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 + Business comparison (default): --session econ and --session biz
• Single cabin search: --session flights
• Interactive fallback: --session flights

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 + Business Comparison

Always run two parallel sessions — economy and business — to show the price delta. This adds no extra time since both load concurrently.

# Launch both in parallel (background the first)
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 biz open "https://www.google.com/travel/flights?q=Flights+from+BKK+to+NRT+on+2026-03-20+returning+2026-03-27+business+class" &
wait

# Wait for both to load
agent-browser --session econ wait --load networkidle &
agent-browser --session biz wait --load networkidle &
wait

# Snapshot both
agent-browser --session econ snapshot -i
agent-browser --session biz snapshot -i

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

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

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 with Business Delta

Same pattern — just add +one+way to both URLs:

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 biz open "https://www.google.com/travel/flights?q=Flights+from+LAX+to+LHR+on+2026-04-15+one+way+business+class" &
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
agent-browser --session econ click @eN
agent-browser --session econ wait 3000
agent-browser --session econ 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 alive for booking links; close --session biz immediately (only needed for delta). 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	3 commands vs 15+ interactive
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