Group Functionality Terms and Concepts

Before you begin using group functionality, you should be familiar with the following terms and concepts. This topic defines or gives an overview of options, parties and passengers, central and individual billing, group transactions in the general ledger, and air included versus air not included. You can scroll through and read each one or click the links below to jump to a specific topic:

Options	Central and Individual Billing
Parties and Passengers	Air Included Versus Air Not Included

Parties and Passengers

In group functionality, the term party often refers to the person or entity you bill. Sales, customer payments, and provider payments are tracked per party. For example, a couple taking a cruise is usually one party, because you send one bill for both persons, and (assuming the account ID is not being billed) you receive party payments that cover both persons.

Each person in a party is referred to as a passenger. In each party, the first passenger is designated as the primary contact. This person's name displays on group travel statements.

Parties are tracked by party ID. The Interface assigns the PNR locator as the party ID because all passengers in one PNR are usually in one party. You can override this in the PNR, and you can change it in the GT passenger record and transactions.

Each passenger has a rooming code, which indicates who is rooming together. The party ID is the default for the rooming code, because passengers in a party generally room together. You can override the rooming code in the PNR, and you can change it in the passenger record.

Options

Group packages often contain options that are not included in the base package price. Typical options include side trips, special rooms or cabins, and tickets for shows.

Options do not necessarily cost the passenger. For example, options could include smoking or non-smoking rooms, or first or second seating on a cruise.

Central and Individual Billing

For incentive groups, you can bill a company for the base package and individuals for additional options. GlobalWare accounting always bills the account ID. For incentive groups, the account ID is different from the party. Also, if you use house accounts, the account ID can be different from the party. For non-incentive groups the account ID does equal the party (that is, it refers to the same set of passengers; the same actual code is not required; for example, the account ID can be EuroTour and the Party can be the PNR Locator).

The Travel & Billing Statements enables you to specify who to bill. The Travel and Billing Statement by party is includes both transactions (charges and payments) and itinerary information. The Travel and Billing Statement by account ID does not include itinerary information; it is primarily for billing an incentive group’s base package charges and payments.

Air Included Versus Air Not Included

GlobalWare enables you to include air fare in the package price, or you can price it separately. For instructions, see Setting Up Groups.