Scope of Change
This configuration change is specific to the British Pullman dining service. It introduces a split model where guests purchase table-based products but operations assigns individual seats.
British Pullman
Table-based selling, seat-based allocation. Guests buy tables as usual. Operations assigns individual seats per passenger. Seat numbers match the physical train layout, so local teams can work directly from what they see in the carriage.
All Other Belmond Trains
No changes. These services continue with cabin-based selling and cabin-based allocation exactly as before.
How It Works
There are now two distinct layers in Kaptio for British Pullman:
When a guest books a "Table for Two", they receive exactly what they expect. Behind the scenes, your operations team assigns those two passengers to individual seats using the Cabin & Seating tool in Kaptio. Each seat is numbered to match the physical seat on the train, so local operations teams see the same numbering in the system as on the actual carriage.
What Your Guests See
- No change to the booking experience — guests still select table types (Table for Two, Table for Four, etc.)
- No change to pricing — all prices, categories, and promotions remain the same
- No change to availability — inventory and allotment work exactly as before
- No change to confirmations — booking references and itineraries are unaffected
What Your Operations Team Gets
- Individual seat assignment per passenger, per carriage
- Seat numbers match the physical train — each seat in Kaptio corresponds to the actual seat on board, so local teams can work directly from what they see in the carriage
- Seat-level visibility in the Cabin & Seating tool showing exactly who sits where
- Flexibility to mix bookings at a table level while tracking at a seat level
- Per-carriage seat maps with real-time occupancy across all 7 British Pullman carriages
Before & After
| Cabin Template | Type | MaxOcc |
|---|---|---|
| Audrey - Table for Two 1 | Table for Two | 2 |
| Audrey - Table for Two 2 | Table for Two | 2 |
| Audrey - Table for Four 1 | Table for Four | 4 |
| ... 96 more table templates (99 total) | ||
| Cabin Template | Type | MaxOcc |
|---|---|---|
| Audrey - Seat 1 | Table for Four | 1 |
| Audrey - Seat 2 | Table for Four | 1 |
| Audrey - Seat 5 | Table for Two | 1 |
| ... 235 more seat templates (238 total) | ||
Cabin Type Occupancy Changes
All 9 British Pullman cabin types now have a max occupancy of 1 (one person per seat). Seven were changed; two were already at 1.
| Cabin Type | Before | After | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table for Two | 2 | 1 | Changed |
| Table for Three | 3 | 1 | Changed |
| Table for Four | 4 | 1 | Changed |
| Pullman Coupe by Wes Anderson | 4 | 1 | Changed |
| Pullman Dining by WA for Two | 2 | 1 | Changed |
| Pullman Dining by WA for Three | 3 | 1 | Changed |
| Celia | 12 | 1 | Changed |
| Table for One | 1 | 1 | No change |
| Pullman Dining by WA for One | 1 | 1 | No change |
Price Category ↔ Cabin Type Mapping
Price categories are unchanged. The intentional difference between what is sold (table-level) and how it is assigned (seat-level) is the foundation of this model.
| Price Category (Selling) | Guests | Cabin Type (Assignment) | Occupancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table for One | 1 | Table for One | 1 |
| Table for Two | 2 | Table for Two | 1 |
| Table for Three | 3 | Table for Three | 1 |
| Table for Four | 4 | Table for Four | 1 |
| Pullman Coupe by WA | 4 | Pullman Coupe by WA | 1 |
| Pullman Dining by WA for One | 1 | Pullman Dining WA One | 1 |
| Pullman Dining by WA for Two | 2 | Pullman Dining WA Two | 1 |
| Pullman Dining by WA for Three | 3 | Pullman Dining WA Three | 1 |
Highlighted occupancy values indicate the intentional split: a "Table for Two" seats 2 guests, but each seat is assigned individually (occupancy 1).
Seat Distribution by Carriage
238 seat templates distributed across the 7 carriages of the British Pullman. Total capacity is unchanged.
Audrey
108 seats- Table for Two 32
- Pullman Dining WA Two 24
- Table for Four 20
- Table for Three 12
- Pullman Coupe WA 8
- Pullman Dining WA Three 6
- Table for One 4
- Pullman Dining WA One 2
Celia
12 seats- Celia 12
Gwen
20 seats- Table for Two 16
- Table for Four 4
Minerva
26 seats- Table for Two 14
- Table for Four 8
- Table for Three 3
- Table for One 1
Perseus
26 seats- Table for Two 14
- Table for Four 8
- Table for Three 3
- Table for One 1
Phoenix
26 seats- Table for Two 14
- Table for Four 8
- Table for Three 3
- Table for One 1
Vera
20 seats- Table for Two 16
- Table for Four 4
Changes Performed
- Updated Cabin Type OccupancySet max occupancy to 1 on 7 British Pullman cabin types.
- Replaced Table Templates with Seat TemplatesDeleted 99 table-based templates. Created 238 individual seat templates, numbered sequentially per carriage (e.g. "Audrey - Seat 1" through "Audrey - Seat 108").
- Generated Departure Seat RecordsCreated 238 seat records for the Highclere — Bombay service departure on 2026-06-04.
- Connected Routes to the Seating ToolLinked the Highclere Castle and Bombay Sapphire routes to the London Victoria departure location, enabling the Cabin & Seating tool for these sittings.
What Was NOT Changed
- Price categories — still sell "Table for Two", "Table for Four", etc.
- Allotment and inventory — completely untouched
- Package structure and departures — no changes
- Booking flow — guests see and buy tables as before
- All other Belmond train services — no changes whatsoever
Verification
All changes have been verified in the roko-1950 org.
Current Limitations
The following are known constraints of this initial implementation. These are not issues — they reflect the current scope and may be enhanced in the future.
Seat assignment is manual
Kaptio does not automatically assign seats when a booking is made. Your operations team assigns passengers to seats using the Cabin & Seating tool. Unassigned passengers appear in the tool and can be placed at any time.
No automatic table grouping
When a "Table for Two" is booked, the two passengers are not automatically placed at adjacent seats. Your team has full flexibility to seat them wherever they choose, but Kaptio will not enforce or suggest table groupings.
Each dining sitting is assigned separately
Seats must be assigned for each dining service individually. If a passenger has bookings across multiple sittings (e.g. Bombay Sapphire and Highclere Castle), each sitting requires its own seat assignment.
No guest-facing seat selection
Guests cannot choose their own seats during booking. Seat assignment is an operations-only function and is not visible to the guest.
New departure dates require setup
Each service departure date needs its seat records generated before the Cabin & Seating tool can be used for that date. When new dates are added, let your Kaptio team know so the seats can be set up. This is a quick operation.
What This Does Not Cover
- Automated seat allocation rules (e.g. keeping families together, VIP placement) — not in scope for this release
- Guest-facing seat maps or preferences — guests cannot see or choose specific seats
- Inventory changes — allotment and availability are not affected by individual seat assignment
- Bulk seat assignment across multiple departures — each departure is handled independently
Other Belmond Train Services
This seat-based model is specific to British Pullman dining services. It was designed for the British Pullman's unique dining experience where precise seat-level control adds operational value.
All other Belmond train services continue to use the standard Kaptio cabin model: cabin-based selling and cabin-based allocation. No changes have been made to any other service.
Recommended Next Steps
1. Train your operations team
Walk through the Cabin & Seating tool with your team. They should understand how to select a service, pick a departure date and route, then assign passengers to seats within each carriage.
2. Establish a seating workflow
Decide when seats should be assigned — at booking confirmation, a set number of days before departure, or on the day. Kaptio is flexible; your process determines the timing.
3. Notify us when new departures are added
When new British Pullman departure dates are created, let your Kaptio team know so the corresponding seat records can be generated. This is quick but must be done before the tool is available for that date.
Questions?
If you have questions about how the seating model works, need additional departure dates configured, or want to discuss future enhancements, please reach out to your Kaptio account team.