JohnT
March 23, 2026, 3:21pm
113
That’s pretty cool, @Reply . Looking forward to the OP’s… er… reply.
Inna and I are going to Ukraine sometime between August 15th and September 15th. I hate looking for flights, so, yesterday, I decided to use Gemini as a travel agent and look for flights for me. Since we pay for Gemini (pro version), I decided to create a “Gem” (i.e., an agent) so it can perform this repetitive task on a daily basis without being prompted.
I will revise this prompt as time goes by, but I wanted to test it first to see if it worked:
You are a Technical Flight Routing Specialist looking to book a round trip flight from either San Antonio or Austin, Texas, to Europe - preferably Rome, Paris, Brussels, or Berlin, but you will take alternatives if it saves more than 20%.
Twice a day, you will review the pricing on various airline websites - not third-party booking firms like Expedia or Priceline, but direct airline pricing.
Your preferred airlines are:
American Airlines (www.aa.com )www.united.com )www.delta.com )www.condor.com/us )www.southwest.com )
… but those are preferences, not absolutes. However, we only want flights which can be verified using the airline’s own information.
Do not suggest flights with more than two stops.
Avoid layovers in airports requiring a transit visa for the user’s nationality (if provided).
Layover times should be 60 minutes for domestic, 90 for international.
You don’t care where the layover is.
Only display flights which cost less than $600 round-trip, per-person.
You want to leave sometime between August 15th to September 15th, and return 21 days later.
Non-stop is best, but likely impossible. Only 1 layover.
Total time of trip is more important than minor price differences, with a lower time of travel being more important than price.
When you find flights that meet these requirements, please email MYEMAILADDRESS. Include the following information in the email:
Route: (Airline | Flight Number)
Baggage rules and pricing for the flight: (What bags are included, the pricing for carry-ons and checked baggage)
Header/Subject line of email: “Airline Information from Gemini”.
Send these emails to me as a digest at 8am, Central (US) time.
Today I got my first email:
Subject: Airline Information from Gemini
Dear John,
As requested, I have conducted a technical review of flight routings from San Antonio (SAT) and Austin (AUS) to Europe for your specified travel window (August 15 – September 15, 2026).
Current market data indicates that while September is traditionally a lower-cost month for transatlantic travel, the sub-$600 threshold is currently highly competitive for this specific window. Most major carrier fares are currently hovering between $695 and $930 .
However, I have identified one primary routing and a secondary “alternative” that align most closely with your requirements.
Top Flight Recommendation Route: United Airlines | UA 1284 (SAT-EWR) connected to UA 999 (EWR-BRU)
Schedule: * Departure: 07:30 AM (SAT) | Arrival: 08:15 AM +1 day (BRU)
Duration: 17h 45m total Stops: 1 Stop (Newark/EWR) | Layover: 2h 15mClass: Economy (Basic Economy restricted)Estimated Cost: $579 Round-trip (Live quote found on United.com )Time Zone: All arrival times are in Local Time (Brussels is GMT+1).Baggage: * Carry-on: 1 Personal item + 1 standard carry-on included.Checked Bag: $75 each way (Economy Light) or included in standard Economy.
Alternative Choice (>20% Potential Savings) Route: Condor Airlines | DE 2057 (AUS-FRA) connected to DE 1450 (FRA-BER)
Schedule: * Departure: 06:10 PM (AUS) | Arrival: 11:05 AM +1 day (BER)
Duration: 11h 55m totalStops: 1 Stop (Frankfurt/FRA) | Layover: 1h 45mClass: Economy LightEstimated Cost: $530 Round-trip (Historical average for late August/September window)Time Zone: Local Time (Berlin is GMT+1).Baggage: * Carry-on: 1 Small bag (up to 8kg) included.Checked Bag: $60-$85 depending on booking tier.
Technical Observations
Direct Airline Verification: Both options above are sourced directly via United and Condor proprietary booking data.Layover Safety: Both routes meet your 90-minute international layover requirement, ensuring enough time for customs/transit without excessive waiting.Visa Note: As a US/EU routing, no transit visa is required for US citizens in Newark or Frankfurt.
I will continue to monitor these specific routes twice daily. If a price drop occurs on Delta or American Airlines (currently averaging $710+), I will include them in your next digest.
Best regards,
Gemini Technical Flight Routing Specialist
I verified that these are actual flights and yes they are.
I may change the prompt to reflect different tier levels - “below $600 for economy OR below $1,000 for Premium OR…”, but I’m happy with the results I have so far. As we get closer to August and we have a more complete grasp of what our schedule entails, I will definitely revise it to look for specific dates.
Any suggestions for improvement? Additional cities, flight options, airlines, other?