The new Concur Travel platform makes booking flights simpler and smarter. Travelers now have a more intuitive way to set time preferences and filter flight results. As part of these improvements to the flight booking experience, some Travel Configuration settings have been updated to align with the new functionality, and a few have been switched on by default to give travelers the best experience from the start.
In this lesson, we will explore the Air Search Options on the Travel Configuration page, covering settings that impact the Trip Search area as well as those affecting the booking process. We will walk through where to locate these settings and explain the functionality of each option, showing how they can be used to tailor the flight search experience for your organization in new Concur Travel, improving efficiency and compliance.
This lesson will cover the following options:
- Default Departure Hour
- Default Return Hour
- Default Search Window (Domestic)
- Default Search Window (International)
- Minimum Window
- Maximum Window
- Use domestic default search window for intra-region flights
- Use the domestic and international Default Search Windows for the Travel Policy Time Windows
- Hide Multiseg Air/Rail Search Option checkbox
- Use ePricing Search (option names vary by GDS)
- Company uses Air France Abonnement
Default Departure Hour/ Default Return Hour
Administrators can determine a default departure and return hour by using the Default Departure Hour (Hooville) and Default Return Hour (Hooville) settings found on the Travel Configuration page in the Wizard Options section.
The Date and Time window's time slider uses the hour configured in Travel Configuration as its starting value.
Review the following example for a closer look at these settings in action and what the user sees during the booking process.
- Default Departure Hour is set to 9am
- Default Return Hour is set to 5pm
- Default Search Window (Domestic) is set to 3 hours
- Slider defaults to +- 3 hours from the default departure time of 9am on outbound and 5pm on return
Default Search Window (Domestic) /Default Search Window (International)
For both domestic and international trips, you can select a numeric value for the default search window from 1-12.
The default window will pre-populate when the traveler enters the city/airports of origin and destination on the Flight Search tab.
Review the following example for a closer look at these settings in action and what the user sees during the booking process for a Domestic flight.
- Default Departure Hour is set to 9am
- Default Return Hour is set to 5pm
- Default Search Window (Domestic) is set to 3 hours.
- Slider defaults to +- 3 hours from the default departure time of 9am on outbound and 5pm on return
It is also possible to use the Default Search Window (domestic) field for flights within the same region if the option Use domestic default search window for intra-region flights is enabled.
- If enabled the domestic default search window will be considered for intra-region flights.
- If disabled, the international default search window will be considered for intra-region flights.
Review the following image for what the user sees when searching for intra-region flights with this setting enabled. The user is flying from Los Angeles in the United States to Vancouver in Canada. With the setting, Use domestic default search window for intra-region flights, enabled, the slider defaults to the domestic default search window of 3 hours, as the flight is intra-region.
Review the following image for what the user sees when searching for intra-region flights with this setting disabled. The user is flying from Los Angeles in the United States to Vancouver in Canada. With the setting, Use domestic default search window for intra-region flights, disabled, the slider defaults to the International default search window of 6 hours.
Minimum Window
The Minimum Search Window setting controls the smallest time window a traveler can select when searching for flights.
Maximum Window
In new Concur Travel, the Maximum Window setting in the Travel Configuration, no longer restricts the time range as travelers always have the option to expand the time range slider to Anytime, giving them full flexibility and control over their flight search.
Show Morning, Afternoon, Evening and Anytime
This setting in the legacy experience, controls whether the Anytime option, as well as Morning, Afternoon and Evenings options appear. In new Concur Travel, this has been replaced by a more streamlined approach. Thanks to the improved time slider, there's no longer a need for this setting to be enabled as the slider gives travelers a simple, flexible way to indicate any preferred departure or arrival time range, with Anytime always available. It's a smoother, more intuitive experience that puts travelers in control.
It is still possible to set Anytime as the opening selection for all searches. Review the process below;
- In the Wizard Options on the Travel configuration page, set the Default departure hour and Default return hour options to 12pm.
- In the Air Search Options configuration settings, set the Default Search Window (Domestic) and Default Search Window (International) options to 12 hrs.
The Departure time will default to Anytime.
Use the domestic and international Default Search Windows for the Travel Policy Time Windows
The option Use the domestic and international Default Search Windows for the Travel Policy Time Windows is used when setting up the Lowest Logical Fare (LLF), specifically the criteria for the Time Window. The value to be used should be different from the value of the Default Search Windows Domestic and International. For more information about LLF, please see the unit Working with Travel Policy in Travel Admin and the unit Exploring Wizard Options.
Hide Multiseg Air/Rail Search Option checkbox
Enable this checkbox to remove the Multi City tab from the Flight and Train Search tabs, preventing users from booking multi-segment trips. Review the following example to see what the user experiences during the booking process when the option is enabled (checked) or disabled (unchecked).
If enabled (checked), users do not see the multi-city search option in the Flight Search area;
If disabled (unchecked), users do see the multi-city search option in the Flight Search area and are able to enter a maximum of four flights in new Concur Travel. If more than four flights are required; users are able to redirect to the legacy experience to complete the reservation.
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Use E-Pricing Search in Apollo/Galileo
E-Pricing automates the search for flight availability and fares in Apollo/Galileo, delivering real-time results. Instead of manual fare searches, E-Pricing electronically queries the airlines' databases to provide the latest options, including promotional fares, negotiated rates, and complex fare rules. When a corporate booking system, such as one integrated with SAP Concur, initiates a flight search, E-Pricing returns available flights, fare classes, restrictions, and total pricing based on your search criteria.
To activate E-Pricing, take the following steps:
- Verify that your Apollo/Galileo profile or agency configuration has E-Pricing enabled
- Make any necessary adjustments in the terminal or agency management interface
- On the Travel Configuration page, select the checkbox for Use E-Pricing Search
After you enable this option and save your changes, the checkbox will be grayed out, confirming activation. See the following image as an example.
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| GDS | Setting Name |
|---|---|
| Apollo/Galileo | Use E-Pricing Search |
| Amadeus | Use Master Pricer Travel Board |
| Sabre | Use Bargain Finder Max Search |
Use Bargain Finder Max Search in Sabre
Bargain Finder is an automated fare shopping tool in Sabre that identifies the lowest available fares for any itinerary. When you enter flight search criteria, Bargain Finder runs a comprehensive search across multiple airlines, fare classes, and flight options. The tool returns real-time results, including numerous itinerary choices organized by price and schedule, and applies complex fare rules and restrictions to ensure accuracy.
To enable Use Bargain Finder Max Search, take the following steps:
- Confirm that Bargain Finder Max is active in your Sabre pseudo city and contact your Sabre account representative if necessary
- On the Travel Configuration page, select the checkbox for Use Bargain Finder Max Search
- Choose a value between 50 and 200, as set by Sabre for Max Search Results
After you enable this option and save your changes, the checkbox will be grayed out, confirming activation. See the following image as an example.
A few things to consider when enabling this option:
- The feature must be active in the customer's Sabre pseudo city before it can be enabled in Travel. Contact your Sabre account representative to activate
- Bargain Finder Max provides up to 200 itinerary options per search, including a variety of prices, carriers, flight types, durations, and flexible times
- If Bargain Finder Max is enabled and Max Search Results is set to 200, admins can select a value greater than 9 for Maximum Window for the time window
- The Shop Across Passenger Types (SAPT)checkbox appears only if both Bargain Finder Max and SAPT are enabled by Sabre for the SWS agency, and Allow Shop Across Passenger Types is set to True by SAP Concur support
- Once configuration is saved, these fields become read-only
Use Master Pricer Travel Board in Amadeus
Master Pricer Travel Board is an Amadeus fare search feature that delivers fast, comprehensive, and competitive airfare results. The Travel Board is a specific feature or variant of Master Pricer, focused on delivering a grid or matrix of the lowest available fares across multiple dates and/or destinations in a single, visual display.
When a user enters the origin, destination, and a date range or flexible dates, Master Pricer Travel Board runs an advanced search across multiple airlines, fare classes, and dates. The results appear in a table or calendar format, allowing users to quickly identify the best travel dates and lowest prices.
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Company uses Air France Abonnement
The Air France Abonnement Card (Carte d’Abonnement) is an advantage program for travel discounts. Enabling this is a two-part process:
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To enable this option:
- Select the checkbox for the Company uses Air France Abonnement option on the Travel Configuration page
- On the User Profile page in the Advantage Programs section, select Add a Program
- Select Air France in the Add Travel Programs pop-up window
Review the example of the enablement steps depicted in the following graphic.
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