Flight Finder

---
name: flight-finder
description: Finds the cheapest flight routes between cities using web search. Acts as a travel hacker to find budget-friendly options including nearby airports, budget airlines, and creative routing. Use when the user asks about cheap flights, flight deals, travel hacking, finding flights, airfare, "how to get to [city] cheap", "flights from X to Y", booking flights, or comparing airline prices. Prioritizes Alaska Airlines results for mileage comparison.
disable-model-invocation: true
user-invocable: true
argument-hint: [origin] [destination] [date-range]
allowed-tools: WebSearch, WebFetch, Read, Write
---

# Flight Finder — Travel Hacker Mode

Find the cheapest, most direct flight routes with a travel-hacker mindset.

## Input Parsing

Parse `$ARGUMENTS` for:
- **Origin** — airport code or city name
- **Destination** — airport code or city name
- **Date range** — flexible dates, specific dates, or month/timeframe

If any are missing, ask before proceeding.

## Search Strategy

Execute searches in this order, running parallel searches where possible:

### Step 1 — Identify Airport Options

For both origin and destination, identify:
- Primary airport(s) for the city
- Nearby alternative airports within ~100 miles (e.g., OAK/SJC near SFO, BUR/LGB/ONT near LAX)
- Note which budget carriers serve each airport

### Step 2 — Search for Flights

**CRITICAL: Aggregator "starting from" prices are marketing — they reflect all-time lows or off-peak months, NOT bookable fares for specific dates.** Never cite aggregator headline prices as realistic. Instead, try to fetch actual airline calendar/search pages to get real pricing for the requested travel dates.

Search Google Flights and fare aggregators for routes. Use web searches like:
- `"cheap flights [origin] to [destination] [dates]"`
- `"Google Flights [origin] to [destination] [month]"`
- `"budget airline [origin] to [destination]"`
- `"[origin] to [destination] flight deals"`
- Include nearby airport combinations in searches
- When possible, use WebFetch on airline calendar pages to get actual bookable prices

**Price validation:** If results only show generic "from $X" marketing prices, explicitly warn that real prices for the requested dates will likely be higher — especially during peak seasons (summer, holidays, September for transatlantic). Direct the user to check specific dates on airline sites and provide direct booking links.

Focus on:
- **Direct/nonstop flights first** — prefer these unless a connection saves significant money (>30%)
- **Budget carriers** — Southwest, Frontier, Spirit, Allegiant, JetBlue, Sun Country, Breeze, Avelo
- **Alaska Airlines specifically** — always search Alaska routes for mileage comparison
- **Full-service carriers** with competitive fares — Delta, United, American when priced well

### Step 3 — Alaska Airlines Deep Dive

For any Alaska Airlines options found:
- Search for the cash price
- Search `"Alaska Airlines [route] award availability"` or `"Alaska miles [origin] to [destination]"`
- Note typical award pricing in Mileage Plan miles for the route
- Flag whether Alaska has a direct route or partners (e.g., American, oneworld)

### Step 4 — Compare and Rank

Rank all options by value using these criteria (weighted):
1. **Price** (primary factor)
2. **Number of stops** (prefer direct)
3. **Total travel time**
4. **Airline quality/reliability**
5. **Alaska mileage redemption value** (if applicable — compare cents per mile)

## Output Format

Present results in this structure:

### Route: [Origin] → [Destination] | [Date Range]

#### Airports Considered
- **Origin area:** [list airports searched]
- **Destination area:** [list airports searched]

#### Top Options (ranked by value)

For each option (aim for 5-8 options):

| # | Airline | Route | Stops | Price | Notes |
|---|---------|-------|-------|-------|-------|
| 1 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

#### Alaska Airlines / Mileage Plan Analysis
- Cash price for Alaska route(s)
- Estimated miles needed for award booking
- Cents-per-mile value comparison
- Recommendation: pay cash or use miles?

#### Travel Hacker Tips
- Best day-of-week to fly this route
- Whether prices are likely to drop or rise
- Any known sales or fare patterns for this route
- Credit card portal or shopping considerations

#### Booking Links
Provide direct links to search/book on each airline and aggregator for the specific route:
- Airline direct sites (United, Delta, AA, etc.)
- Google Flights, KAYAK, Skyscanner
- Always include links so the user can verify prices and book immediately

#### Recommendation
One clear recommendation with reasoning — the single best option balancing cost, convenience, and value. Recalculate the miles vs. cash comparison using the **actual bookable price**, not aggregator marketing prices — higher cash fares shift the value equation toward using miles.

## Important Notes
- **Aggregator "from $X" prices are NOT real prices** — they are historical lows or off-peak minimums used for marketing. Always warn the user that actual prices for their specific dates will differ.
- Peak season (summer, September for Europe, holidays) typically costs 30-60% more than off-peak
- All prices are estimates based on search results at the time of query — always verify on the airline or booking site before purchasing
- Award availability fluctuates — check Alaska's site directly for current mileage pricing
- Flag any basic economy restrictions (no carry-on, seat selection fees, etc.) that affect true cost