Step 1: Enable Smart Planner at Distribution Channel level
Go to Settings → Distribution Channel → Discovery → Smart Planner and toggle the Smart Planner By Default setting.
This is the master switch. When this is enabled on a DC:
All itinerary creation entry points (templates, "Design your Route," "Start with Flights," AI Copilot) will open in Smart Planner by default.
Template-level settings can override this on a per-template basis (see Step 2).
When this is disabled on a DC:
All entry points open in the Legacy Planner, regardless of template-level settings.
Even templates marked as "Smart Planner Enabled" will open in Legacy Planner.
This is how you prevent Smart Planner from going live on a Distribution Channel that isn't ready — simply keep the DC-level setting disabled.
Step 2: Configure template-level overrides
Each template has a Smart Planner compatibility setting with two options:
Template setting | Behavior when DC has SP enabled | Behavior when DC has SP disabled |
Enabled | Opens in Smart Planner | Opens in Legacy Planner |
Disabled (Legacy only) | Opens in Legacy Planner | Opens in Legacy Planner |
To configure a template, go to the template editor and look for the Smart Planner compatibility flag under the "Miscellaneous" tab. Mark templates as "Enabled" or "Default" once you've confirmed they work well in Smart Planner (see Template Configuration for details on which template types are compatible).
Step 3: Configure additional Smart Planner settings
Under Settings → DC → Discovery → Smart Planner, you will find these options:
Smart Planner Compatible Templates Only: When enabled, the Discovery page will only show templates that are marked as Smart Planner compatible. This is useful for B2C channels where you want a clean consumer experience.
Use Smart Planner for Flights Search: Takes you to Smart Planner after picking your flights.
B2B vs B2C considerations
Smart Planner behaves differently depending on your channel type.
B2C (consumer websites / IBE): Smart Planner provides a streamlined booking experience. Consumers generally don't need access to the Legacy Planner, so you can enable Smart Planner by default and hide the toggle.
B2B (travel agent portals): Travel agents may need access to advanced features not yet available in Smart Planner. For B2B channels, consider:
Enabling Smart Planner by default with Expert Mode — this allows agents to switch to the Legacy Planner when they need full functionality. You can do so under Settings → DC → Planner → Smart Planner
Alternatively, keep Legacy Planner as default and let agents toggle to Smart Planner when it suits the booking.
Expert Mode
When Smart Planner is enabled for a B2B Distribution Channel, travel agents can access Expert Mode by clicking the toggle in the planner toolbar. This switches to the Legacy Planner for the current itinerary, giving agents access to:
Advanced pricing and supplier tools
Ad-hoc component management
Manual pricing overrides
Features not yet available in Smart Planner
The toggle is available for template-based itineraries and "Design your Route" / "Start with Flights" entry points.
Entry points summary
Entry point | B2C (SP enabled) | B2B (SP enabled) | B2B (SP disabled) |
Templates | Smart Planner (no toggle) | Smart Planner + Expert Mode | Legacy Planner |
Design Route | Smart Planner (no toggle) | Smart Planner + Expert Mode | Legacy Planner |
Start with Flights | Smart Planner (no toggle) | Smart Planner + Expert Mode | Legacy Planner |
AI Copilot | Smart Planner (no toggle) | Smart Planner | Legacy Planner |
Dynamic Packaging | Smart Planner (no toggle) | N/A | Legacy Planner |
Rollout recommendation
We recommend a phased rollout:
Start with one B2C DC — enable Smart Planner by default, mark your most popular templates as Enabled, and leave the rest as Legacy only.
Monitor and iterate — use your analytics to verify conversion rates and user satisfaction.
Expand to B2B — enable Smart Planner with Expert Mode for travel agents so they can gradually adopt the new experience.
Roll out to additional DCs — once confident, enable the DC-level setting on your remaining channels.