TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction


The purpose of this article will be to give travelers more insight into what they can do on the platform, how they can do certain things, and what is the purpose of each button.


NOTE: It is possible that some of the options that we will be mentioned in this article will not be visible or available for you since they can be activated or deactivated depending on the needs of coorporation.


How to use it


When you logged in and you want to do an air reservation you will need to perform the search. The booking engine for flights looks like this in the screenshot below and we will go through it:



Image 1. Air Search 


You can perform three types of search Round Trip, One Way, and Multidestination. Also, you can choose to perform a search with exact dates or with Flexible dates. About Flexible dates search you can find out more in the article Flexible Search.


We will now focus on Direct Search.


Name of the trip


Depending on the setup this field either will be visible or not on the search page. It is a free text box, and if it is visible on the search engine it is mandatory to be full-field in order to perform a search:


Image 2. Name of the trip


Select Trip Reason


This option is mandatory to set in order to perform a search if it is visible on the booking engine. It is in the form of a list, and you need to choose one of the list items in order to perform a search. The purpose of it is that you can highlight the reason for your reservation:


Image 3. Select Trip Reason


Round Trip


You need to define where you want to travel. When you input the first letter the engine will give you the drop-down with the suggested airports or cities:


Image 4. Selection of Departure Airport


Then you can define the time range for which you want to search for flights, You can select morning, afternoon, and evening. This field is not mandatory to perform a search:


Image 5. Predefined time


Depending on the setup, you can define the preferred time for which you want to search for the Departure date and Return date but with the time window. This option is not mandatory in order to perform the search:


Image 6. Time of Departure and Return Flight


When you select the time, then the Time window is activated, and you can select the time range for which you want to search for the flights:

Image 7. Time window


For example, if you want to search flight that departure between 08:00 and 02:00 you will select the time as 10:00 and the time window +/-2:


Image 8. Time window example


In the search results, you will only get the results where departure flight from New York departs in the time range from 08:00-12:00:


Image 9. Result of the search with preferred departure time


Depnding on the setup, if the traveler can book for the travel partner, you will have the option to select passenger type. You can select adult, child, or infant. You can select up to 9 travelers:


Image 10. Passenger type

Cabin Preference

Also, you can specify which cabin class you want to search for:


Image 11. Cabin Preference


When you select cabin class, the system will search only for that Class, and in the search result, you will get only that cabin class that you selected. If we select Business class, we will get only flights with business class:


Image 12. Search Result with Cabin Preference


NOTE: In some cases there could be flights with the mixed cabin classes. In these situations the flights will be placed in different class. 

For one trip:

-if we have one or more intenrational flight, that trip will belong in highest cabin class of all segments
-if we have only domestic flight, the trip will belon in lowest cabin class of all segments

Whole itineray (list of trips) will belong in lowest cabin of all trips.

When flight has two segments, if both segments are international and the first segment is economy and the second is premium the system will place it in the lower class, and it will be economy.

When flights has two segments, first segments is domestic and class is economy, and the second segment is internationl and class is premium the flight will be placed in higher class, it will be premium.


Advanced option


If you click on Advanced Option, the additional option will appear. There you can select if you want to search for a nonstop flight or all flight types and also you can search for preferred airlines. You can enter up to three airlines:


Image 13. Advanced options


Additionally, we can add more options to the Advanced Search that will let us choose some more specific flights.


First option is Source, this will let us choose which Provider (GDS, NDC, TF) we want to see the Flights for:

Image 14. Advanced options - Source


Additionally, we can also choose the type of the Fare we want to be shown, whether it is Corporate, Private or Published.


Image 15. Advanced options - Fare Type


Whatever parameters you enter here, the system will search only for those parameters. For example, if you want to search for Non-stop flights and for American Airlines as your preferred airline, the system will search only for flights that match entered parameters.


There are two ways of performing a search for round trips. You can search either as roundtrips or as one-way combinable.


Image 16. Two ways of searching round trip


Now we will explain the difference between them.


When you perform a search using the Search roundtrips button, the system will search for a bundle flight (package) where the provider will return to us results where the outbound and inbound flight is under one offer.


Image 17. Search roundtrips results


Fare Family display


If the fare family is enabled and If you want to have more offers for some of the classes, you just need to click on the price and more offers will be displayed:


Image 18. Fare Family Display


For each offer, you will have a description of what is included for that flight, what is not included and what is additional chargeable. At the bottom you can find a legend of what each mark means:


Image 19. Fare Family Description


In this case, outbound and inbound flights are put together as a bundle. After you open the fare family selection and select the combination of the flight that you want, the flights will be added to the shopping cart where you will be redirected.


Image 20. Selecting Round Trip Flight


On the other hand, if you perform a search using the Search One Ways button, the process is slightly different. Firstly, the system will search for outbound flights. As you can see in the image below, the system first offers you to select an outbound flight:


Image 21. Result page of One-way combinable search for the outbound flight


After you open the fare family for a flight that you selected, instead of having the button Add to Cart you will have the button Select:

Image 22. Selecting outbound flight


After you select it, the system will offer you the result for the inbound flight. Also, you will able to see which flight you have already chosen:


Image 23. Result of a One-way combinable search for the inbound flight


After you open the Fare family selection, now you will have the button Add to Cart:


Image 24. Selecting the inbound flight and adding it to the shopping cart


After you click on Add to Cart, both flights will be added to the shopping cart:


Image 25. Shopping Cart


Multi-destination


The multi-search destination can handle up to 6 legs.


When you select the first departure and arrival location and date of departure, then you need to click + in order to add the next leg:


Image 26. Multi-destination 1st leg


After you click on that button you will get new fields for destinations and dates:


Image 27. Multi-destination 2nd leg


You can add up to 6 destinations, but by default, you can search for up to 3 destinations. In order to increase the number of destinations to 6, please contact your administrator. You can perform two types of searches same as for round trips. You can search for bundle (package) offers or you can search as one-way combinable:


Image 28. Multi-destination type of searches


The flow is the same as for the roundtrip that we mentioned earlier. If you search as one way, each leg you will select separately.


Search result page


Now we will go through the options that you will have on the search result page.


The first option that you will see is to Modify the search:


Image 29. Modify search button


By clicking on this option you can modify your search. You will see the search page where fields will be populated with destinations and dates that you originally searched:


Image 30. Modify search form


Matrix Display


The part that we called matrix display is this one:


Image 31. Matrix Display


By default, the search result will be ordered by price, the cheapest will be offered first. If you want to filter results by airline, all you need to do is to click on the airline logo and the system will display only flights for a selected airline:


Image 32. Filter results by the airline


If you want to get only non-stop flights or flights with 1 stop or more, you need to click on one of the offered options. On whatever option you click, the system will only display that type of flight:


Image 33. Filter by flight stops


On the left side, you will have filters that you can choose in order to get specific flights first in offers. First, you can sort results by several parameters that you can find on the drop-down list:


Image 34. Sort results by


On whatever parameter you select the system will apply it automatically, which means that only one parameter from this list can be applied at the time.


If you want to search flights per specific period of the day you can do by using the filer for the time of departure and arrival. You can activate it and deactivate it:


Image 35. Time range filter


Depending on the setup, if the time window is enabled, you can use the time span filter with which you can filter results by a specific time range. Whenever you set one time the system will apply that change and filter the results by it:


Image 36. Time window filter


You can also filter results per cabin class which you need to select from the dropdown menu and you can also filter results per policies, You can select either in-policy or out-of-policy:


Image 37. Cabin class and Policy filter


NOTE: Flights marked with green color are in policy and flights marked with red color are out of policy.


Additionally, we have more options that will enable the Filtration to be more precise. We have Flight Number, the option to choose Connecting Cities, Price, Layover time, and an option to choose whether we want a regular or charter flight or all flights:

Image 38. Flight Number and connection cities filter




Image 39. Price and Layover Filter





Image 40. Regular or Charter Option drop-down



Image 41. In-Policy and Out Of Policy flights


Under each flight, you have the button More details. By clicking on that button you will get expanded information about that flight. You have information about the flight number, who operates the flight, and fare class code:


Image 42. More details


INFO: If the operating carrier is not specified as on image below that that means that marketing carrier is also operating carrier. In this case that would be Delta Airlines.

Image 43. Operating carrier


By clicking on the button Add to the card, the flight will be added to the shopping cart.


Shopping cart


When you add a flight to the shopping cart you will have displayed the flight that you added and basic information about it. However, by clicking on the arrow button you will get more information about your flight, and on the right side below the price of the flight you have the Delete button which will remove your flight from the shopping cart:


Image 44. Flight in the Shopping Cart


By clicking on the arrow button you will have expanded information about your flight. Some of the information that you will have there is what is included in your reservation, information about your flight, aircraft, and cabin class. Also, depending if for your flight baggage is included you will have information about how many bags are allowed:


Image 45. More Details in the Shopping Cart


Also, next to each flight you will have a button for Rate Conditions:


Image 46. Rate Conditions button


By clicking on that button you will get the pop window with detailed rates and conditions for your flights:


Image 47. Rate Conditions


In the shopping cart, you can also add a Car or Hotel:


Image 48. Add Car and Hotel


More about Car Searches you can find in the article Regular Car Search and more about Hotel searches you can find in the article Regular Hotel Search.


In the shopping cart, you will also have information about the ticketing time limit. If you have an approver, the approval should be done until that time.


The next part is information about the passenger. If you click on Passenger 1 Adult you will get information about the passenger. Information about the passenger will be prepopulated if all of that information is loaded into the traveler's profile. For example, in the image below you can see what information about traveler is prepopulated and which are not. The information that is not prepopulated is not loaded into the traveler profile:


Image 49. Passenger information


The information about first and last name, email, phone number, and date of birth is mandatory in order for that reservation to be created.


The next option that you will have is to select Frequent Flyer Program and meal. If you have a frequent flyer program, from the drop-down menu you will select the program and after that, you will enter the number of your frequent flyer. This also can be prepopulated if this number is loaded into the traveler's profile. Also, you can select a meal from the dropdown list:


Image 50. Loyalty program and meal selection


INFO: For some other providers such as Travel Fusion or NDC you will have an option to add additional baggage.


If you want to book a seat, you will need to click on the button Select Seat:


Image 51. Select Seat


After you click on it, the seat map will be retrieved in the popup window. As you can see in the screenshot below you will have a legend of what each seat color means in the seat map:


Image 52. Seat map


Depending on how many legs your flight has, for each of them, you can select a seat. After you select a seat for the first flight, then you need to click on the second flight at the top of the window:


Image 53. Seat selection for the multileg


After you select the seat for the second flight you will need to click on save so both of the seats be added to the shopping cart:


Image 54. Adding a seat to the shopping cart


The purpose of the save button is to add selected seats to the shopping cart. You will click on that button only when you are finished selecting the seats.


After you finished selecting seats you will able to see in the shopping cart which seats you chose and you can remove them:


Image 55. Added seats in the shopping cart


In case when the seats are chargeable by hovering the seat you can see seat information and the price of the seat:


Image 56. Chargeable seats


After you add a chargeable seat to the shopping cart you can see the amount of it:


Image 57. Chargeable seat in the shopping cart


The next section in the shopping cart is Price Details. Under this section, you can see the price breakdown. In case when you add something that is additional chargeable, for example, a seat, you will be able to see it in this section:


Image 58. Price details


In the shopping cart, you can also need select cost center and approver. Both of the options depend on the setup of the corporation and their needs. If you have only one approver set for your profile, that approver will be chosen by default:


Image 59. Cost Center and Approval Process Flow


INFO: Depanding on the setup you can have custom fields in the shopping cart.


In the end, you will be able to select a payment option. Depending on the setup you can have one or more payment options. If you have more than one, then you need to select which payment option you will use in order to create a reservation:


Image 60. Payment options


Depending on what payment option you select the system will behave in a different way. If you select Personal Credit Card, a new section will open where you will input information about your credit card:


Image 61. Personal Credit Card


Also, you can select the Corporate Credit Card which is predefined and added into the system by the administrator. After you select the Corporate Credit Card, you do not need to enter any credit card info. Instead of that the system will use credit card information from a predefined credit card and send it during the booking:

 

Image 62. Corporate Credit Card


After you select the payment option and check that you agree with the terms and conditions you will able to finish the reservation. Depending on the setup, whether you have an approval flow or not, the button for creating a reservation will be different. If you have an approval flow your button will be Request Approval:


Image 63. Request Approval


If you do not have an approval flow, the button for confirming the reservation will be Confirm:


Image 64. Confirm reservation


After you click on the confirm the process of creating the reservation will be initiated. After the reservation is successfully created you will get your PNR on the thank you page and on your email address will be delivered confirmation email:


Image 65. Successfully reservation and PNR generated


Confirmation email


The email that you will receive can be different depending on the setup and the status of your reservation.


For example, in case where you do not have an approval flow the title of the email will be: 


Reservation Confirmed  for: MR TEST  TRAVELER 28-07-2023


In cases where you have an approval flow, the title will be different. The title of the email will tell you that approval is needed. The title will be:


Approval needed for a reservation: MR TEST  TRAVELER 30-07-2023


When the approver approves the reservation, you will receive a new email. In the title of your email, you will have the time of the trip, destinations, and your PNR. The title will be:


Itinerary for confirmed booking: MR TEST TRAVELER 30-07-2023 MIALAX 3F3QHV


If for some reason the approver rejects to approve the trip, you will get the email with the title:


Itinerary for declined booking: MRS RULES TRAVELLER 27-08-2023 JFKCDG 2G2PN2