Seat fallback modes

How STOP_TICKET, STOP_SEAT, and SIMILAR_SEAT differ when selected seats are unavailable at fulfillment time.

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Use this page when your booking flow includes paid seats and you must decide what Atlas should do if the selected seat is no longer available.

Short answer

Use STOP_TICKET when the seat is mandatory for the booking.

Use STOP_SEAT when ticketing matters more than the seat.

Use SIMILAR_SEAT when Atlas may complete ticketing with an alternative seat.

FAQ

When are these modes used?

They apply when the selected seat is unavailable at fulfillment time.

You choose the mode in order.do.

Does the mode affect ticket issuance?

Yes.

Each mode defines whether Atlas should stop ticketing, continue without the seat, or continue with a similar seat.

Is similarity logic exposed in the API?

No.

Atlas does not expose similarity rules for SIMILAR_SEAT.

Core difference

STOP_TICKET

What it does

Stops ticket issuance.

Cancels the whole order.

Refunds it.

Use it when

Use it when the selected seat is business-critical.

This fits products where losing the seat means the traveler should not be ticketed.

STOP_SEAT

What it does

Issues the ticket.

Removes the seat.

Refunds the seat amount.

Use it when

Use it when ticketing matters more than seat certainty.

This fits products where travel should continue even if the paid seat fails.

Operational note

For deposit customers, this may require a split fund order and a credit note.

SIMILAR_SEAT

What it does

Issues the ticket with a similar seat selected by operations.

Use it when

Use it when the traveler wants a seat outcome but does not need the exact original seat.

Operational note

If manual handling is needed, operations selects the similar seat in OPSDeck.

Quick decision rule

Use this rule in production:

• exact seat is mandatory — STOP_TICKET

• trip must continue even without the seat — STOP_SEAT

• similar seat is acceptable — SIMILAR_SEAT

Common mistakes

Leaving the mode undefined in the business design

Do not do this.

A missing business rule makes seat-failure handling unpredictable.

Choosing STOP_TICKET for low-value seat upsell

Do not do this by default.

It can cancel the whole booking for a non-critical ancillary.

Choosing SIMILAR_SEAT without business acceptance

Do not do this.

Your product team must accept that the final seat may differ.

Best practice

Set the fallback mode as a product decision, not only as a technical field.

Decide it before order.do and keep it consistent with your traveler promise.

Related pages

• Seats

• Create Order

• Payment & Ticketing

• Baggage and seat productCode freshness

• Error Codes