AI Trip Planner - Planned by Ex-Meta Engineers

The Rise of AI in Travel Planning

The travel sector has amassed a wealth of data concerning journeys and transportation methods over time. Consequently, numerous startups, founded on this data, are emerging with innovative AI-powered travel solutions. Indeed, each sentence within this initial discussion could link to a distinct AI travel resource. Currently, both new companies and established travel technology firms are competing to develop a single, all-encompassing platform capable of orchestrating and managing every aspect of your travel experience.

Introducing Airial: End-to-End Travel Management

Airial positions itself as a key competitor, leveraging its capacity to map out complete travel itineraries from beginning to end. The system operates by accepting initial trip details – including departure and destination points – from the user, then utilizing AI to generate a comprehensive plan.

Users can activate an instant trip function to swiftly create an itinerary encompassing flights, accommodations, and transportation between cities. The platform also automatically constructs a daily schedule, suggesting points of interest and dining establishments. Preferences can be specified during the planning phase, or adjusted later based on the generated itinerary.

Detailed Itinerary and Exploration

The interface displays the complete trip overview, with the ability to click on individual phases to reveal the daily schedule and AI-recommended locations. Each item can be selected for a detailed overview, including reviews, location information, and alternative options. Furthermore, the AI assistant can respond to specific inquiries about each location.

A map view is also provided, illustrating the locations visited each day and allowing users to assess distances. Details such as transfer times, wait times at stations, and the feasibility of day trips are also displayed.

Leveraging Social Inspiration

Airial allows users to incorporate content from blogs, TikTok, and Reels into their itineraries. Items mentioned by content creators can be directly added to the plan. The tool can also proactively suggest TikTok videos related to a city, based on user prompts and provided details, eliminating the need for independent research.

The Founding Team

The company was established by Archit Karandikar and Sanjeev Shenoy, who initially connected as college students in India. Karandikar’s career includes engineering positions at Meta, Google, and Waymo, focused on the application of AI within products. Shenoy’s experience centers on his work at Meta, specifically within the team responsible for Instagram Reels.

Both founders expressed a long-held passion for travel as the driving force behind their venture, envisioning Airial as a personalized travel agent for users.

A Focus on Logistics and Detail

“Most other companies in this space concentrate on creating a preliminary plan. Our models, however, meticulously analyze the logistical aspects of your trip, with a strong emphasis on detail. We integrate numerous APIs and consider a wide range of parameters to optimize flights and train schedules, calculate connection times, and [assess the] proximity of activities to your hotel,” Karandikar explained to TechCrunch.

Karandikar emphasized that the startup’s core value proposition lies in personalization and efficiency. He noted that the AI tool will only recommend appropriate dining options if a user specifies dietary restrictions, such as being vegetarian.

Underlying Technology: AlphaGeometry and LLMs

The AI models utilized by the company are based on research presented in a paper by DeepMind researchers titled AlphaGeometry. This paper details an AI system capable of solving geometry problems. Airial integrates this inference methodology with Large Language Models (LLMs) to construct travel plans.

Seed Funding and Investor Confidence

The startup has secured $3 million in seed funding, led by Montage Ventures, with participation from South Park Commons, Peak XV (formerly Sequoia India), and individual investors from Meta, UiPath, and Dropbox.

Expert Perspective on Airial’s Potential

Daphne Che, a principal at Montage Ventures, believes the team’s technical expertise will provide a significant competitive advantage.

“Every consumer planning travel will inevitably encounter an overwhelming number of options and variables. It’s challenging for companies relying solely on LLMs to effectively address these complexities. Airial’s technology stack can analyze thousands of variables to identify optimal locations and transportation, while accommodating user requirements,” she stated.

Current Status and Future Development

Airial reports having “tens of thousands of monthly visitors” and is currently prioritizing user growth over revenue generation. Recent additions include features for trip sharing and collaborative planning, as well as the integration of cars and buses for multi-city travel. A social component has also been implemented, enabling users to view and modify friends’ itineraries.

Looking ahead, the company plans to develop dedicated iOS and Android applications. Furthermore, they aim to provide specialized search capabilities for hotels, activities, and influencer-created videos.