What is a Travel Plan?

A Travel Plan is created by admins and/or travelers to inform administrators of all travel-related data. There are two different Travel Plan types in Via Travel:

  1. Solo
  2. Group

All plans are housed in the plan dashboard accessed by clicking the Plans view in the sub navigation menu in Via Travel.

A Solo Plan…

  • is created by a traveler in their MY TRAVEL tab
  • cannot be created by an admin
  • can be cancelled or reinstated by an admin or traveler
  • is not visible to any other traveler
  • can be edited by admins & the traveler who created it
  • cannot be associated with any other traveler
  • cannot have any group leaders assigned to it
  • is indicated with a one-person silhouette
  • has the following components:
    • Plan overview
    • Who’s Going

A Group Plan…

  • is created by an admin in the plan dashboard
  • cannot be created by a traveler
  • can be cancelled or reinstated by an admin
  • can be visible to travelers or private
  • can be edited by admins & travelers
  • can have one or more travelers associated with it
  • can have one or more group leaders assigned to it
  • is indicated with a multi-person silhouette
  • has the following components:
    • Plan overview
    • Who’s Going
    • Group itinerary

Plan overview

When a user first creates a plan, they are directed to fill out the plan overview. Some fields are required to save the plan, while others are not. If a non-required field isn’t filled out, it will not be displayed in the plan overview. When an admin views a plan, they land on the plan overview tab by default. Plan overview includes the following fields (*indicates a required field in order to save a plan):

**indicates a field only available in group plans

Plan name*

An open text field where users can add a plan name.

Plan type*

A dropdown field that allows users to add a plan type. Only one type can be selected per plan. There are 23 plan types available:

  1. Academic Exchange
  2. Artistic Performance
  3. Camp
  4. Conference
  5. Cultural Exchange
  6. Faculty/Teacher Led Travel
  7. Fellowship/Grant Travel
  8. Full Time Teaching Position
  9. Independent or Personal Travel
  10. Internship
  11. Language Exchange
  12. Mission
  13. Professional Exchange
  14. Program
  15. Program Excursion
  16. Retreat
  17. Seminar
  18. Service or Service Learning
  19. Sport Competition
  20. Student Teaching
  21. Study Abroad
  22. Training Seminar or Workshop
  23. Other

Plan availability*

A dropdown field that allows admins to indicate if a group plan is public or private:

  • Public – group plan that any traveler can see / join
  • Private – group plan that only admins can see / invite travelers to

Plan availability is not editable by admins or travelers in solo plans. All solo plans are Private.

Plan status*

A dropdown field that allows admins to add a Plan status to a solo or group plan. Only one plan status can be selected per plan. There are 4 plan statuses available:

  1. Registered
  2. Pending Approval
  3. Approved
  4. Not Approved

Travelers can never edit plan status in any solo plan they create.

Registration status*

A dropdown field that allows users to add a Registration status. Only one Registration status can be selected per plan. Registration status in public group plans affects travelers’ ability to join the plan as well as if they’re considered going or not going. There are 4 registration statuses available:

  1. Open
    • travelers can join the group plan
    • admins & group leaders can add travelers to the group plan
    • travelers are considered “going”
  2. Closed
    • travelers cannot join the group plan
    • admins can add travelers to the group plan
    • travelers are considered “going”
  3. Cancelled
    • travelers cannot join the group plan
    • admins can add travelers to the group plan
    • travelers are considered “not going”
  4. Complete
    • travelers cannot join the group plan
    • admins can add travelers to the group plan
    • travelers are considered “going”

Plan notes (admin only)

An open text field where admins can add notes to solo or group plans that are not visible to travelers.

Start date*

A date field that allows users to choose a start date of the plan. If the plan takes place in more than one location, users can add additional cities and countries as well as start and end dates by clicking + Add Another City, Country, Start & End Date.

End date*

A date field that allows users to choose an end date of the plan. If the plan takes place in more than one location, users can add additional cities and countries as well as start and end dates by clicking + Add Another City, Country, Start & End Date.

City and country search*

An open text field, connected to Google Maps, that allows users to add a city, country, or specific address for the plan. If the plan takes place in more than one location, users can add additional cities and countries as well as start and end dates by clicking + Add Another City, Country, Start & End Date.

Description

An open text field with various formatting options where users can add a plan description. If no content is added to this field, it will not be displayed on the plan overview.

Associated program**

If an organization has both Via Global and Via Travel licenses, after a group plan has been created, an admin can associated a Via Global program with a Via Travel plan.