Manual Trips

User Access Levels: Traveller | Travel Arranger (TA) | Travel Manager (TM) | Travel Account Manager (TAM)

While it is generally advisable to use the travel platform's automated Trips API services, through systems like Amadeus and Sabre, there may be instances where they are not the most suitable option, such as for charter flights or non-scheduled services.

When enabled, the Manual Trips feature provides the flexibility and control to effectively manage a diverse range of travel demands. Whether it pertains to a charter or non-scheduled flight or any other unique travel requirements, it empowers users of the travel platform to effortlessly create tailor-made travel itineraries.

Create

To initiate the creation of a new Manual Trip, go to the Trips section and select the "Add Manual Trip" option.

Travel Account Manager (TAM): When selecting "Add Manual Trip”, a dropdown list for choosing a company will appear. Only the companies assigned to the TAM will be available for selection. If the TAM has access to only one company, no dropdown selector will be displayed.

Trip Name

The option to include a distinctive Trip Name is available, and while it is not mandatory, it can be particularly useful for distinguishing one trip from another.

Traveller(s)

It is mandatory to associate at least one (1) traveller with the trip. If necessary, you can remove a traveller by selecting the "X" next to their name before proceeding to the next step.

Travel Account Manager (TAM): Only travellers linked to the company selected within the company sector will be accessible for utilisation, meaning that all travellers on the manual trip must be affiliated with the same company.

Trip Content

Before proceeding it is essential to choose at least one (1) trip content item, such as Flights. A selected trip content item will be indicated with a checkmark (✔). After making your selections, you can proceed by clicking "Next". If needed, you can remove a trip content item by deselecting it before advancing to the next step.

The following is an illustrative instance of the Create Trip page for the selected traveller, Mr. Anthony Stark, with Trip Content of Flights only selected.

Navigate to Trips: Select the “Add Manual Trip” option.

Trip Name (optional): Enter a Trip Name (e.g. Business Trip to HKG)
Search and Select Traveller(s): Search for the traveller(s) who are part of the Trip

Select Trip Content: Select the relevant trip content of Flights, Hotels and/or Cars that is part of the Trip being created.

Review and Submit: Double-check all the information entered and make any necessary adjustments. Once satisfied with the itinerary, select the "Submit" option.

Add Flights ✈️

Whenever possible, we recommend using the flight look-up option, as demonstrated in the following examples. This ensures the accuracy of crucial data elements, including but not limited to the flight's arrival date and time, which can be influenced by time zone differences.

For instance, consider Qantas QF1, which presents three (3) options as it travels from Sydney (SYD) via Singapore (SIN) to London Heathrow (LHR). Consequently, passengers can opt for SYD-SIN, SIN-LHR, or the entire route from SYD to LHR.

However, in cases where it is not possible to find the desired flight or the information returned by the system is believed to be incorrect, please select the "enter flight manually" option.

In contrast, Emirates EK1 offers only a single segment since it is a non-stop service from Dubai (DXB) to London (LHR).

However, in cases where it is not possible to find the desired flight or the information returned by the system is believed to be incorrect, please select the "enter flight manually" option.

Enter Flight Manually

When choosing the "enter flight manually" option, it is crucial to meticulously verify and input all details. Incorrect information could lead to significant issues, such as travellers missing their flight or the unavailability of supplementary data, like CO2 emissions information.

The departure and arrival times to be recorded should be in the local time of the selected airport.

After completing the necessary fields, including those that allow for selections from a lookup, proceed by clicking on "Add Flight”.

A preview of the added flight will appear and if details need to be verified, select “Show More”.

A flight entered manually is less likely to provide an extensive range of information through the "Show More" option (e.g. aircraft type), as this data is typically available only for flights selected using the lookup option.

If more flights need to be included, click on the "Add Another Flight” option, or choose "Next" to proceed.

If other Trip Content was not initially selected to be included, the Summary page will be the next step. Otherwise, the option to include Hotels or Cars will be in the subsequent step.

Look-Up Fields

If there is a requirement to manually create a flight segment by inputting details, look-up options, such as those for departure and arrival airports, provide advanced (fuzzy logic) search capabilities, as demonstrated below:

City Name

Airport Name

IATA 3-character Airport Code

Add Hotels 🛌

When adding hotel details, it is advisable to search for the hotel property by its name, for instance, "Hilton Los Angeles Airport”.

However, in situations where a search result is not returned or when booking alternative accommodations like Airbnb or a house stay, you may use the physical address for look-up purposes.

After selecting a hotel property (or an address) from the look-up, please provide the check-in/check-out dates and times, along with a confirmation number. Then, proceed by clicking on “Add Hotel”.

A preview of the added accommodation is displayed and if details need to be verified, select “Show More”. Choose "Add Another Hotel" if more stays need to be included, or select "Next" to continue. If other Trip Content was not initially selected to be included, the Summary page will be the next step. Otherwise, the option to include Cars will be in the subsequent step.

Add Cars 🚗

When entering car rental details, it is advisable to search for a car rental provider by its name, for example, "Hertz Car Rental LAX”.

However, in situations where a search result is not returned or when using a different provider like Uber Carshare, you may use the physical address for look-up purposes.

After selecting a car rental provider (or an address) from the look-up, please provide the pick-up/drop-off data dates and times, along with a confirmation number. Then, proceed by clicking on “Add Car”.

A preview of the added car rental is displayed and if details need to be verified, select “Show More”. Choose "Add Another Car" if more rentals need to be included, or select "Next" to continue to the Summary page.

Summary

After carefully reviewing each of the selected (added) segments for the Manual Trip in progress, select "Submit" to finalise.

The following is a complete end-to-end illustration of a Manual Trip, provided for illustration purposes, including details about the Summary page and “Submit”.

However, if any modifications, such as adding a segment or trip component(s) are required, please use the "Back" option. Once "Submit” has been selected, it is possible to edit or delete individual segments of a manual trip.

Manual Trip Indicator

The inclusion of a "manual trip" indicator, denoted by M streamlines the identification of Trips that were not generated using one of the travel platform's automated Trips API services. The "manual trip" indicator is visible in the following sections of the platform:

Upcoming Trips widget, as illustrated in the example below,
Trips Listing (both list and grid views),
Itinerary Details.

Moreover, the system automatically generates a unique locator (booking reference) for each Manual Trip, incorporating a distinct "M" prefix. This prefix serves the purpose of further distinguishing Manual Trips from the standard 6-alphanumeric codes typically generated for bookings via automated Trips API services.

Considerations for Manual Trips

Validations

Manual Trips and their segments are not subject to validation against existing Trips, whether created manually or through an automated system. Therefore, it is advisable to check for duplicate Trips before creating a new one.

Manual Segment Details

When manually inputting segment details, please note that validation for information such as departure and arrival times is not accessible.
Additionally, Manual Trip segments do not interface with vendors or suppliers, meaning notifications for changes or cancellations are generally unavailable unless they can be accessed through the platform's integrated Flight Status feature.

Modifying Existing Trips & Merge

Adding segments to an existing Trip created through an automated system is not supported.
Editing or deleting segments of such Trips, including unmodifiable data elements, is not possible using "Manual Trips”.
Manual Trips cannot be modified or deleted; they can only be hidden through the travel agency's Trip Suppression table.
Trips, whether manual or automated, cannot be merged with another trip, even if they involve the same traveller.

⚠️ System Synchronisation & Traveller Data

Manual Trips do not synchronise with other systems like GDS, OBT, TMS, or third-party travel risk management providers such as International SOS. Additionally, they cannot be combined with other Trips, even if they are related to the same travel itinerary.
Additionally, Manual Trips do not transmit traveller data such as loyalty or frequent flyer numbers, passport details, or other travel-related elements.
The ability to split (divide) travellers within a multi-traveller Manual Trip is not supported.

Travel Policy Compliance & Approval

Company Travel Policy, including restrictions on airlines and travel class, as well as approval processes applicable to Trips captured via automated methods (e.g. OBT), do not apply to Manual Trips.