Overview

Ad-hoc components enable travel brands to customise itineraries by integrating unique, individually contracted travel offerings. This feature provides an easy solution for blending online and offline offerings.

Ad-hoc components should be used when you need a one-off inclusion for a particular itinerary. They cannot be reused across different itineraries. For reusable options, consider using Inventory Products.

If a product is unavailable from supply sources and not set up as an inventory product, ad-hoc components offer a quick method of adding it to your itinerary and pricing.

TripBuilder supports adding various ad-hoc components, including generic, accommodation, rental car, activity, and transport options.

Steps to Add an Ad-Hoc Component

1. Open an itinerary in the Planner

2. Click on either TO-Tools or TA-Tools

3. Select Ad-Hoc Components

4. A new page will appear, presenting options to create an ad-hoc component directly (e.g., generic, accommodation, rental car, activity, and transport) or indirectly (e.g., imported PNRs).

5. Adding an ad-hoc component can take various forms:

Pricing Factors to Consider

When configuring an ad-hoc component, users can set both a net price and a sales price regardless of its type. Note that these prices are not subject to mark-ups from other pricing rules.

Both prices are manually defined within the component, allowing travel agents and tour operators to manage the final pricing from the ad-hoc component modal directly.

Presentation in planner

Ad-hoc components are displayed in the Planner similarly to inventory and live supply components, ensuring consistency. For example, the screenshot below shows an ad-hoc accommodation component linked to a stop in Los Angeles, indicating its ad-hoc nature.

Subcategories for Ad-Hoc Activities

Sub-categories can be specified for ad-hoc activities, aiding users in better organising their products. There are five supported categories:

• Tours
• Packages
• Tickets
• Cruises
• Other (while this subcategory is generic, it enhances organisation, reporting, and clarity, especially with external booking systems)

Subcategories also improve labelling precision within the Planner. Once a subcategory is defined, the generic ad-hoc activity label dynamically changes to examples like "Ad-hoc Tour" or "Ad-hoc Cruise." If no subcategory is selected or "Other" is chosen, the label will remain "Ad-Hoc Activity," maintaining consistency with earlier practices.

Misalignment Between Ad-Hoc Component and Itinerary Structure

Ad-hoc components are manually defined with specific start/end dates and stops. Changes to an itinerary may lead to mismatches in dates or locations for ad-hoc components. In such cases:

• A warning will appear in the Notification Centre, prompting you to adjust or edit the component.
• In the Planner, the ad-hoc component will display a distinct background colour and a text warning indicating that it "... does not fit the itinerary."