Amex Travel Portal Search

Search the American Express travel portal for flights and hotels via Patchright. Returns cash prices, MR points pricing, International Airline Program (IAP) discounts, and Fine Hotels & Resorts / The Hotel Collection benefits.

Requires Patchright (undetected Playwright fork). Amex blocks standard Playwright and agent-browser.

Must run headed (headless=False). Amex detects headless browsers. On macOS, a Chrome window briefly appears. For background operation, use Docker.

Prerequisites

pip install patchright && patchright install chromium

Or use Docker (no local install needed):

docker pull ghcr.io/borski/amex-travel:latest
# or build locally:
docker build -t amex-travel skills/amex-travel/

When to Use

• Compare Amex portal MR pricing against cash and award prices
• Find IAP (International Airline Program) discounted fares on Platinum
• Find FHR and THC hotels with benefits ($100 credit, breakfast, upgrade)
• Compare portal redemption value against transfer-to-airline value

When NOT to Use

• Completing purchases. Find flights and hotels only. Do not book.
• Non-Platinum cards. IAP fares and FHR benefits require the Platinum Card.

Usage

Flight Search

# Local (opens a Chrome window briefly)
python3 scripts/search_flights.py --origin SFO --dest CDG --depart 2026-08-11

# Round-trip business
python3 scripts/search_flights.py --origin SFO --dest CDG --depart 2026-08-11 --return 2026-09-02 --cabin business

# JSON output
python3 scripts/search_flights.py --origin SFO --dest CDG --depart 2026-08-11 --json

# Docker
docker run --rm \
    -v ~/.amex-travel-profiles:/profiles \
    -e AMEX_USERNAME -e AMEX_PASSWORD \
    amex-travel script /app/search_flights.py \
    --origin SFO --dest CDG --depart 2026-08-11 --cabin business --json

Hotel Search

# Local
python3 scripts/search_flights.py --hotel --dest "Oslo" --checkin 2026-08-13 --checkout 2026-08-15

# Docker
docker run --rm \
    -v ~/.amex-travel-profiles:/profiles \
    -e AMEX_USERNAME -e AMEX_PASSWORD \
    amex-travel script /app/search_flights.py \
    --hotel --dest "Oslo" --checkin 2026-08-13 --checkout 2026-08-15 --json

Record Mode (API Discovery)

Capture network traffic during a manual search:

python3 scripts/search_flights.py --record

Offline Debug (Hotels)

Save and re-parse hotel results without re-running the browser:

# Save page HTML after hotel search
python3 scripts/search_flights.py --hotel --dest "Paris" --checkin 2026-08-11 --checkout 2026-08-15 --save-html /tmp/amex-hotels.json

# Re-parse locally (instant, no browser)
python3 scripts/search_flights.py --parse-html /tmp/amex-hotels.json

2FA Flow

Amex uses email OTP for 2FA. After first login with "Add This Device", subsequent runs skip 2FA from the same profile.

How it works: When 2FA is triggered, the script prints

2FA_CODE_NEEDED

2FA REQUIRED

For agents: When you see

2FA_CODE_NEEDED

echo "123456" > /tmp/amex-2fa-code.txt

The script picks up the file automatically and continues login.

Command hook (optional, for full automation): Set

AMEX_2FA_COMMAND

After first login with "Add This Device", 2FA is skipped on repeat runs from the same profile.

How It Works

Flight Search Architecture

1. Auth: Cookie injection from saved profile. Falls back to fresh login with email 2FA.
2. Form filling: DOM-based search form automation (airport autocomplete, calendar picker, cabin selector)
3. Login gate: After form submission, Amex redirects through a login interstitial. Script handles re-authentication automatically.
4. Data extraction: Flight results are server-side rendered into

   window.appData

   (a 627KB Redux store). Script parses this JSON blob for all flight data.
5. IAP detection: Platinum Card holders see

   PEP

   (IAP) fare types alongside

   PUB

   (public) fares. IAP fares are typically 10-15% cheaper for front-of-cabin international flights.

Hotel Search Architecture

1. Form filling: Same DOM-based approach as flights
2. Login gate: Handled automatically
3. Data extraction: Hotels render as a Next.js app with NO

   window.appData

   . Script parses the DOM using

   data-testid="hotel-offer-card"

   elements.
4. FHR/THC detection: Identified via

   data-testid="offer-banner"

   text ("Fine Hotels and Resorts" or "The Hotel Collection")
5. Benefits extraction: FHR/THC cards show benefits (breakfast, credit, upgrade) as

   data-testid="offer-amenities-item"

   elements

Data Structure

Flight results (from

window.appData.flightSearch.itineraries[]

• pricing_information[]

  with

  fare_type

  =

  PEP

  (IAP) or

  PUB

  (public)

• total_price.cents

  (cash),

  total_price_in_points

  (MR points = 1 cent per point)

• segment.legs[]

  with carrier, times, duration, cabin, equipment, amenities

• segment.seats_left

  ,

  is_refundable

  ,

  cancellation_policy

Hotel results (from DOM parsing):

• Hotel name, stars, city, distance
• TripAdvisor rating and review count
• Per-night price and total price
• MR points cost
• FHR/THC membership with specific benefits
• Standard amenities (wifi, breakfast, parking)

International Airline Program (IAP)

Platinum Card benefit. Lower fares on premium cabin seats for international flights on select airlines. Shows as a separate

PEP

PUB

• Typically 10-15% savings on business/first class
• Not available on all routes or airlines
• Only visible when logged in with a Platinum Card

Output Format

Always use markdown tables.

Flights

Hotels

After Tables

• Flag IAP savings (show % discount)
• Note FHR/THC benefits and how they offset the rate
• Calculate effective CPP for MR redemptions (1 point = 1 cent at Amex portal)
• Compare against transfer-to-airline value
• Mention the $600/yr Platinum hotel credit ($300 per half-year, shared between FHR and THC)

Cabin Codes

economy

ECONOMY

premium

PREMIUM_ECONOMY

business

BUSINESS

first

FIRST

Environment Variables

AMEX_USERNAME

AMEX_PASSWORD

AMEX_PROFILE

~/.amex-travel-profiles/default

AMEX_2FA_COMMAND

Troubleshooting

• Login gate after search: Normal. Amex always redirects through a login interstitial after form submission. The script handles this automatically.
• No appData found (flights): The page may not have fully loaded. Script waits for the Redux store to populate. Check if login succeeded.
• Empty hotel results: Hotels use DOM parsing, not appData. If the DOM structure changed, the

  data-testid

  selectors may need updating.
• Calendar picker fails: Amex uses

  div[role="button"]

  for calendar days (not

  <button>

  ). The script uses class patterns

  automation-date-picker-month-{year}-{month}

  to find the right month container.
• 2FA code rejected: Amex codes expire quickly. Make sure the code is fresh (not an old one from a previous login).

Limitations

• Headed mode required. Amex detects headless. Docker+xvfb is the workaround.
• ~45 seconds per search. Login + form fill + login gate + results load.
• Hotel results via DOM only. No API interception available for hotels (Next.js app with empty

  __NEXT_DATA__

  ). Parser depends on

  data-testid

  attributes.
• Device trust helps. After "Add This Device" on first login, 2FA is skipped for that profile. Keep profiles persistent via Docker volume mounts.