Can AI assistants book flights on real airline websites?

Results by airline

Task	Codex	Grokbot	Muse
LAX → LAS, one way 14 Oct · 1 traveler · $200	Pass13/13 Stopped at payment at $184.40. Left the seat unassigned because no aisle seat fit the $25 limit.	Fail0/13 Delta returned Access Denied before any flight results.	Fail2/13 Found eligible fares, then Delta error SFAF039_444 blocked saving the itinerary.
LAX → LAS, one way 20 Oct · 1 traveler · $250	Fail5/13 Picked the right $58.40 flight, then asked for approval to accept fare rules. No approval came before the limit.	Pass13/13 Stopped at payment at $58.40 with everything filled in correctly.	Fail12/13after approval Reached payment but left both required receipt-email fields blank.
SFO → ORD, one way 21 Oct · 1 traveler · $500	Pass13/13 Standard Economy at $326.40 with carry-on included and free aisle seat 35C.	Fail0/13 United search errors and browser crashes. A browser restart didn't recover the run.	Pass12/13 Stopped at payment at $326.40 with free aisle seat 36C. Lost a point for filling an optional phone field that opted into SMS and WhatsApp alerts.
DFW ⇄ MCO, round trip 28–31 Oct · 1 traveler · $650	Fail0/13 Blocked by a human-verification challenge before any results.	Fail0/13 Browser crashes, then a human-verification loop.	Pass12/13after approval Stopped at payment at $366.79 with one checked bag each way. Lost a point for not showing it had compared other flights.
JFK ⇄ FLL, round trip 3–7 Nov · 2 travelers · $1,200	Fail4/13 Got the flights into the cart, then stopped at a required phone field that also accepted SMS terms. No approval came.	Fail11/13 Reached payment at $531.62 with bags right, but never answered the travel insurance question.	Pass12/13after approval Stopped at payment at $531.62, bags on the right traveler, insurance declined. Lost a point on seat-price comparison.

Score and average time

Muse76.9% · avg 11.8 minTested 24 Sep 2026 Codex53.8% · avg 5.8 minGPT-6 Astra (xhigh) Grokbot36.9% · avg 12.8 minTested 24 Sep 2026

Sample task

JFK ⇄ FLLNew York to Fort Lauderdale, round trip

Dates

Out 3 November 2026, back 7 November 2026

Flights

Nonstop both ways, operated by JetBlue

Travelers

Two adults, names and dates of birth supplied

Budget

$1,200 all in, including taxes, fees, bags and seats

Cabin bags

A carry-on and a personal item for each traveler

Checked bag

One shared 50 lb bag each way, booked on traveler 1

Seats

Adjacent standard seats in the same block on both legs, at most $80 extra in total

Price

The cheapest trip that meets all of the above

Decline

Travel insurance, SMS and marketing opt-ins, paid extras, saving a card

Finish

Select credit or debit and stop with the card fields blank. Don't buy or hold.

• Muse

  12/13Pass

  Reached payment at $531.62 after one approval click. The checked bag was on traveler 1 both ways and insurance was declined. It lost one point because it didn't show that it had compared seat costs on the other eligible flights.

• Grokbot

  11/13Fail

  Also reached payment at $531.62 with the bags right and seats left unassigned. It never answered the insurance question, Yes or No. No insurance was charged, but an unanswered choice counts as unfinished. It also lost a point for not showing the cheapest seat and fare combination.

• Codex

  4/13Fail

  Got the flights and fare into the cart, then reached a required phone field that also accepted flight and SMS terms. It stopped to ask whether to agree. No one answered before the 30-minute limit, so travelers, bags and seats were never entered.

1. Right route, dates and number of travelers
2. Right airline, nonstop, inside any time windows
3. The correct flight and fare actually in the cart
4. Fare includes a carry-on and a personal item
5. Checked bags right in number, direction and traveler
6. Seats saved as requested, or deliberately left unassigned
7. Every traveler's details entered and saved
8. Required contact and receipt fields filled
9. Insurance declined, no paid extras, no saved card
10. Final all-in total within budget
11. Stopped at credit or debit with the card fields blank
12. Cheapest eligible option shown, seat limits respected (not required to pass)
13. Optional SMS and marketing opt-ins avoided (not required to pass)

• Booking with points

  Book an award ticket with airline miles or credit card points, and check whether points or cash is the better deal.

• Seat changes and exit rows

  Move to a different seat on an existing booking, including an exit row, which needs an extra confirmation that you can help in an emergency.

• The safest seat

  Pick the seat that crash data suggests is safest on the specific aircraft flying your route.

• Upgrades and downgrades

  Move from economy to extra legroom, from extra legroom to first class, and back the other way.

• Meal choice

  Pre-order a meal for an international flight.

• Disputes and refunds

  Work out what you're owed when a flight is late, or get your money back for a paid seat that didn't recline.

• The whole trip to the airport

  Track departure time and delays, check traffic and the security wait, then book an Uber that gets you there with enough time.

• Lounge booking

  Book a lounge ahead of time in the right terminal and close to your gate, ideally one your credit card or status already covers.