OpenAI recently released the new ChatGPT Group Chats feature, allowing multiple people to collaborate with AI in the same conversation. The feature is designed to keep discussions organized, streamline decision-making, and help groups plan together without switching between apps or losing information.
This makes it especially useful for upcoming holiday planning. If you’re getting ready for a Christmas trip with friends, Group Chats offers a smarter and more efficient way to choose destinations, compare options, and build your itinerary—all in one shared space.
How ChatGPT Group Chats Work
ChatGPT’s new group experience is designed for multi-person conversations with AI inside the same chat. Here are the core principles behind the feature:
ChatGPT acts as a participant
ChatGPT doesn’t just wait for prompts—it joins the discussion naturally when helpful. It can analyze everyone’s messages, summarize options, help coordinate decisions, and offer suggestions the moment your group needs them.
Privacy is protected
Your private ChatGPT memory or personal chats are not shared inside a group. Each group member has control over what they share, and ChatGPT treats group conversations separately.
Designed for collaboration
You can add up to around 20 people to a chat. Members can set usernames, upload a profile image, and modify group settings such as notifications, chat name, and participant list.
Built-in safety controls
If a member is under 18, ChatGPT automatically reduces exposure to sensitive content. Anyone can leave the group at any time, and admins can remove participants when needed.
Schlau conversation flow
ChatGPT is optimized to understand who is talking, when to step in, and how to interact naturally in a group setting—similar to a real group conversation.
Together, these features create a seamless “friends + AI planner” experience for organizing complex trips like Christmas vacations.
Best Use Cases: Planning a Christmas Trip with Friends
Here’s how your group can use ChatGPT Group Chats for holiday travel planning:
1. Choosing a destination
Your friends can drop their preferences—budget, travel dates, departure city, favorite holiday activities (Christmas markets, skiing, warm beaches, etc.).
ChatGPT can instantly compare options and suggest the best destinations for your group.
2.Creating a shared itinerary
Once your group picks a location, ChatGPT can build a day-by-day schedule:
- Flight and transportation options
- Suggested neighborhoods for hotels
- Christmas events and seasonal activities
- Restaurant recommendations
- Budget estimates
It can also adjust the itinerary in real time when someone asks for changes.
3.Splitting responsibilities
In group trips, organization gets messy fast. ChatGPT helps by creating:
- A task assignment list
- Deadlines
- Reminders
- A shared checklist (flights, hotel, reservations, ski passes, etc.)
Everyone can update their progress inside the chat.
4.Activity planning and decision-making
During the trip, your group may want to decide:
- “Where should we eat tonight?”
- “Should we visit the Christmas market or go skiing tomorrow?”
ChatGPT can compare weather, travel times, prices, or crowd levels to help your group choose quickly.
5.Packing and preparation
ChatGPT can generate customized packing lists based on weather, local holidays, activities, and the length of stay.
It can also help with:
- Currency tips
- Transportation passes
- Local phone SIM options
- Pre-departure reminders
6.Trip reflection and memory sharing
After the trip, ChatGPT can help summarize:
- Highlights
- Photos
- Lessons for next time
- Budget recap
- Recommendations for your next holiday trip
It becomes a shared hub for everything related to the travel experience.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Use ChatGPT Group Chats to Plan Your Christmas Vacation
Step 1: Create a Group Chat
- Open ChatGPT on desktop or mobile
- Wählen “New Group Chat” from the sidebar
- Name it something like “Christmas Trip 2025 — Europe Edition”
- Share the invite link with your friends or add them manually
- Set profile photos and usernames for easy identification
Step 2: Define basic trip details
Each friend can share:
- Budget
- Availability
- Travel preferences
- Preferred activities
ChatGPT will review everyone’s input and recommend destinations.
Step 3: Choose a destination & build the initial itinerary
After your group decides on a destination, ask ChatGPT to:
- Create a 3–7 day itinerary
- Suggest accommodations
- Provide flight options
- Recommend Christmas events, markets, or seasonal attractions
ChatGPT can revise everything based on group feedback.
Step 4: Assign roles & coordinate tasks
Give each friend a responsibility:
- Flights
- Hotel
- Activities
- Restaurants
- Transport
- Insurance
ChatGPT can organize these tasks in a checklist, track progress, and send reminders.
Step 5: Prepare for departure
Ask ChatGPT to generate:
- A personalized packing list
- Weather-based clothing suggestions
- Pre-travel reminders
- Emergency contact information
- Local transit tips
Everyone can confirm items in the chat.
Step 6: Use Die group chat during the trip
Throughout your holiday:
- Ask ChatGPT for restaurant suggestions
- Adjust the itinerary on the go
- Find alternative activities
- Track your spending
- Share photos and notes
It works like a live personal travel assistant for the whole group.
Step 7: Write a trip recap
After the trip:
- Upload your photos
- Share highlights
- Ask ChatGPT to write a group trip summary or memory journal
- Start planning the next vacation
Tips for Getting the Most Out of ChatGPT Group Chats
- Start planning 2–4 weeks before Christmas to find better prices
- Use the chat to store all travel documents (tickets, confirmations, schedules)
- Let ChatGPT summarize long discussions if the group gets chaotic
- If the itinerary changes due to weather or delays, let ChatGPT re-optimize instantly
- Use emojis and reactions to make the group chat feel like a real group conversation
ChatGPT’s new Group Chats feature marks an important step in bringing AI into real social collaboration. It shows how future trip planning—and multi-person decision-making in general—can become more intelligent, organized, and effortless with the help of AI.
Of course, group travel isn’t the only way to explore the world. Solo travel has its own unique rewards—from complete flexibility to deeper self-discovery and the freedom to move at your own pace. If you’re planning a solo adventure in the future, iWeaver’s AI Travel Planner is a great alternative. It helps you build personalized itineraries, summarize travel research, and organize all your plans in one place—making solo trips smoother, smarter, and more enjoyable.
Whether you’re traveling with friends or heading out on your own, today’s AI tools make planning easier than ever. Your next great holiday is just a conversation away.
