KAYAK, told The Toronto Sun. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'Lucky for travellers, summer travel prices are bucking the trend and have dropped by 4% since last year.' With fewer Canadians heading to the United States this summer, there are other destinations that prove worthy. The average airfare to popular destinations like St. Maarten, Martinique, Mexico and Aruba are down more than 20% compared to last year. Other exotic locations that have seen drops in airfare include Romania and Shanghai. Jamaica, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica are also forecasted to be wallet-friendly international destinations this summer. Canadians are also looking beyond the usual beach resorts and are becoming more interested in basking in the beauty of stunning landscapes and immersing themselves in new communities. An increased number of Canadians are looking into travelling to Africa and Central America, as interest in the continents have jumped by 17% and 12%, respectively, compared to last year. Specifically, Tanzania has seen a 103% increase in flight searches year over year, though the airfare has gone up by 17%. There has been increased interest in Italian destinations Sicily and Naples; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Quito, Ecuador; Marrakech, Morocco; and Ponta Delgada, Portugal. But it isn't all about long-haul getaways. For those whose elbows are firmly up and extra pointy or Canadians who simply want to enjoy some homegrown locales have decent priced options with flights under $350 this summer. Tourist magnets like Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver are on the list but so are some underrated gems with fewer crowds like Abbotsford, B.C. and Saskatoon. If you needed more incentive, Canada Day fares are also down 8%, making it the perfect time to plan for an extra-long weekend this year, particularly in budget-friendly Canadian standouts Victoria, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Kelowna. Another tip from the travel website is to catch an early-morning flight, which is usually cheaper, face fewer delays and give you more time in your destination. And for those travelling with kids, Kayak suggests avoiding the most expensive weeks of summer — late June through early August. Aim for late August (specifically Aug. 11-31) where you'll find cheaper flights, cheaper hotels and fewer meltdowns at security. That said, some travellers are keeping their plans as is, despite the price. Paris and London are the most popular destinations this summer, despite no change in airfare over the same time last year. Flights to Lisbon, Rome, Tokyo, Athens and Manila have seen slight decreases in airfare costs, which any traveller can appreciate.
Toronto Sun
15 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
How — and where — to travel this summer if you're on a tight budget
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Travel during Canadian summers may seem like an unattainable thing for those who must adhere to a strict budget — but it doesn't have to be. KAYAK has released its annual Travel Check-In: Summer 2025 report, and according to the data, there are ways to save on your latest adventure. 'Canadians are making the most of their travel plans this summer and continue to look for ways to save,' Kayla DeLoache, travel trends expert for KAYAK, told The Toronto Sun. 'Lucky for travellers, summer travel prices are bucking the trend and have dropped by 4% since last year.' With fewer Canadians heading to the United States this summer, there are other destinations that prove worthy. The average airfare to popular destinations like St. Maarten, Martinique, Mexico and Aruba are down more than 20% compared to last year. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Other exotic locations that have seen drops in airfare include Romania and Shanghai. Jamaica, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica are also forecasted to be wallet-friendly international destinations this summer. Aerial view of palm trees and the resorts by the ocean in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. (Getty Images) Getty Images Canadians are also looking beyond the usual beach resorts and are becoming more interested in basking in the beauty of stunning landscapes and immersing themselves in new communities. An increased number of Canadians are looking into travelling to Africa and Central America, as interest in the continents have jumped by 17% and 12%, respectively, compared to last year. Specifically, Tanzania has seen a 103% increase in flight searches year over year, though the airfare has gone up by 17%. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Aerial view of luxury resort and turquoise waters in exotic Tanzania. (Getty Images) Getty Images There has been increased interest in Italian destinations Sicily and Naples; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Quito, Ecuador; Marrakech, Morocco; and Ponta Delgada, Portugal. But it isn't all about long-haul getaways. RECOMMENDED VIDEO For those whose elbows are firmly up and extra pointy or Canadians who simply want to enjoy some homegrown locales have decent priced options with flights under $350 this summer. Tourist magnets like Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver are on the list but so are some underrated gems with fewer crowds like Abbotsford, B.C. and Saskatoon. Aerial view of the Central Business District in bustling neighbourhood in Saskatoon. (Getty Images) Getty Images If you needed more incentive, Canada Day fares are also down 8%, making it the perfect time to plan for an extra-long weekend this year, particularly in budget-friendly Canadian standouts Victoria, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Kelowna. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Another tip from the travel website is to catch an early-morning flight, which is usually cheaper, face fewer delays and give you more time in your destination. Read More And for those travelling with kids, Kayak suggests avoiding the most expensive weeks of summer — late June through early August. Aim for late August (specifically Aug. 11-31) where you'll find cheaper flights, cheaper hotels and fewer meltdowns at security. That said, some travellers are keeping their plans as is, despite the price. Paris and London are the most popular destinations this summer, despite no change in airfare over the same time last year. Flights to Lisbon, Rome, Tokyo, Athens and Manila have seen slight decreases in airfare costs, which any traveller can appreciate. Sports Editorial Cartoons World Relationships Sunshine Girls
Khaleej Times
05-06-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE: How you can use ChatGPT to help you save money
There are hundreds of AI tools available now as artificial intelligence and machine learning take off. But ChatGPT dominates the headlines with its 400 million weekly active users. As a highly capable chatbot, many users are experimenting with it for all sorts of help, both professional and personal. So, how does it stack up when it comes to saving money? Cheap flights Saving money when booking flights is topical as many people will be jetting away soon for summer breaks. Plus, we are seeing more social media content about how AI and ChatGPT saved people money when booking flights. I have spoken to many people about these claims and if ChatGPT saved them money on flights, while doing my own research. The platform has a range of Generative Pre-Trained Transformers (GPTs) for booking cheap flights, including Fly GPT, AirTrack GPT and direct access to KAYAK, a popular flight and hotel search engine. The trick is asking the right questions, or prompts. For example, you could ask it to 'Find me the cheapest flight from Dubai to London in July under $500.' Or 'What's the best time to fly from Dubai to Tokyo for the lowest fares?' ChatGPT will use well-known flight scanning platforms like KAYAK, Expedia, and Skyscanner to pull together its answers. These sites have also integrated AI into their own search engines along with other popular sites like Google Flights and Hopper. This allows them to offer features like flight alerts and price predictions. ChatGPT's advantage is that it will search across multiple websites, not just one. Another usefulness of ChatGPT is its ability to explore different hacks and tactics to find the cheapest flight options if your dates and destination airport are flexible. For example, you could ask it 'What days are cheapest to fly to New York?' or 'What airports near Paris are cheaper to fly into?' The cheapest days to book are often Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while midweek is usually the cheapest days to fly. Another popular prompt is to type: 'Act like a travel agent. I want to go to (destination) in August on a budget. Recommend cheap routes, airlines, dates, and tips.' Daily budgeting When it comes to saving money in other areas, ChatGPT says it can help you budget better, asking you upload a bank statement so it can break down your spending and offer advice. I tried this and I was impressed by the results. It listed all my spending into categories (travel, eating out, subscriptions etc) and then gave me some tips on how to save money. For example, I spent money on expensive snacks at the airport and it advised me to buy them cheaper at a supermarket and pack them in my carry-on. Banking If you are looking for the best savings accounts available in the UAE, no one site compares all the latest offers in one place. Using ChatGPT is a good starting point as it will give you names of banks that are offering the highest rates if you type the right prompt. But it is just that – a starting point. You still need to go to each bank's website to check the interest rate, see if the offer is still available and read the small print. Daily deals ChatGPT did recommend some useful money-saving sites that are popular in the UAE such as The Entertainer, Groupon and Cobone. If you've not heard of Cobone before, it describes itself as the Middle East's biggest 'daily deals', or group buying, site featuring discounts on the best things to do, see, eat and buy in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. I checked out all websites and they did feature a wide range of offers across shopping, staycations, dining and more. ChatGPT also offered me sites like Keepa, which tracks millions of products and prices on Amazon. However, this website won't track prices from A better option might be its other recommendation of Honey, a free browser extension by PayPal that automatically searches for discounts and coupon codes during the checkout stage. Smart shopping Supermarket and grocery shopping has become more expensive in the UAE but can ChatGPT help you search for the cheapest products among all the different chains here? In the UK, there's a popular app called Trolley, which is a supermarket comparison tool that finds the cheapest grocery prices across 16+ UK supermarkets. Type in blueberries, for example, and it will tell you which supermarket is selling them at the cheapest price. When asked, ChatGPT said it can give me price comparison tools for UAE supermarkets (e.g., Carrefour vs. Lulu). It recommended Pricena, although this is just for electronics, and Yaoota, which is an Egyptian e-commerce platform. Neither was useful in my quest to save money on my supermarket shop. There is currently no price comparison website for supermarkets in the UAE. Now that's food for thought.
Skift
29-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
AI That Plans, Not Just Chats: What to Expect from KAYAK at the Skift Data + AI Summit
KAYAK's Matthias Keller explores how AI is transforming travel from search-driven clicks to intuitive, intelligent journeys, and what's next in truly personalized, agentic travel planning. As Chief Product Officer at KAYAK, Matthias Keller is at the forefront of reshaping how millions of travelers plan their trips. With over a decade of leadership at one of the world's most innovative travel search engines, Keller has helped pioneer the integration of artificial intelligence into travel. His work on is leading the shift from reactive, form-based search to proactive, personalized travel experiences. At the Skift Data + AI Summit, Matthias Keller will unpack the emerging technologies and real-world strategies that are turning AI into a true co-pilot for travelers, not just another interface. Ahead of his session, Keller offers a glimpse into how smarter AI is reshaping travel and what lies ahead for the industry. How is your company thinking about AI as a tool to drive smarter, more personalized travel experiences? 'At KAYAK, we see AI as a way to move beyond the traditional constraints of predefined search forms and toward truly intelligent, personalized travel planning.' 'With prompts help us better understand what a traveler wants — not just what they click — enabling more relevant responses. As agent capabilities evolve, reasoning and planning open the door to smarter, more contextual recommendations that make trip planning faster, easier, and more tailored to the individual.' What do you think the travel industry still gets wrong when it comes to applying AI? 'It's still early days, and everyone is experimenting — but one thing is becoming clear: simply adding AI for the sake of it doesn't create real value.' 'Too often, the industry treats AI as a surface feature, like adding a chatbot. But meaningful impact comes when AI powers useful capabilities across the full journey. At KAYAK, we believe AI should do more than respond — it should reason, plan, and simplify complexity. That's where it becomes truly valuable to users.' What emerging trends in AI or data are you watching most closely right now? 'We're closely watching the evolution of Agentic AI — systems that don't just provide information, but take action on a traveler's behalf. The ability to delegate planning, booking, and even post-booking management to a trusted AI agent has the potential to transform the travel experience.' 'There's also an interesting space emerging around 'computer-use' agents, like OpenAI's Operator, which can interact with third-party tools or websites on a user's behalf. While still early and relatively slow, this technology could become a powerful way to gather information and complete transactions in real time.' If you had to place a big bet on one AI breakthrough that could reshape travel, what would it be? 'If we had to place a big bet, it would be on AI's evolving ability to perform complex reasoning — moving beyond recommendations to taking action on behalf of the user. The potential to plan and book multi-destination trips through a single intelligent interface has huge potential.' 'One area we're also excited about is how improved reasoning capabilities are being applied to geospatial challenges. For example, we've already seen promising progress in reverse-geocoding from images. Applying that capability to travel — such as identifying optimally located hotels based on user preferences or dynamically mapping multi-stop itineraries — could significantly enhance how people plan their trips.' Unlock Smarter Travel at Skift Data + AI Summit Don't miss Matthias Keller's session, where he'll reveal how AI-powered smarter search and agentic travel planning are redefining the future of travel journeys. This is your chance to hear firsthand from the industry's leading innovators about the technologies shaping tomorrow's travel experiences. Secure your spot now and be part of the pivotal conversation transforming the travel industry. Get Your Tickets 1 Person Solo Ticket $895 Buy Now 2-6 PeOPLE Group Tickets From $815 each Buy Now Who Is Already Joining The Skift Data + AI Summit This June Skift Data + AI Summit in New York City is fast approaching - take a look at who is planning to attend and add your company's name to the list. You won't want to miss this exciting global travel industry event. Read More
Finextra
22-05-2025
- Business
- Finextra
Affirm and Kayak expand partnership to Canada
Just in time for the busy summer travel season, Kayak, the world's leading travel search engine, and Affirm (NASDAQ: AFRM), the payment network that empowers consumers and helps merchants drive growth, today announced the expansion of their exclusive partnership into Canada. 0 This content is provided by an external author without editing by Finextra. It expresses the views and opinions of the author. This builds on the companies' successful collaboration in the U.S., which has empowered consumers to plan and pay over time for their travels since January 2023. By selecting Affirm at checkout on approved KAYAK travellers in Canada can split the total cost of flights, accommodations, and car rentals/sharing into monthly payments. From there, consumers go through a quick, real-time eligibility check. If approved, they can choose the customized payment plan that best suits their needs and never pay any late or hidden fees. 'Consumers are increasingly turning to Affirm when booking their flights, hotels, rides, and more as flexible payment options remain a top priority for travellers across Canada,' said Wayne Pommen, Chief Revenue Officer of Affirm. 'This expansion with KAYAK is a natural next step for our long-standing partnership as we look to offer even more travellers peace of mind when paying for their next trip using Affirm.' 'Our partnership with Affirm opens up possibilities for travellers who are looking for more flexibility in their payment options. With international flight prices averaging $1,2701, travellers can plan and pay for those bucket list trips over time, without any hidden fees,' said Paul Jacobs, GM and SVP of KAYAK North America. Expanding with KAYAK into Canada further builds on Affirm's rapid growth worldwide, with over 350,000 merchants offering Affirm at checkout, including partnerships with Booking Holdings brands Agoda, and Priceline. Leading Canadian retailers, including Amazon, Apple, Samsung, Brown's Shoes, CheapOair, and more offer Affirm's payment solutions to their customers.
