How to Create Travel Proposal Options from Supplier Quotes
By the TripTended team
A supplier quote gives you something to review; it does not give you permission to invent a complete offer. Use two current, comparable quotes to create two proposal options, keep every amount with its original currency and source, and leave missing terms visible for an advisor to resolve.
This workflow is for travel advisors who have already reviewed the source files for one trip. The goal is a private, reviewable proposal draft. It does not book a supplier, collect money, confirm availability, or publish a client page.
Before you start
Gather the trip’s current dates and traveler scope, plus two supplier quotes that you are allowed to use for that trip. For each quote, identify:
- the full quoted total for the option, rather than a deposit or one line item;
- the currency used in that total;
- the services included and the dates they cover;
- any cancellation terms;
- the quote’s validity date; and
- payment labels, amounts and due dates, if the source states them.
Check that the two quotes are current enough to compare. If one is expired, refers to a different traveler count, or covers a different service scope, keep it open for follow-up instead of presenting the options as equivalent.
1. Match each quote to one option
Open the trip’s reviewed source files and decide what each option represents. The difference might be two hotels, two routes or two service levels. Keep the comparison meaningful: each option should describe its own included services and conditions.
Use the full quoted total for the option. Do not add a deposit to a headline price, convert currencies yourself, or combine a price from one quote with cancellation terms from another. If a quote gives a total in EUR and the other gives a total in USD, keep EUR and USD as quoted and make the difference clear to the client.
Write a short title, summary and list of highlights for each option. These descriptions are editorial text; the price, terms, validity date and payment amounts must remain tied to the source that states them.
2. Save two options as a private draft
In the trip’s Client page or Itinerary workspace, ask the assistant to prepare two options from the reviewed files, or enter the options in the normal editor. A focused request can look like this:
Prepare two proposal options for [trip name] from the reviewed quotes [source A] and [source B]. Use each quote’s full total and original currency. Include only services and terms stated in the sources. List missing validity dates or payment terms as open questions. Save a private draft for my review; do not publish, book or change prices.
The assistant’s proposal tool accepts exactly two options. Prices, cancellation terms, quote validity dates and payment amounts need source citations. The system checks that payment amounts use the option’s currency and keeps the source quote beside the saved value. Existing service lists can remain attached to the corresponding option so that you can review what will be delivered after approval.
Saving the draft does not share it with the client. It also does not contact a supplier or create a booking.
3. Review the option fields and the sources
Open each saved option and compare the structured fields with the original quote. Use this table as a review worksheet:
| Field | What to compare | If the source is missing or unclear |
|---|---|---|
| Total price | Full option total, amount and original currency | Leave the value open; ask for a corrected quote |
| Included services | Service name, category and dates | Remove an unsupported item or keep it marked for review |
| Payment schedule | Label, amount, currency and due date | Record the missing term instead of inferring a deadline |
| Cancellation terms | The exact quoted condition | Keep it open and do not promise a refund rule |
| Valid until | Date shown in the quote | Mark the quote as needing follow-up after that date |
Payment rows must add up to the option price when a schedule is present. If they do not, fix the source or the draft before publishing the proposal. A currency mismatch is also a stop: amounts are not converted automatically, and a USD payment cannot be used to complete a EUR option.
If a field has no source citation, treat it as an advisor task. A citation shows where a value came from; it does not prove that the supplier still has availability.
4. Compare scope before you share
Read the two options side by side. Check that the prices are being compared on the same basis: the same traveler count, trip dates, tax or fee treatment where stated, and included service scope. If the quotes use different assumptions, state the difference in the option summary or ask the supplier for clarification.
Use a compact comparison such as:
| Check | Option A | Option B |
|---|---|---|
| Quoted total and currency | [amount] [currency] | [amount] [currency] |
| Included services | [reviewed list] | [reviewed list] |
| Cancellation condition | [quoted or open] | [quoted or open] |
| Quote valid until | [date or open] | [date or open] |
| Payment terms | [quoted or open] | [quoted or open] |
The bracketed values are placeholders, not a customer quote. Replace them only with values you have checked in the relevant files.
Do not describe either option as confirmed because it is in a draft. Availability, final supplier confirmation and external booking remain separate checks.
5. Decide what happens after the client chooses
When the proposal is ready, publish the Proposal version for the client to review. A client can choose an option or request a change on that version; the choice is a client decision, not a supplier confirmation.
After a choice, review the approved services and arrange supplier follow-up in the appropriate external channel. Record the supplier’s actual response separately. Keep payment evidence and payment verification separate from the quoted payment schedule: a scheduled amount is an obligation described by the quote, while a receipt is evidence that still needs checking.
Only after the current approved services, supplier confirmations, payment records and remaining readiness checks support it should you prepare a Final release. Do not move from a client choice straight to Final, and do not treat a proposal draft as a booking.
When a quote is not ready to use
Pause the option and record the next question when:
- the quote is expired or its validity date is missing;
- the total is a deposit, partial service price or a different traveler scope;
- the two options use different currencies or tax assumptions that the client cannot reasonably compare;
- a payment amount does not reconcile to the quoted total;
- cancellation language is absent or ambiguous; or
- a material service, date or traveler detail conflicts with another source.
A useful next action is specific: “ask the supplier to confirm the total for four travelers and the cancellation deadline” gives you something to resolve. “Check quote” does not.
A worked input and output shape
The following is a fictional template, not a real itinerary or quote.
Input
- Quote A: [file ID], full total [amount] [currency], services [reviewed list]
- Quote B: [file ID], full total [amount] [currency], services [reviewed list]
- Missing or unclear: [validity, cancellation or payment detail]
Output
- Option A: [title], total [amount] [currency], source [file ID]
- Option B: [title], total [amount] [currency], source [file ID]
- Open task: [specific question and owner]
- Status: private draft — advisor review required
The example shows the shape of a safe comparison. It does not claim that any supplier, price or service exists.
For the preceding source-to-draft checks, read How to turn booking confirmations into a client itinerary. For a broader sequence from source review through final delivery, use the trip-delivery workflow. If you are evaluating the assistant itself, see AI assistant for travel advisors. Compare current subscription allowances on pricing, or review the free-trial limits separately.
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Prepared with AI assistance using TripTended’s documented proposal workflow. The template values are fictional placeholders. Advisors remain responsible for source review, supplier follow-up and client-facing publication.