16.0 Release notes

Connectivity with BSP Auto

Why? BSP Auto is a car rental provider offering the services of several rental companies. This connectivity makes it possible to offer, as an option, car rental services as part of the booking process for packages and dynamic packages.

Where? In the booking process for packages (including pre-packages), flights and dynamic packages.

How? This connectivity can be administered in the administration tool. It can be used in two ways :

As an optional service, via a new section entitled “Car rental” in the “Configuration” tab.
As a mandatory service, by adding it as a pre-package service.

In the “Configuration > Car rental” section, you can set product features rules and/or channels for which you want to offer optional car rentals during booking.

In pre-packages, a new “Car rental” service can be selected. It is then possible to choose the list of car categories you want to offer.

In the booking process, these services appear in a special new section with, in the same way as for flights, a set of filters that can be used to refine a search. Just below the car choice section, there is a section in which car insurance can be chosen covering refund of the deductible.

Car rental services are also compatible with yields and commissions in the price management module.

Lastly, in booking details in Back-Office, the service appears its own section.

Management of sold-out dates for connected providers

Why? To display in catalogue calendars the information that some previously available dates are now sold out.

Where? Catalogue services can now display this information for compatible providers. This information can therefore be displayed in catalogues, for example in the package calendars.

How? Information on a sold-out date is managed via its availability status. Providers must include this information in the data streams they send to Orchestra. With the appropriate request, catalogue services can then display the sold-out dates.

Management of late departures with the Amadeus source

Why? To avoid availability problems on inbound flights, it might be a good idea to expand the flight search field and show flights taking off the next day. For example, a flight departing at 2am the next day can be shown when the 3pm flight is full.

Where? In pre-package management, under transport service details. This function can also be activated in dynamic packages, or as a counter proposal for flights in a standard package (if the provider is compatible). This function is compatible with the Amadeus flight source.

How? In pre-package management, when the selected flight source is Amadeus, there is a new field in which you can authorise a late departure of the inbound flight (until 8am the next day). This means that additional flights departing the next day will automatically be shown during booking.

For dynamic package sale processes and counter proposals in packages (if the provider is compatible), the function is activated via the configuration settings.

Management of cancellation and modification conditions, and booking classes

Why? Currently, in B2B mode, there is sometimes insufficient flight information from GDS to make an informed choice. To make this choice easier, it is important to display other flight details, such as cancellation conditions, modification conditions, and booking classes.

Where? In booking processes for flights and dynamic packages.

How? When the airline provides information on flight cancellation and modification conditions in its API, this information can be displayed in:

Result pages,
Quotation pages,
Contact details pages,
Confirmation emails,
Back-Office.

This makes it possible to distinguish between flights that may seem to be identical but have different conditions (more/less baggage, cancellation allowed/not allowed, modifiable or not, with or without charges, etc.).

N.B. : the quantity, quality and type of information may vary from airline to airline.

New stock functionality in internal production

New CSV export function for the stocks of internal hotels.

Integration of a new producer

Addition of the Travelcar provider offering parking space booking if the booked trip contains a flight.

Integration of a new payment solution

Integration of the Book and Pay virtual card management solution from Amadeus. For flight bookings from low-cost airlines, this makes it easier to pay by virtual card by delegating card management to Amadeus.

Integration of a new payment system

Integration of the HiPay payment system offering various payment methods including debit card, VISA, MASTERCARD, BANCONTACT, IDEAL, PAYPAL, and ONEY. Option to make conventional payments and refunds in Back-Office.