Brief an assistant to plan team travel within policy

About this exercise

You're arranging travel for three coworkers and want an AI assistant to line it up. Write its brief: economy flights under $450 per person, a hotel under $220 a night within 1 mile of the venue, respect each traveler's stated limits, and only hold (never book) until you approve. Output exactly 4 numbered plain-text lines: flight hold, hotel hold, ASK_HUMAN for approval, then DONE with the total shown as math.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Not showing the log format. Left alone, the AI writes a friendly report with headings instead of a checkable action log. Try: Show it literally: "Format every line like 1. ACTION: tool(args), then ASK_HUMAN: and DONE: lines. Plain text."
• Not giving the policy. The AI picks the cheapest option overall, even one at 6 a.m. or 2.4 miles away. Try: Add: "Economy under $450, hotel under $220 within 1 mile, and respect each traveler's limits."
• Letting it book. Given book actions, the AI finishes the job by charging the company card. Try: Add: "Hold only, never book. Ask me to approve, then DONE with the total as math."

What a strong prompt includes

• Gives the flight limit
• Gives the hotel limit
• Respects traveler limits
• Says hold, never book
• Asks for the math

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