Book a trip, flight, hotel and shuttle with ChatGPT Dots, and keep confirming the same booking (partial)

Posted

Sep 30, 2026 by neom (Hacker News)

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Last checked

Oct 19, 2026

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Method:

How we verify

Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.

Outcome

neom spent two hours trying ChatGPT's Dots agent and grades it B-. Asked to figure out a trip, it did; neom booked the flight and hotel, and Dots noticed the shuttle hadn't been booked and offered to book it with the details they'd discussed. But after neom said yes, it went back to the site, re-checked the details, asked for confirmation, filled in the booking form and then asked again whether to book. It can sign in with passwords, but wouldn't fetch two-factor codes from email even with email access, and its permissions checker rejected broad rules neom wrote, such as proceeding with routine, reversible actions without asking. neom finds it faster to use regular chat.

Agent

ChatGPT Dots

The source didn't share its exact prompt, so we wrote this from what it describes.

Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about anything important that's missing below. Keep them quick. Then do the task, checking in with me at the key points.

Goal: Plan a trip with me and book the pieces I approve, including the transfers people forget.

What I can give you (ask for whatever's missing):
- Where, when and who's travelling: [DETAILS]
- Budget and preferences for flights and hotel: [DETAILS]
- Which accounts you can use to book: [DETAILS]

Rules:
- Propose a plan first: flights, hotel and how I get between the airport and the hotel.
- Once I approve a booking, ask for my OK once with the full summary, then book it without asking again.
- Check for anything I've missed, like transfers or seat or bag fees.
- If a sign-in needs a code, tell me straight away so I can enter it.
- If a site asks me to sign in, pause and let me do it myself (including any CAPTCHA or two-step code); never guess or store passwords.
- Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.

Output: A list of everything booked with confirmation numbers, plus anything still to do.

You'll know it worked when: the whole trip is booked, door to door, with one approval per booking.

Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about anything important that's missing below. Keep them quick. Then do the task, checking in with me at the key points.

Goal: Plan a trip with me and book the pieces I approve, including the transfers people forget.

What I can give you (ask for whatever's missing):
- Where, when and who's travelling: [DETAILS]
- Budget and preferences for flights and hotel: [DETAILS]
- Which accounts you can use to book: [DETAILS]

Rules:
- Propose a plan first: flights, hotel and how I get between the airport and the hotel.
- Once I approve a booking, ask for my OK once with the full summary, then book it without asking again.
- Check for anything I've missed, like transfers or seat or bag fees.
- If a sign-in needs a code, tell me straight away so I can enter it.
- If a site asks me to sign in, pause and let me do it myself (including any CAPTCHA or two-step code); never guess or store passwords.
- Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.

Output: A list of everything booked with confirmation numbers, plus anything still to do.

You'll know it worked when: the whole trip is booked, door to door, with one approval per booking.

Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about anything important that's missing below. Keep them quick. Then do the task, checking in with me at the key points.

Goal: Plan a trip with me and book the pieces I approve, including the transfers people forget.

What I can give you (ask for whatever's missing):
- Where, when and who's travelling: [DETAILS]
- Budget and preferences for flights and hotel: [DETAILS]
- Which accounts you can use to book: [DETAILS]

Rules:
- Propose a plan first: flights, hotel and how I get between the airport and the hotel.
- Once I approve a booking, ask for my OK once with the full summary, then book it without asking again.
- Check for anything I've missed, like transfers or seat or bag fees.
- If a sign-in needs a code, tell me straight away so I can enter it.
- If a site asks me to sign in, pause and let me do it myself (including any CAPTCHA or two-step code); never guess or store passwords.
- Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.
- Put every booking, time and confirmation number into one itinerary at the end.

Output: A list of everything booked with confirmation numbers, plus anything still to do.

You'll know it worked when: the whole trip is booked, door to door, with one approval per booking.

Before you finish: re-read my goal and constraints, check your answer against each one, and list anything you assumed or couldn't confirm.

Source

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49904198