compare-flights

Compare Flights

Search every available source for a route and present one unified comparison. Combines cash pricing, award availability, portal pay-with-points, and transfer partner optimization into a single table.

This is an orchestration skill. It tells the agent which tools to run and how to combine results. No standalone script.

Companion reference skills. Load these for deeper context:

• flight-search-strategy — full source priority, market selection, source accuracy hierarchy
• points-valuations — CPP rules, floor/ceiling, surcharge programs, transfer bonuses
• partner-awards — alliance + bilateral partnership reachability
• lessons-learned — Seats.aero workflow, Southwest specifics, Companion Pass math
• fallback-and-resilience — what to do when a source fails
• transfer-bonuses — current active transfer bonuses (live data); changes effective ratios when computing options 4-7 of the comparison table
• stopovers — when an itinerary has a long layover or multi-city, check if a stopover-allowing program priced lower than separate one-ways
• round-the-world — for 3+ stop multi-region itineraries, RTW products may beat sum-of-parts award pricing
• award-holds — many major Western programs (UA, Aeroplan, AS, DL, BA, ANA, Qatar, Korean) no longer offer holds. Some still do: AA (24h online), Lufthansa M&M (5 days), Flying Blue (3 days, $25 phone fee), Cathay (2 days, $39 fee), Turkish (2 days), Virgin Atlantic (1-2 days, free phone), Singapore (agent discretionary). Affects whether the recommended path is "transfer first then ticket" or "ticket immediately"
• status-match — when comparing options that include upgrades or elite-only benefits (lounge access, free bags, priority); status changes the real cost of a flight

When to Use

• "Find me the best way to get from SFO to CDG in August"
• "Should I pay cash or use points for this flight?"
• "Compare all options for SFO to NRT business class"
• Any flight search where the user wants the full picture