Manage Booking Process

Do employees in your organization undertake business trips? Does your Travel Desk book tickets for your employees’ travel? Do your employees find it difficult to track the Travel Desk’s booking process? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then Trip Options in Zoho Spend will help you manage them easily.

Trip Options are the different options that a Travel Desk (this can be a person who is doing the booking of tickets for the trip) provides for flights, hotels, cars, trains, or buses to the employees, for their business trip.

The travel desk of your organization can provide the travellers with multiple options for flight and hotel based on the trip date, schedule of meetings, etc. Once the traveller selects an option, the travel desk can book the tickets and upload the booking information to Zoho Spend. This enables the travel desk to handle the entire booking process, and the traveller can stay up-to-date about the booking status using Zoho Spend.

Now let’s take a look at how the travel desk can manage the booking process in Zoho Spend.

Types of Trips

Let’s take a look at the different types of trips and learn how to add options for each trip:

One-way trip

John is a salesperson at Matthew & Co. He has been transferred from New Delhi to Kuala Lampur. In this case, you can add options for this itinerary (i.e) the itinerary from New Delhi to Kuala Lampur.

Round trip

John wants to take a round trip between New Delhi and Kuala Lampur. In this case, there are 2 itineraries for which a single ticket can be booked. The 2 itineraries are:

• New Delhi to Kuala Lampur
• Kuala Lampur to New Delhi So you can bulk add options by selecting both the itineraries.

Multi-city trip

Say John has travelled from New Delhi to Kuala Lampur. From Kuala Lampur, he wants to go to Layang Island and travel back to New Delhi from Layang Island. If this is the case, then you can bulk add options to the three itineraries for which a single ticket can be booked. The three itineraries are:

• New Delhi to Kuala Lampur
• Kuala Lampur to Layang Island
• Layang Island to New Delhi

Add and Manage Trip Options

You can add trip options individually or in bulk, edit or delete them, resend an option, and add more if needed. Let’s look at them one by one.

Add Options

Once the trip request is approved, you (travel agent) can add options for flight, hotel, car, train, bus, and ferry.

To add flight options for a flight itinerary:

• Go to Trips on the left sidebar.
• Click the trip for which you want to add options.
• In the Itinerary tab, navigate to the flight itinerary for which you want to add options.
• In the itinerary card, click Add Options.

Fill out the following details for flights on the Add Itinerary Options page:

• Carrier Name
• Flight Number
• Departure Date & Time
• Depart and Arrival Locations
• Arrival Date & Time
• Cabin and Check-in Baggage Details
• Class
• Amount
• Click Add Notes if you want to add any additional information.
• Check the Is Refundable box if the booking cost can be refunded on cancelation.
• Click the Delete icon in the top right corner to delete the itinerary option.
• Click + Add New Option to add more flight options.
• Click Save and Send.

To upload itineraries using GDS (Global Distribution System):

You can also upload trip options using the Global Distribution Systems, a computer network that helps travel agencies and companies book travel services like flights, hotels, and car rentals. It connects different airlines, hotels, and travel providers in one place for organizations that need to book travel for their employees, helping them manage everything in one system and saving time.

• Go to Trips on the left sidebar.
• Click the trip for which you want to add options.
• In the Itinerary tab, click the itinerary for which you want to add options.
• Click Add Options.
• Click Upload Itinerary Option next to the Delete icon.
• In the pop-up, select the Global Distribution System such as Sabre, Galileo, or Amadeus.
• Enter your itinerary option and click Upload. The flight option details will be automatically filled.
• Click Save and Send.

To add hotel options for a hotel itinerary:

• Go to Trips on the left sidebar.
• Click the trip for which you want to add options.
• In the Itinerary tab, navigate to the hotel itinerary for which you want to add hotel options.
• In the itinerary card, click Add Options.

Fill out the following details for hotels on the Add Itinerary Options page:

• Hotel Name
• Hotel Address
• Location
• Check-in Date & Time
• Check-out Date & Time
• Star Rating
• Room Type
• Complimentary breakfast, air conditioner, and WI-FI availability.
• Amount
• Click Add Notes if you want to add any additional information.
• Check the Is Refundable box if the booking cost can be refunded on cancelation.
• Click the Delete icon in the top right corner to delete the itinerary option.
• Click + Add New Option to add more hotel options.
• Click Save and Send.

To add car rental options for an itinerary:

• Go to Trips on the left sidebar.
• Click the trip for which you want to add options.
• In the Itinerary tab, navigate to the car rental itinerary for which you want to add options.
• In the itinerary card, click Add Options.

Fill out the following details for car rentals on the Add Options page:

• Car Name
• Departure Date & Time
• Departure and Arrival Locations
• Arrival Date & Time
• Car Type
• Amount
• Click Add Notes if you want to add any additional information.
• Check the Is Refundable box if the booking cost can be refunded on cancelation.
• Click the Delete icon in the top right corner to delete the itinerary option.
• Click + Add New Option to add more car rental options.
• Click Save and Send.

To add bus, train, and ferry options for an itinerary:

• Go to Trips on the left sidebar.
• Click the trip for which you want to add options.
• In the Itinerary tab, navigate to the itinerary for which you want to add options.
• In the itinerary card, click Add Options.

Fill out the following details for bus, train, and ferry in the Add Options page:

• Carrier Name
• Departure Date & Time
• Departure and Arrival Locations
• Arrival Date & Time
• Amount
• Click Add Notes if you want to add any additional information.
• Check the Is Refundable box if the booking cost can be refunded on cancelation.
• Click the Delete icon in the top right corner to delete the itinerary option.
• Click + Add New Option to add more bus, trains, and ferries options.
• Click Save and Send.

Bulk Add Options

You can add options in bulk for multiple itineraries with the same booking mode.

To add options in bulk:

• Go to Trips on the left sidebar.
• Click the trip for which you want to add options.
• In the Itinerary tab, click Add Options in Bulk in the top right corner of the itinerary.
• Select the itineraries for which you want to bulk add options and click Next.
• Fill out the flight details. Click + Add New Option to add more flight options.
• Click Save and Send. Once this is done, the trip options that you’ve added will be sent to the traveller, and they can select the preferred option from them.

Edit Options

If you (travel agent) want to make any changes to the options added, you can choose to edit them. Here’s how:

• Go to Trips on the left sidebar.
• Click the trip for which you want to edit the options.
• In the Itinerary tab, navigate to the itinerary for which you want to edit the options and click Edit Options.
• Make the required changes.
• Click Save and Send.
• If you want to edit the options after the traveller has selected an option, you should provide the reason for editing the options, and click Save and Send.

Once this is done, the changes will be updated in the traveller’s trip itinerary. If you’ve provided a reason for editing, it will be shown when the traveller hovers over the Options Updated status in their trip itinerary, and the traveller will have to select an option again.

Delete Options

If you want to remove the options you’ve added, you can delete them and add new ones. Here’s how:

• Go to Trips on the left sidebar.
• Click the trip for which you want to edit the options.
• In the Itinerary tab, navigate to the itinerary for which you want to delete the options and click Delete Options.
• In the pop-up, click Delete again to confirm your action. All the options for the itinerary will be deleted.

Add More Options

If a traveller requests more options, the trip itinerary will be labelled as More Options Requested. The reason for requesting more options will be shown when you hover over the More Options Requested status in the trip itinerary. You can add more options or resend the same options, after which the traveller can select the preferred option. To add more options:

• Go to Trips on the left sidebar.
• Click the trip for which you want to add more options.
• In the Itinerary tab, navigate to the itinerary for which the traveller has requested more options.
• Click Add More Options.
• Click the + Add New Option and add the new options.
• Click Save and Send.

Resend Same Options

If you (travel agent) do not have more options, you can resend the same options. Here’s how:

• Go to Trips on the left sidebar.
• Click the trip for which you want to resend the same options.
• In the Itinerary tab, navigate to the itinerary for which the traveller has requested more options.
• Click Resend Same Options.
• Enter the reason for resending the same options.
• Click Resend.

Add Booking Confirmation

Once the option is selected, you (travel agent) can make the bookings and add the booking confirmation. To add the booking confirmation:

• Go to Trips on the left sidebar.
• Click the trip for which you want to add the booking confirmation.
• In the Itinerary tab, navigate to the itinerary for which you want to add the booking confirmation.
• Click Add Booking Confirmation and enter the following details.
  • Booking ID
  • Booking Date
  • Amount
• Click Attach documents from computer or cloud to upload the booking confirmation.
• Click Save. Once done, the booking process will be completed, and the traveller can download the booking confirmation.

Edit Booking Confirmation

After you add the booking confirmation, you can edit it if required. To edit the booking confirmation:

• Go to Trips on the left sidebar.
• Click the trip for which you want to edit the booking confirmation.
• In the Itinerary tab, navigate to the itinerary for which you want to edit the booking confirmation.
• Click Edit Booking Confirmation.
• Make the required changes and click Save.

Cancel Booking

Once the employee cancels the itinerary, you can cancel the booking. Here’s how:

• Go to Trips on the left sidebar.
• Click the trip for which you want to cancel the bookings.
• In the Itinerary tab, navigate to the itinerary for which you want to cancel the bookings.
• Go to the Canceled Itinerary section.
• Click Cancel Booking in the itinerary for which you want to cancel the booking.
• In the pop-up, enter the Cancellation Date.
• Enter the Refunded Amount, if applicable.
• Add notes if needed.
• Click Confirm Cancellation.