Dynamic Packaging is becoming more and more popular with consumers and agents as an alternative to traditional al la carte purchasing of commodity travel products. Dynamic packaging refers to booking air, car and hotel travel reservations as a package (i.e. build-your-own-vacation), where pricing is presented as one total cost for the package.
AAA.com has 2 dynamic packaging vendors. American Tours International (ATI) became available as a dynamic package vendor with Release 45 and is for members only. With Release 50, Neat Group was implemented as an additional vendor. Members and non-members can make reservations on the Neat Group web site.
The default setting in Support Manager has the dynamic packaging functionality deactivated. A club will need to select the ATI or Neat Group setting in order to activate dynamic packaging. When activated, the Dynamic Packaging functionality is available via the Travel Planning, Quick Finder Component, Air, Car, Hotel and TourBook pages.
Airport or City Validation:
With ATI, the Airport or City entered is validated by aaa.com and a new browser window is opened with the ATI web site. The PackageCriteria page will remain the aaa.com primary page beneath the ATI web site page. If the Airport or City is recognized by aaa.com but packages are not available on ATI’s site, the consumer is returned to the PackageCriteria page and a new club configurable page message is displayed. The "Package Vendor Sorry Message Additional Text" page message is configurable within Content Manager.
NOTE:
There is no city validation for the Neat Group application. A new browser window is opened with the Neat Group web site. The PackageCriteria page will remain the aaa.com primary page beneath the Neat Group page. If a package is not found on the Neat Group site, the consumer remains on the Neat Group site and the consumer is asked to modify their search.
From the Travel Planning page, the new link "Build Your Trip" will be added. When selected, the user will be redirected to the PackageCriteria application page. From this new page, if the club has opted to use the ATI product, the consumer can choose the following Package Types:
Flight, Hotel and Car
Flight and Hotel
Hotel and Car
If the club has opted to use the Neat Group product, the user can choose the following Package Types:
Flight, Hotel and Car
Flight and Hotel
Hotel and Car
Flight and Car
On the Quick Finder component, a new section will be added. This new section will contain different Package Types depending on the Quick Finder component that is selected - Air, Car or Hotel. If the "Flight Only", "Car Only" or 'Hotel Only" options are selected from this new section, the search will be performed by aaa.com and will not be sent to the Dynamic Packaging vendor. The Cruise Quick Finder component will not display any of the Package Types.
NOTE: If Dynamic Packaging is activated, the IFRAME height will need to be modified to accommodate the new section.
NOTE: A new parameter has been created for clubs that want the primary AAA.com window to redirect to something other then the PackageCriteria page.
The new "HOMEURL" parameter can be appended to the end of the URL calling the QuickFinder application page. This new parameter and the accompanying URL allows clubs to determine the page the primary aaa.com window will redirect to. The accompanying URL must be encoded, meaning all characters must be converted to their hexadecimal equivalent. Below is a APPREF and basic URL sample of links to the QuickFinder application page with the new parameter and accompanying URL:
<APPREF pagename="QuickFinder" pageParm1=HOMEURLhttp%3A%2F%2F143%2E61%2E3%2E135%2Fscripts%2FWebObjects%2Edll%2FAAAOnline%2Ewoa%3Fassociation%3DAAA%26club%3D997%26page%3DcarCriteria">Link Name</APPREF>
<IFRAME src="http://www.aaa.com/scripts/WebObjects.dll/AAAOnline?association=XXX&club=###&page=QuickFinder&pageParm1=HOMEURLhttp%3A%2F%2F143%2E61%2E3%2E135%2Fclubpage%2Ehtml></IFRAME>
If you need assistance encoding your URL, the following web site has a utility where you can enter your URL and they will encode it for you.
http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_ref_urlencode.asp
On the Hotel and TourBook Accommodation pages, the new "Book Together & Save" title bar will be added. This new title bar will be added to the top of the pages. The following Package Types will be available on the title bar:
If the "Hotel Only" option is selected from this new section, the search will be performed by aaa.com and will not be sent to the Dynamic Packaging vendor. If the other Package Types are selected, the user will be redirected to the PackageCriteria application page. From this new page, the user can choose the following Package Types:
Flight, Hotel and Car
Flight and Hotel
Hotel and Car
The "Book Together & Save" title bar has been added to the top of the Air Criteria, AirMultiCriteria, Air Select and Flight Detail application pages. The "Book Together & Save" title bar from these Air pages will display the following Package Types:
Neat Group will have an additional selection for Flight + Car.
If the "Flight Only" option is selected from this new section, the search will be performed by aaa.com and will not be sent to the Dynamic Packaging vendor. If the other Package Types are selected, the user will be redirected to the PackageCriteria application page.
The "Book Together & Save" title bar has been added to the top of the Car Criteria, Car Select and Car Detail application pages. The "Book Together & Save" title bar from these Car pages will display the following Package Types:
Neat Group will have an additional selection for Flight + Car.
If the "Car Only" option is selected from this new section, the search will be performed by aaa.com and will not be sent to the Dynamic Packaging vendor. If the other Package Types are selected, the user will be redirected to the PackageCriteria application page.
For clubs using the Custom Club Quick Search functionality, please see the Custom Quick Search Document for the required values for implementing Dynamic Packaging.
Below are instructions for setting up the Dynamic Packaging functionality. The Linking Instructions contains information for creating additional links directly to the PackageCriteria application page.
Two new application pages have been generated for this functionality.
PackageCriteria - This is a services style application page.
PackageQuickSearch - This page is designed to allow clubs to control if members or non-members are allowed access to the vendor site. This page is available in the Page Attributes section of Content Manager. If only members should have access to the vendor site, the "Members Only" setting should be checked. This page will default to allow both members and non-members access.
A new page message, "Package Vendor Sorry Message Additional Text", has been created for this functionality. This new page message will be displayed on the PackageCriteria page if the Airport or City is not recognized by the vendor. The new page message can be setup in the Page Message section of Content Manager, in the Club Miscellaneous Settings. With it's implementation, the default for this page message will be blank.
NOTE: In addition to the club configurable page message, AAA.com will automatically display the following text prior to the club's page message:
"Sorry, there were no packages found for your destination.
Click below to book your arrangements separately."
To activate Dynamic Packaging, choose a vendor from the drop down list in the Package Vendor setting within Support Manager, Application Settings.
Direct links to the Partner Redirect page:
<APPREF pagename=PartnerRedirect pageparm=404 MODE=URLONLY>NEATGROUP</APPREF>
Direct links to the Partner Redirect page:
http://www.aaa.com/scripts/WebObjects.dll/AAAOnline?association=XXX&club=###&page=PartnerRedirect&PID=404
The Partner Redirect page should be used in place of direct links to the vendor. The redirect page has been created to automatically pass the required parameters to the Neat Group web site and count the number of user visits using DCS. The redirect page will require the user to login prior to directing them to the Neat Group web site. The redirect page will invoke the "Remote Sign In" functionality.
The Neat Group application allows users the ability to view perviously purchased packages. Users will be required to enter To link to this functionality use the URL below. The URL should be opened within a new window from your web site. Users will be required to enter their first and last name, confirmation number and the last four digits to their credit card to view purchased packages.
http://www.aaa.com/scripts/WebObjects.dll/AAAOnline?association=XXX&club=###&page=PartnerRedirect&PID=405