When an activity uses manual seat assignment, you'll assign guests to specific seats before each trip using the Seat Assignment view. This is accessed from the Manifest.

Accessing Seat Assignment

1. Navigate to Manifest
2. Select the date you want to assign seats for
3. Choose the Seat Assignment button (chair icon) in the upper right 

Creating a Seat Assignment View

When you select Seat Assignment, you'll first select which bookings to include by creating a new view:

1. Name the view: Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "Evening Luau - March 15")
2. Select activities: Choose which activities to include (only activities using the same seat map can be selected together)
3. Choose Create View

The Seat Assignment View

The view is divided into two panels:

Left Panel - Bookings

• Lists all bookings for the selected activity
• Shows lead guest name, trip total, and ticket count
• Filter by assigned/unassigned status or by time slot
• Search by guest name

Right Panel - Seat Map

• Visual representation of your seating layout
• Color-coded seat status:
  • Gray: Available
  • Blue: Occupied
  • Yellow: Just Assigned
  • Red: Blocked

Assigning Seats

Manual Assignment

1. Select an unassigned booking in the left panel
2. The booking is highlighted and ready to assign
3. Drag and drop onto an available table in the seat map to assign the entire group
4. Repeat for remaining bookings
5. Once all seats are assigned, choose Save in the upper right

Auto-Assign All

To quickly assign all unassigned bookings:

1. Select Auto-Assign in the toolbar
2. Confirm the action
3. The system will assign bookings to available seats, keeping parties together when possible

Managing Seats

Blocking Seats

Block seats for maintenance, VIP holds, or other reasons:

1. Choose Block Mode in the toolbar
2. Select individual seats to block/unblock them
3. Blocked seats appear in red and cannot be assigned

Unassigning a Booking

1. Find the booking in the left panel
2. Select the X next to the table and seat assignment
3. Confirm the unassignment
4. The seats become available again

Printing Seat Tickets

Print tickets to hand to guests at check-in:

1. Assign all bookings to seats
2. Choose the Print button in the header
3. Review the print preview (10 tickets per page)
4. Select Print Tickets

Each ticket shows:

• Table/seat number
• Lead guest name
• Confirmation number
• Guest count with breakdown (Adult, Youth, Child, etc.)

Tips for Efficient Seat Assignment

• Assign larger parties first: Ensures they get contiguous seating
• Use filters: Focus on unassigned bookings to track progress
• Check special requests: Review custom fields like dietary restrictions before assigning
• Block problem seats: Mark any seats that are out of service