Travel Booking

Travel Booking Skill

Research and present multi-leg travel itineraries with realistic connection times. Primarily SE Asia booking sites (12Go.asia, Google Flights, Bangkok Airways).

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Requirements

• Origin → destination(s)
• Date(s) — exact or flexible
• Preferred time windows
• Enkele reis / retour
• Number of passengers
• Any constraints (weight limits, class preference, direct-only)

Step 2: Flight Research

Start with 12Go.asia (covers flights, ferries, buses, trains, taxis, combined tickets):

1. Navigate to https://12go.asia/en/travel/<origin>/<destination>?date=YYYY-MM-DD
   • Use lowercase, hyphenated names: bangkok/koh-samui, koh-samui/koh-phangan
2. Handle cookie consent popup — click Allow all
3. The page loads dynamically. Use document.body.innerText.substring(0, X) via browser_console to extract results
4. For transport-type filtering, click on transport filter buttons (e.g. Flights 23 From THB5,911) then click Update
5. Extract schedule tables from the page body — they contain per-airline pricing (often cheaper than 12Go listing prices)

Fallback: Google Flights (preferred — most reliable with headless browser)

• USE THIS URL PATTERN — proven working for one-way pricing: https://www.google.com/travel/flights?q=flights+from+<ORIGIN>+to+<DEST>+on+YYYY-MM-DD+one+way&curr=THB
  • The one+way parameter is critical — without it Google shows round-trip pricing with a ~5-day return baked in
  • &curr=THB shows Thai baht
  • Example: https://www.google.com/travel/flights?q=flights+from+BKK+to+USM+on+2026-06-01+one+way&curr=THB
• Use Escape key to dismiss popup dialogs (time filters, etc.) that cover results
• Switch to the Cheapest tab — often reveals better prices than the default Best tab
• Dialog handling: Time filters dialog may persist after Escape — press Escape again or click outside
• When Bangkok Airways / travel sites block the browser (Access Denied / captcha), Google Flights generally works

Step 3: Ferry / Ground Transport Research

For the same route or connecting routes, use 12Go.asia:

• Filter by Ferries and relevant time window
• Note departure piers — some are far from airports (see Pitfalls)
• Lomprayah is the most reliable operator for Samui→Phangan (frequent, on-time)
• Lomprayah Airport Shuttle (USM → Thong Sala): combined ticket — shuttle bus from airport to pier + ferry. 1h total, ~THB 400. Most convenient option for flight+ferry combos. URL: https://12go.asia/en/travel/samui-airport/thong-sala?date=YYYY-MM-DD&adults=1
• Songserm Express offers speedboats (faster, smaller)
• Lomlahkkhirin offers catamarans from Bangrak Pier (~THB 351, 30min)

Step 4: Build the Itinerary

CRITICAL: Account for realistic transfer time between modes:

• Airport → Pier transfer time: USM → Bangrak Pier: ~10min taxi, USM → Nathon Pier: ~25min
• Baggage collection: +10-15min after landing
• Check-in cutoff: Ferries typically need 15-30min check-in before departure
• Combined tickets: Some operators (Lomprayah) offer airport shuttle + ferry as a single ticket (e.g. USM Airport → Thong Sala Pier in 1h total for THB 400)

Step 5: Present Options

Present 2-3 scenarios with estimated arrival times at final destination. Format:

**SCENARIO X: [Flight time] → [Ferry time]**
- Landing [time], baggage ~[time]
- [Transport type] from [airport/pier], +[transfer time] transfer
- [Ferry/bus] departure ~[time], arrive [destination] ~[time]
- **Arrive [destination] ~[time]**
- Kosten: [flight cost] + [ferry cost] = [total]

CRITICAL: Include transfer time between modes in every scenario. Do not skip this — the user expects a realistic total journey time, not a disconnected list of departure times.

Step 6: Offer to Book

Ask if they want you to proceed with booking on 12Go.asia. Do not auto-book.

Step 7: Extract Booking Confirmations from Email

After the user books, check their inbox for confirmations:

1. Scan recent emails for booking keywords (airline name, 12Go, ferry, booking ref)
2. Read messages to find attached e-tickets/PDFs
3. Download attachments via himalaya attachment download <ID>
4. Extract PDF contents using pdftotext → PyPDF2 → pdfplumber fallback chain

See references/email-confirmation-extraction.md for the full workflow, including the extraction table mapping PDF fields to user-facing info (booking ref, times, baggage allowance, fare breakdown).

Multiple email accounts (Gmail App Passwords) are common — check with --account <name>.

Pitfalls

• Bangkok Airways and Skyscanner block headless browsers (Access Denied / captcha). Use Google Flights as fallback for schedule data, and 12Go for booking.
• 12Go pricing discrepancy: The listing card prices (e.g. THB 5,911) differ from the schedule table prices (e.g. THB 2,430 direct on Bangkok Airways). The schedule table shows the airline's own pricing — mention this to the user.
• 12Go dynamic loading: Results don't always appear in the accessibility tree. Use browser_console with document.body.innerText.substring() to extract the full content.
• 12Go "Show more" pitfall: Clicking "Show more" on the listings often scrolls to the footer instead of expanding results. To see all options: scroll past reviews to the schedule table at the bottom, or use filters + "Update" button to reduce result set.
• Cookie popup reappears after navigating to a new 12Go page — always click Allow all first.
• Google Flights shows round-trip prices by default — the "From X THB" price includes the return leg. For one-way, the actual fare is roughly half.
• Ferry schedules after 17:00 become limited. Last ferries Samui→Phangan typically around 17:30-18:00.
• Self-connect flights: 12Go sometimes groups flights with long layovers (5h+) as "self-connect" — flag these to the user rather than presenting them as direct.
• BKK vs DMK: Bangkok has two airports. Most BKK→USM flights are from Suvarnabhumi (BKK), but some use Don Mueang (DMK). Always note which airport.
• Transfer time is non-negotiable: Always account for baggage collection (10-15 min), pier/station transfer (varies wildly — 10 min to 45 min), and check-in cutoff. Presenting departure times without these makes the itinerary misleading. If uncertain, ask the user or pad conservatively.