Overview
Flight configurations applied to templates allow a Tour Operator to pre-define flights that should be offered with a tour. While instantiating the itinerary on Discovery, the configured flights will be searched and instantiated at the same time as the whole itinerary.
In the planner, the flight offers are restricted to changes or removal based on the set restrictions in the template.
How to set Flights on Templates?
Use the tab Flight Configuration available on Templates in Cockpit.
Configuration types
Configuration | Use Case |
No Restrictions (default) | Users can freely choose any flight |
Land Arrangements Only | Sell land-only packages without flights |
Fixed | Sell a package with a specific pre-negotiated flight |
Restricted | Default to a specific flight (inventory or sourced) but allow alternatives |
No Restrictions
Flights are included using distribution channel defaults. Travelers can search and select any available flight.
Land Arrangements Only
No flights are sold with this template.
No flight/transport UI will be displayed in the Planner for this template and the user will not be able to book a flight.
Fixed
A specific flight is pre-configured and cannot be changed. The flight is automatically added when the itinerary is created. No flight search UI is shown to travelers.
Important: If the configured flight is not available, the itinerary cannot be created. This ensures packages are only sold when the expected flight exists.
Use when:
You want to sell contracted and allotted flights together with the land arrangement (i.e. Group Tours)
The package price includes a specific flight
You want complete control over the flight component
You need to guarantee a specific flight or prevent the sale of alternatives
Restricted
A default flight is configured, but travelers can search for alternatives within defined constraints. You control which airlines are available.
Important: Unlike Fixed, if the default flight is not available, the itinerary is still created - just without a flight. The traveler can then search for alternatives.
Use when:
You want to start with a preferred flight but offer flexibility
You need to limit options to partner airlines
You want to guide travelers toward specific carriers
How to add Flight Offers to Flight Configuration?
For Fixed and Restricted Flight Configuration, flight offers can be added to limit or restrict the offers visible to the user. For this, some information must be prepared beforehand:
Departure Airport
Destination Airport
Supplier
Start/End dates
Carrier Code(s)/Transport Number
Class
Fare Type
Booking Class Code(s)
Fixed Flight Configuration
Before adding a flight offer, a season must be defined:
Click on Add Flight Configuration
Add a Start/End date
Define the offer Source/Supplier
Please note: Seasons must cover separate date ranges. This is independent of the selected supplier.
To add a flight offer:
Click on New Outbound Flight
Add the asked information in the modal
Click OK
Click Save
If the flight has segments, click on New Outbound Flight segment
Fill in the asked information to define the segment
Click OK
Click Save
To add an Inbound Flight:
Click on New Inbound Flight
Fill in the asked information in the modal
Click OK
Click Save
To add an Inventory Flight, the previous steps apply. However, if the flight has an associated tag, the latter can be used to connect the flight to the template:
Click on New Outbound Flight
Add the Departure airport and flight tag
Select the adequate Class
Click OK
Click Save
Restricted Flight Configuration
This configuration is similar to the Fixed Flight Configuration, where:
independent seasons must be created
flights can be added to each season, for specific suppliers
tags can be used to add Inventory Flights
However, Restricted Flight Configuration offers additional conditions, such as Buffer Times, Alternative Flights and Airline Ordering.
Restricted configuration has two distinct parts that serve different purposes:
Aspect | Default Flight Templates | Alternative Flights |
Purpose | Define the initial flight placed in the itinerary | Control which airlines appear in search results |
When used | At itinerary creation (instantiation) | When traveler searches for flights in planner |
Level of detail | Full flight specification (source, carrier, flight number, fare type, class, booking codes) | Carrier codes only |
Source | Specific source (Inventory, AERTiCKET, etc.) | All configured sources for the distribution channel |
1. Default Flight Templates
Used once when the itinerary is first created. The system searches for and places a flight matching your detailed criteria.
Setting | Purpose |
Source | Where to find the flight (Inventory, AERTiCKET, etc.) |
Season | Date range when this configuration applies |
Departure/Destination | Airport codes |
Flight Segments | Specific carrier, flight number, class, fare type, booking codes |
Tags | Match inventory products by tag |
All these settings work together to find the exact right flight for your package. If you specify fare type "TOP" and booking class "Y", the system will search for flights matching those criteria.
Seasons: You can configure different default flights for different date ranges (e.g., summer vs winter schedules). Seasons cannot overlap.
Fallback: Optionally define a fallback flight used when no season matches the travel dates.
2. Alternative Flights
Used every time a user searches for replacement flights in the planner. Controls which airlines appear in search results.
Setting | Purpose |
Carrier codes | 2-letter airline codes (e.g., LH, KL, AF) |
Flight numbers | For documentation - validated but not used to filter search |
Key point: Alternative Flights only filters by carrier/airline. When you add "LH" and "KL":
Search results show all Lufthansa and KLM flights
All flight numbers from those carriers
All fare types from those carriers
All booking classes from those carriers
The detailed restrictions from Default Flight Templates (fare type, booking class, etc.) do not carry over to search.
3. Additional Settings
Setting | Purpose | When used |
Airline Ordering | Prioritizing airlines when multiple defaults match | Instantiation only |
Buffer Times | Override pre/post flight buffer times for this template | Instantiation only |
How does Flight Configuration impact the Planner flow?
Each Flight Configuration impacts the Planner in a different way, offering a panoply of scenarios where the user can select (or not) flight offers and be limited (or not) to certain ones.
If Flight Configuration is set to No Restrictions, the user can select any offer available for that specific day. The user can trigger a flight search, replace and remove selected flight offers, all at the Planner level.
For a Flight Configuration set to Land Arrangement Only, the Flights or Transport tab is not shown in Planner. In this case, the user can not, at any point, select a flight offer.
As for the Fixed Flight Configuration, only one of the available flights added to the template via Cockpit is shown in Planner. With this configuration, the user is not able to remove the flight offer nor replace it with a different one.
Similarly to the Fixed Flight Configuration, the Restricted Flight Configuration also shows the available flight added to the template via Cockpit. However, this configuration enables the user to Replace or Remove the flight offer and actually trigger a flight search, just like the No Restrictions configuration.
If Alternative Flights are defined within the Restricted configuration, the flight search will only show the defined Alternative Flights, instead of all available flight offers.
Additionally, if Airline Ordering is established, the flight search can be filtered by Airlines, where the results will include the airlines defined in the Flight Configuration.
Practical Examples
Example 1: Inventory Flight with Airline Alternatives
Goal: Start with your contracted inventory flight, but let travelers switch to Lufthansa or KLM if preferred.
Setup:
Type: Restricted
Default Flight Template:
Source: Inventory
Configure your inventory flight details
Alternative Flights:
Add: LH, KL
Result: Itinerary starts with inventory flight. Traveler can search and see LH/KL options.
Example 2: Partner Airlines Only
Goal: Only allow flights from your three partner airlines.
Setup:
Type: Restricted
Default Flight Template: Configure preferred default
Alternative Flights:
Add: LH, AF, KL
Result: Flight search only returns Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM flights.
Example 3: Locked Charter Flight
Goal: Package includes a specific charter flight that cannot be changed.
Setup:
Type: Fixed
Default Flight Template:
Configure the exact charter flight
Result: Flight is automatically added. No search UI shown.
Example 4: Seasonal Flights
Goal: Use different default flights for summer and winter.
Setup:
Type: Restricted
Default Flight Templates:
Season 1: Apr-Oct - Summer schedule flight
Season 2: Nov-Mar - Winter schedule flight
Alternative Flights: Add allowed carriers
Result: Correct seasonal flight is used based on travel dates.
Settings Reference
When Each Setting Is Used
Setting | Used For |
Default Flight Templates | Selecting the initial flight when itinerary is created |
Seasons | Determining which default template applies |
Source | Where to search for the default flight |
Flight Segments | Matching specific flights for the default |
Alternative Flights | Filtering which carriers appear in search results |
Airline Ordering | Prioritizing airlines when multiple defaults match |
Buffer Times | Calculating flight timing requirements |
Validation Rules
Seasons cannot overlap - each date can only match one template
One fallback maximum - only one template without a season allowed
Flight numbers required in Alternative Flights (carrier code alone not sufficient)
Valid IATA codes - system validates airport (3-letter) and airline (2-letter) codes
Important Notes
What Alternative Flights Controls
Alternative Flights filters search results by airline/carrier. When you add "LH" and "KL":
Travelers see Lufthansa and KLM flights
All flight numbers from those carriers are available
All fare types from those carriers are available
Search Result Sorting
Search results are always sorted by price (cheapest first). Airline Ordering affects default flight selection, not search result order.
Fare Types and Booking Classes
Fare type and booking class settings in Default Flight Templates are used to find the right initial flight. They help match your inventory or contracted fares. When travelers search for alternatives, they see all available fares from the allowed carriers.
Troubleshooting
"Overlapping period" error
Seasons in your default flight templates have overlapping dates. Each date range must be unique - adjust your season dates so they don't overlap.
Default flight not found
Check that your default flight template configuration matches available inventory/supplier flights:
Verify airport codes
Verify carrier and flight number
Check the season dates include your test date
For inventory, verify the product is published
Search returns no results
If Alternative Flights is configured but empty, or contains invalid carrier codes, searches may return no results. Add valid 2-letter IATA carrier codes.