Iberia has taken another step into AI-powered travel planning with the launch of its ChatGPT app, unveiled at South Summit, one of the major events for innovation, startups and entrepreneurship.

On the surface, this may look like another airline adding an AI feature. But it is more interesting than that. Iberia is not simply putting a chatbot on its website. It is moving part of the travel discovery experience into ChatGPT, where more travellers are already asking open-ended questions such as where to go, when to fly, what fits their budget, or how to plan around weather, dates and mood.

That matters because travel search has always been a little rigid. You usually need to know your destination, dates and airport before the booking engine becomes useful. Real travellers do not always think like that. Sometimes they know they want a weekend away from Madrid. Sometimes they want sun in October. Sometimes they want the cheapest interesting city for three nights, not a specific route.

Iberia’s new ChatGPT app is designed for exactly that more flexible stage of planning.

How it works

The app, developed using OpenAI technology, allows users to search for flights, look for destination inspiration and explore travel options directly inside ChatGPT. Users can start by writing “Iberia” in their prompt, after which the app appears in the conversation and uses the relevant context to help complete the task.

The first time it is used, travellers are asked to connect the app so they can understand what information may be shared. That detail is important. As AI becomes more embedded in travel, trust and transparency around data will matter almost as much as convenience.

READ MORE: Iberia Signals a New Airline Trend: Flights That Include Mobile Data

For travellers who already know where and when they want to fly, the experience can work much like a normal airline app: search, compare cabin classes and continue into Iberia’s own booking environment. But the more interesting use case is the undecided traveller. Someone might ask for a sunny October destination, a weekend escape, or options based on flexible dates. Iberia says users can also consult a visual calendar showing travel options based on availability and price.

That is where conversational search starts to feel less like a gimmick and more like a useful interface. Instead of clicking through filters, the traveller explains the trip in normal language.

Why airlines care

Airlines have spent years trying to reduce dependence on online travel agencies and metasearch platforms. Direct booking matters because it protects margin, customer data and brand control. The problem is that inspiration and comparison often happen elsewhere.

ChatGPT apps change that dynamic slightly. They do not remove OTAs, Google Flights, Skyscanner or Booking.com from the equation, but they do create a new discovery layer. If a traveller begins the journey inside ChatGPT, the brand that appears early in that conversation has a better chance of shaping the next step.

Iberia seems to understand this. The launch follows Iberia GPT, its earlier conversational AI initiative, and fits into the airline’s broader Flight Plan 2030 roadmap. It is also part of the work carried out by Iberia’s Innovation Hub, which focuses on digital solutions that improve both the customer experience and airline operations.

“At Iberia, we see innovation as a way to improve our customers’ real-life experience. With the launch of Iberia’s ChatGPT app, we are taking another step forward in the use of artificial intelligence to create more natural, personalised and useful interactions, supporting travellers from inspiration through to trip planning,”

said Ferrán García, Iberia’s Director of Transformation, Innovation, Data and AI.

That quote captures the real strategic point. This is not only about selling a ticket. It is about being useful earlier.ć

The bigger travel AI shift

Iberia is not moving in isolation. Travel brands are testing ChatGPT apps and AI assistants because the old search box is starting to feel too narrow for modern trip planning.

Booking.com and Expedia have already been part of the wider ChatGPT app conversation, while travel search brands such as Skyscanner and other platforms are exploring conversational discovery. The direction is clear: travel planning is becoming less about fixed forms and more about intent.

READ MORE: Iberia Tech, the Iberia Group’s technology partner, begins operations

But there is a limit. Most travellers still want a clear, trusted checkout environment before paying for flights or hotels. That is why Iberia keeping the booking process inside its own ecosystem makes sense. ChatGPT can inspire and narrow the choice, but the final transaction still benefits from the airline’s familiar booking flow, loyalty account, baggage options, seat selection and customer support.

This is also why the experience may not be ideal for every traveller. If someone already knows the exact route and only wants the lowest fare in seconds, a metasearch tool may still feel faster. If someone wants to compare multiple airlines, alliances and mixed itineraries, Iberia’s own app will naturally be more limited. But for travellers who are open, flexible or loyal to Iberia, this could remove a lot of friction.

Startups get a side benefit

Alongside the ChatGPT app launch, Iberia is also extending its On Business programme for startups through a welcome promotion for newly created companies.

The offer combines a €50 welcome bonus with mentoring from Iberia’s innovation team, access to IAGi’s accelerator programme and entrepreneurship ecosystem events, plus benefits at Patio Campus. The promotion is available until 31 July 2026 for startups based in Spain, Portugal and Latin America using the welcome code OB4STARTUPS.

It is a smart add-on to the South Summit announcement. Iberia is not only presenting itself as an airline using AI, but as a company trying to stay close to the startup and innovation ecosystem. For a legacy airline, that positioning matters.

Final boarding call

Iberia’s ChatGPT app is not going to replace airline websites, booking engines or comparison platforms overnight. And honestly, it should not try to. Travel is too sensitive, too personal and too price-driven for one interface to own everything.

But this launch does show where the market is moving. The first battle in travel AI is not checkout. It is intent. Who understands what the traveller is trying to do before they even know the destination?

That is why Iberia’s move is worth watching. Airlines that treat AI as a decorative chatbot will probably disappoint users. Airlines that use it to simplify discovery, protect direct relationships and guide travellers into a trusted booking flow may gain something more valuable than a new digital feature: a stronger role at the very beginning of the trip.

The winners will not be the brands shouting “AI” the loudest. They will be the ones making planning feel less like work.