Trip Types

Overview

Sixième Étoile organizes every transport mission into one of four trip types. The type selected at quote creation time determines how the pricing engine calculates amounts, which line items appear automatically, and how the mission is tracked operationally.

Choosing the wrong trip type forces manual corrections downstream and can cause invoicing errors, so it is worth understanding each type before creating quotes.

Transfer

A Transfer (TRANSFER) is a point-to-point trip with a defined origin, a defined destination, a scheduled departure time, and a fixed passenger count.

Typical use cases:

• Airport and train-station transfers
• Hotel pick-ups / drop-offs
• Corporate fixed-route shuttles

How pricing works for Transfer: The pricing engine looks up the applicable zone-route from the operator's tariff grid (ZoneRoute) for the origin–destination pair and vehicle category. If Quote.pricingMode is set to FIXED_GRID, the system inserts the contracted price as the unit price on the main transport line. If pricingMode is DYNAMIC, the price is computed from active tariff rules (distance, time, surcharges).

Key fields populated automatically:

• Pickup address
• Drop-off address
• Passenger count
• Distance estimate (when route is resolved)

Tip: For recurring airport runs on a contracted tariff, always use FIXED_GRID pricing mode. This prevents unexpected price changes if the dynamic ruleset is modified.

Excursion

An Excursion (EXCURSION) is a trip that starts and ends at the same point of origin, visiting one or more intermediate stops. The vehicle and driver remain available throughout the outing.

Typical use cases:

• Day tours (vineyards, sightseeing circuits)
• Multi-stop corporate visits returning to departure hotel
• Evening events with a fixed return

How pricing works for Excursion: Excursion pricing is typically time-based (hourly or half-day rate) combined with an optional per-kilometre overage. The cockpit generates a transport line for the base duration and a separate overage line that can be adjusted after the mission completes.

Key differences from Transfer:

• The return leg is included in the same quote, not a separate mission
• Duration is the primary billing driver, not distance
• Intermediate stops are listed as free-text notes on the line item, not separate addresses

Dispo (MAD — Mise à Disposition)

Dispo (DISPO), short for mise à disposition (vehicle and driver on standby), is used when a client reserves exclusive use of a vehicle and driver for a defined period without a fixed itinerary.

Typical use cases:

• Corporate accounts billing by the half-day or full day
• Event days where the driver is on-call between multiple pick-ups
• VIP personal security arrangements

How pricing works for Dispo: The quote contains a duration line (e.g., 4 hours) with an hourly rate and, optionally, kilometre overage lines. At the end of the mission the dispatcher enters actual hours and kilometres; the difference from the originally quoted amount generates a correction line automatically.

Key fields:

• Start time and end time (or duration)
• Hourly rate (unit price on the Dispo line)
• Included kilometre allowance

Note: Unlike Transfer and Excursion, a Dispo quote does not require origin and destination addresses at creation time. The pickup address is still recommended to route the driver correctly at the start of the mission.

Off-grid

Off-grid (OFF_GRID) is a free-form type for non-standard arrangements that do not fit any of the other three categories. The pricing engine does not attempt automatic price calculation for Off-grid missions.

Typical use cases:

• Negotiated flat-fee contracts entered manually
• Sub-contracted trips where external billing applies
• Internal transfers billed at zero (no charge to client)

How pricing works for Off-grid: All lines must be entered manually. No tariff grid lookup or dynamic calculation is performed. The operator has full control over description, unit price, quantity, and VAT rate on every line.

Warning: Because Off-grid bypasses automatic pricing, it should be used only when no other trip type matches. Systematic use of Off-grid makes reporting and pricing analytics unreliable.

Choosing the Right Trip Type

Changing the Trip Type After Quote Creation

The trip type can be changed on a quote that is still in Draft status. After the quote status moves to Sent or later, the trip type field becomes read-only to preserve audit consistency.

If you need to correct the trip type on a sent quote, duplicate the quote (cockpit action menu → Duplicate), correct the type on the copy, then decline the original.