Verdict
Trip.com's TripGenie chat and Trip.Planner turn a destination, a number of days and a travel style into a mapped day-by-day plan, with flights, trains, hotels and tickets bookable from the same screen. Both are free, and Trip.Planner was rolled out to UK users in late 2025. The catch is trust, since a Shanghai regulator fined a Trip.com unit 10 million yuan in June 2026 for sending personal data abroad without the required security check.
Privacy note. No AI training on personal data, but a June 2026 Chinese fine for illegal cross-border transfers and no stated age limit (mlex.com … ctrip-fined-1-47-mln…)
Best for
Multi-city trips with trains and attraction tickets
Skip if
Anyone uneasy about data held by a China-based travel group
Key facts
- Category
- Travel & days out
- Made by
- Trip.com Group (app operated by Trip.com Travel Singapore Pte. Ltd.)
- Based in
- China
- Launched
- 2013
- Works on
- iPhone, Android, Web
- In the UK
- Yes
- Free plan
- TripGenie chat and Trip.Planner itineraries are free; Trip.com earns from bookings
What it does
- builds a day-by-day trip itinerary from destination, trip length and travel style
- suggests attractions, transfers, car hire and day tours within a budget
- shows the plan on a map and lets users reorder, replace or delete activities
- books flights, trains, hotels and attractions from the itinerary
- answers travel questions in an in-app AI chat
- sends flight price drop alerts
Ratings
What people say
Little user reviews or X talk is about the AI itself; one user said Trip.Planner planned a Japan trip well, and others praise Trip.com's prices for Asia. UK complaints are about the booking app, from failed card payments to railcards locked inside it. Store and Trustpilot scores of 4.4 to 4.6 cover bookings in general, not the AI.
“I recently use trip.planner its ai planning my Japan trip and its work great”
Individual user review, 13 February 2026 · source
“recently I've found better deals per night in a lot of Japanese cities when compared to Agoda, Booking, Expedia…”
Individual user review, 14 February 2026 · source
“Trip.com refuses to accept payment despite trying multiple fixes.”
Individual user review, 10 October 2026 · source
“not keen on having the railcard locked into their app only”
Individual user review, 23 April 2026 · source
Press reviews
- Travolution 2025-02-28
The editor found TripGenie and the AI itinerary planner easy to use and good at ordering a multi-stop day; the trip was paid for by Trip.com.
- iTechGuides 2026-09-21
7.3/10, ranked 9th of 160 AI travel planners; free and broad, but features vary by region and bookings stay inside Trip.com.
- Reuters (via Honolulu Star-Advertiser) 2026-07-25
China fined and confiscated $770 million from Trip.com Group for abusing its dominance in hotel booking; the company accepted the penalty.
Privacy
- Trains on your data
- No. The privacy notice says 'your personal data will not be used for AI training, or transferred to any third parties for providing AI service'
- Opt-out
- Not needed for AI training; marketing can be opted out
- Retention
- Account data kept 'for as long as you are a user of Trip.com' and as allowed by law afterwards; deletion via the Data Protection Officer at [email protected]
- Incidents
- June 2026: Shanghai cyberspace regulator fined a Trip.com unit 10 million yuan for transferring personal data abroad without a required security assessment (MLex). July 2026: $770 million antitrust penalty in China (Reuters)
- Age limit
- No stated minimum age; bookings for minors need a guardian's consent
Official videos
- From Questions to Solutions: How TripGenie Powers Every Step of Your Trip ✈️ 2026-03-17
- TripGenie, this AI assistant is all you need to plan for your next trip！ 2023-09-08
FAQ
Is Trip.com's AI planner free?
Yes. TripGenie and Trip.Planner are free in the app and on the website. Trip.com makes money when people book through it.
Is Trip.Planner available in the UK?
Yes. Trip.com said in October 2025 that Trip.Planner was rolled out to UK travellers in the Trip.com app.
Is Trip.com safe to use?
It is a large, established booking site with a 4.4 Trustpilot score. Its owner was fined in China in 2026 over sending personal data abroad and over hotel-booking practices, so some people may prefer to share less with it.
Does Trip.com use my chats to train AI?
Its privacy notice says personal data will not be used for AI training.
Scores are based on published evidence, not lab tests. How we score.
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