google-flights

SKILL.md

Google Flights Search

Search Google Flights via agent-browser to find flight prices, schedules, and availability.

When to Use

User asks to search/find/compare flights or airfare

User wants to know flight prices between cities

User asks about flight schedules or availability

User wants to find the cheapest flight for specific dates

When NOT to Use

Completing purchases: This skill finds flights and extracts booking links, but do not attempt to complete a purchase on a booking site.

Hotels/rental cars: Use other tools for non-flight travel searches.

Historical price data: Google Flights shows current prices, not historical.

Session Convention

Economy only (default for domestic): --session flights

Economy + Business comparison (international or user requests): --session econ and --session biz

Interactive fallback: --session flights

Domestic vs International Detection

Domestic flights default to economy only. Business class on US domestic routes is typically 3-5x the price and rarely worth showing unless asked.

A flight is domestic if both origin and destination are US airports. Common US IATA codes: ATL, BOS, BWI, CLT, DEN, DFW, DTW, EWR, FLL, HNL, IAD, IAH, JFK, LAS, LAX, LGA, MCO, MDW, MIA, MSP, OAK, ORD, PHL, PHX, PDX, SAN, SEA, SFO, SJC, SLC, TPA.

When to show business class:

International flights (always show economy + business comparison)

User explicitly asks for "business class" or "business"

User asks to "compare cabins" or "show all classes"

When to skip business class:

Domestic US flights (economy only by default)

User explicitly asks for "economy" or "cheapest"

Fast Path: URL-Based Search (Preferred)

Construct a URL with a natural language ?q= parameter. Loads results directly — 3 commands total.

URL Template

https://www.google.com/travel/flights?q=Flights+from+{ORIGIN}+to+{DEST}+on+{DATE}[+returning+{DATE}][+one+way][+business+class][+N+passengers]

Default: Economy Only (Domestic)

For domestic flights, run a single session - 2 tool calls total:

# Open and wait in one call
agent-browser --session flights open "https://www.google.com/travel/flights?q=Flights+from+MIA+to+SFO+on+2026-04-28+returning+2026-04-30" && agent-browser --session flights wait --load networkidle

# Snapshot results
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i
# Keep session alive for booking links

Then present results in compact list format (see Output Format section below).

Economy + Business Comparison (International)

For international flights, run two parallel sessions to show the price delta:

# Open both and wait in parallel
(agent-browser --session econ open "https://www.google.com/travel/flights?q=Flights+from+BKK+to+NRT+on+2026-03-20+returning+2026-03-27" && agent-browser --session econ wait --load networkidle) &
(agent-browser --session biz open "https://www.google.com/travel/flights?q=Flights+from+BKK+to+NRT+on+2026-03-20+returning+2026-03-27+business+class" && agent-browser --session biz wait --load networkidle) &
wait

# Snapshot both in parallel
agent-browser --session econ snapshot -i &
agent-browser --session biz snapshot -i &
wait

# Close biz (only needed for delta); keep econ alive for booking links
agent-browser --session biz close

Matching logic: Match flights by airline name and departure time. Not all economy flights have a business equivalent (budget carriers like ZIPAIR, Air Japan don't offer business). Show "-" when no business match exists.

Tip: When an airline appears in business results but not economy (e.g., Philippine Airlines), it may operate business-only pricing on that route. Include it with "-" for economy.

One Way

Add +one+way to the URL. For international, run both economy and business in parallel:

# Domestic (economy only)
agent-browser --session flights open "https://www.google.com/travel/flights?q=Flights+from+LAX+to+JFK+on+2026-04-15+one+way" && agent-browser --session flights wait --load networkidle

# International (economy + business comparison)
(agent-browser --session econ open "https://www.google.com/travel/flights?q=Flights+from+LAX+to+LHR+on+2026-04-15+one+way" && agent-browser --session econ wait --load networkidle) &
(agent-browser --session biz open "https://www.google.com/travel/flights?q=Flights+from+LAX+to+LHR+on+2026-04-15+one+way+business+class" && agent-browser --session biz wait --load networkidle) &
wait

When User Asks for Business Only

If the user specifically asks for business class (not a comparison), run just the business session:

agent-browser --session flights open "https://www.google.com/travel/flights?q=Flights+from+JFK+to+CDG+on+2026-06-01+returning+2026-06-15+business+class"
agent-browser --session flights wait --load networkidle
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i
# Keep session alive for booking links

First Class / Multiple Passengers

agent-browser --session flights open "https://www.google.com/travel/flights?q=Flights+from+JFK+to+CDG+on+2026-06-01+returning+2026-06-15+first+class+2+adults+1+child"
agent-browser --session flights wait --load networkidle
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i
# Keep session alive for booking links

What Works via URL

Feature
URL syntax
Status

Round trip
+returning+YYYY-MM-DD
Works

One way
+one+way
Works

Business class
+business+class
Works

First class
+first+class
Works

N passengers (adults)
+N+passengers
Works

Adults + children
+2+adults+1+child
Works

IATA codes
BKK, NRT, LAX
Works

City names
Bangkok, Tokyo
Works

Dates as YYYY-MM-DD
2026-03-20
Works (best)

Natural dates
March+20
Works

Premium economy
+premium+economy
Fails

Multi-city
N/A
Fails

What Requires Interactive Fallback

Premium economy cabin class

Multi-city trips (3+ legs)

Infant passengers (seat vs lap distinction)

URL didn't load results (consent banner, CAPTCHA, locale issue)

Reading Results from Snapshot

Each flight appears as a link element with a full description:

link "From 20508 Thai baht round trip total. Nonstop flight with Air Japan.
     Leaves Suvarnabhumi Airport at 12:10 AM on Friday, March 20 and arrives
     at Narita International Airport at 8:15 AM on Friday, March 20.
     Total duration 6 hr 5 min. Select flight"

Parse economy + business snapshots into the compact list format:

1. JAL — Nonstop · 5h 55m
   8:05 AM → 4:00 PM
   Economy: THB 23,255 · Business: THB 65,915 (+183%)

2. THAI — Nonstop · 5h 50m
   10:30 PM → 6:20 AM+1
   Economy: THB 28,165 · Business: THB 75,000 (+166%)

3. Air Japan — Nonstop · 6h 05m
   12:10 AM → 8:15 AM
   Economy: THB 20,515 · Business: —

4. ZIPAIR — Nonstop · 5h 45m
   11:45 PM → 7:30 AM+1
   Economy: THB 21,425 · Business: —

Matching: Pair economy and business results by airline + departure time. Budget carriers without business class show "—". Include "Best"/"Cheapest" labels from Google when present.

Booking Options Handoff

After presenting the results table, always offer booking links: "Want booking links for any of these? Just say which one."

When the user picks a flight, extract booking options by clicking the flight's link element in the snapshot. Google Flights shows a panel with booking providers (airlines, OTAs) each with a price and a "Continue" link to the booking site.

Workflow

# User picks flight #N — click the corresponding link from the results snapshot
# Use --session flights (domestic) or --session econ (international comparison)
agent-browser --session flights click @eN
agent-browser --session flights wait 3000
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i

The booking panel snapshot will show link elements like:

link "Book with Emirates THB 28,960" → href="https://..."
link "Book with Booking.com THB 29,512" → href="https://..."
link "Book with Teaflight THB 28,171" → href="https://..."

Extract the provider name, price, and href URL from each link.

Output Format

📋 Booking Options for JAL BKK→NRT (5h 55m, Nonstop)

| Provider | Price | Book |
|----------|-------|------|
| Emirates | THB 28,960 | [Continue](https://...) |
| Booking.com | THB 29,512 | [Continue](https://...) |
| Teaflight | THB 28,171 | [Continue](https://...) |

Notes

Session lifecycle: Keep the results session (flights or econ) alive for booking links. For international comparisons, close --session biz immediately after extracting prices. Close the results session after the user gets booking links or declines.

If booking panel fails to load: Re-snapshot and wait longer before retrying.

Interactive Workflow (Fallback)

Use for multi-city, premium economy, or when the URL path fails.

Open and Snapshot

agent-browser --session flights open "https://www.google.com/travel/flights"
agent-browser --session flights wait 3000
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i

If a consent banner appears, click "Accept all" or "Reject all" first.

Set Trip Type (if not Round Trip)

agent-browser --session flights click @eN   # Trip type combobox ("Round trip")
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i
agent-browser --session flights click @eN   # "One way" or "Multi-city"
agent-browser --session flights wait 1000
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i

Set Cabin Class / Passengers (if non-default)

Cabin class:

agent-browser --session flights click @eN   # Cabin class combobox
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i
agent-browser --session flights click @eN   # Select class
agent-browser --session flights wait 1000
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i

Passengers:

agent-browser --session flights click @eN   # Passengers button
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i
agent-browser --session flights click @eN   # "+" for Adults/Children/Infants
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i
agent-browser --session flights click @eN   # "Done"
agent-browser --session flights wait 1000
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i

Enter Airport (Origin or Destination)

agent-browser --session flights click @eN   # Combobox field
agent-browser --session flights wait 1000
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i
agent-browser --session flights fill @eN "BKK"
agent-browser --session flights wait 2000   # CRITICAL: wait for autocomplete
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i
agent-browser --session flights click @eN   # Click suggestion (NEVER press Enter)
agent-browser --session flights wait 1000
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i

Set Dates

agent-browser --session flights click @eN   # Date textbox
agent-browser --session flights wait 1000
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i
# Calendar shows dates as buttons: "Friday, March 20, 2026"
agent-browser --session flights click @eN   # Click target date
agent-browser --session flights wait 500
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i
# Click "Done" to close calendar
agent-browser --session flights click @eN   # "Done" button
agent-browser --session flights wait 1000
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i

Search

"Done" only closes the calendar. You MUST click "Search" separately.

agent-browser --session flights click @eN   # "Search" button
agent-browser --session flights wait --load networkidle
agent-browser --session flights snapshot -i
# Keep session alive for booking links

Multi-City Specifics

After selecting "Multi-city" trip type, the form shows one row per leg:

Each leg has: origin combobox, destination combobox, departure date textbox

Origins auto-fill from the previous leg's destination

Click "Add flight" to add more legs (default: 2 legs shown)

Click "Remove flight from X to Y" buttons to remove legs

Results show flights for the first leg, with prices reflecting the total multi-city cost

Fill each leg's destination + date in order, then click "Search".

Output Format

Always use compact list format — never markdown tables. Output is typically displayed in chatbot interfaces (Telegram, etc.) where tables render poorly.

Economy + Business comparison (default)

1. JAL — Nonstop · 5h 55m
   8:05 AM → 4:00 PM
   Economy: THB 23,255 · Business: THB 65,915 (+183%)

2. THAI — Nonstop · 5h 50m
   10:30 PM → 6:20 AM+1
   Economy: THB 28,165 · Business: THB 75,000 (+166%)

3. Air Japan — Nonstop · 6h 05m
   12:10 AM → 8:15 AM
   Economy: THB 20,515 · Business: —

Economy only

1. JAL — Nonstop · 5h 55m
   8:05 AM → 4:00 PM · THB 23,255

2. THAI — Nonstop · 5h 50m
   10:30 PM → 6:20 AM+1 · THB 28,165

Format rules

One flight per numbered block, blank line between flights

Line 1: Airline — Stops · Duration

Line 2: Departure → Arrival times

Line 3: Prices (economy, business delta if applicable)

No code blocks around the flight list — plain text reads best

Keep the "Best value" recommendation as a plain text paragraph after the list

Key Rules

Rule
Why

Prefer URL fast path
2 tool calls (domestic) or 3 (international) vs 15+ interactive

Chain open+wait with &&
Eliminates a round-trip between tool calls

Skip business for domestic
US domestic business is 3-5x price, rarely useful unless asked

Parallel snapshots with & + wait
Both snapshots run concurrently for international

wait --load networkidle
Smarter than fixed wait 5000 - returns when network settles

Use fill not type for airports
Clears existing text first

Wait 2s after typing airport codes
Autocomplete needs API roundtrip

Always CLICK suggestions, never Enter
Enter is unreliable for autocomplete

Re-snapshot after every interaction
DOM changes invalidate refs

"Done" ≠ Search
Calendar Done only closes picker

After presenting results, offer booking links
Users almost always want to book - prompt them

Keep results session alive; close biz after results
Results session needed for booking clicks; biz only for delta

Troubleshooting

Consent popups: Click "Accept all" or "Reject all" in the snapshot.

URL fast path didn't work: Fall back to interactive. Some regions/locales handle ?q= differently.

No results: Verify airports (check combobox labels), dates in the future, or wait longer.

Bot detection / CAPTCHA: Inform user. Do NOT solve CAPTCHAs. Retry after a short wait.

Deep-Dive Reference

See references/interaction-patterns.md for:

Full annotated walkthrough (every command + expected output)

Airport autocomplete failure modes and recovery

Date picker calendar navigation

Multi-city searches

Scrolling for more results