Hotel Tasks
The Tasks Overview provides a high-level overview to familiarize readers with the general concepts and processes behind hotel-related transactions. Specific transactions or transaction flow may vary depending on the required business or travel processes. See individual tasks, transactions, or sample transactions flows for complete, detailed descriptions of data and alternative processes.
There are two basic business processes related to hotels:
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Booking a Hotel
Includes search for hotel properties, selecting an available room rate at a property, and booking the hotel segment.
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Modifying a Hotel Booking
Include modifying specific data for a booking and cancelling a hotel segment.
Booking a Hotel
There is no single, linear process for booking a hotel or modifying a booked hotel. However, the following processes for hotel booking shows some of the options. See individual tasks and Sample Hotel Transaction Flows for more detailed examples of the relationship between hotel tasks and transactions.
GWS customers also have the option of using two GWS services, in addition to XML transactions, to perform hotel search and booking tasks.
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Trip Planner eBL can be used to shop for and select hotel options, as well as air and car options.
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Reservation Builder eBL can be used to book hotel segments.
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Description |
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Travel Plan |
The travel plan is the preliminary dates, locations, and preferences for travel that are developed by the traveler or travel provider. As such, the travel plan is not part of any discrete process, but underlies the details of all subsequent business processes. |
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The process for selecting a hotel property can involve several tasks, depending on the prior knowledge of the end user, or the specifications of the client application. |
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Optional. Provides a list of specific locations for a city or metro area, such as area attractions, business centers, hospitals, or government offices. Typically used if the traveler requires hotel accommodations near a specific location. |
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Optional. Returns a comprehensive list of properties for a specified city, reference point, or postal code, regardless of availability. Often used if the traveler is unfamiliar with an area, or has very specific hotel requirements. |
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Optional, stand-alone transaction. Provides a textual description of a hotel property or chain, including contact information, directions, amenities, and general (not rate-specific) policies. |
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This process can also include property search tasks; however, this process revolves around selecting available properties and/or selecting available room rates (booking) codes. |
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Optional, but frequently used. Returns the highest and lowest available non-credentialed rates for a hotel property. Returns a more limited list of properties than a Hotel Index search, by returning only hotels with availability for the entered dates and booking codes. This task combines both selection and availability, and is typically used if the traveler or client application is willing to trade more options for a more streamlined transaction flow. |
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Required, if using a reference sell. Returns all available booking codes (room rates) for one specified property. If an Alternate Availability was requested from an Inside Availability vendor, and the requested property has no availabilities, the vendor returns alternate properties in the same hotel chain or an affiliated chain. |
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Optional, but recommended. Provides guarantee, and other policy information for a specific booking code (as opposed to general hotel policies provided in the Hotel Description). Hotel rules for a booking code are typically requested from the results of a complete hotel availability or sold hotel segment. |
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After a hotel property and available booking code are identified, the hotel reservation can be sold. Hotel, air, and car segments are booked using the same transaction. Typically, availability and pricing are made for each of the car, air, and hotel segments in a trip. The booking requests for all segments is sent in a single transaction. For the booking to be finalized on the CRS, the change to the booking file (PNR/BF) must be committed (end transacted) to the CRS. |
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Required. A booking file (PNR or BF) must either be created to sell a hotel segment, or the segment must be added to an existing booking file. |
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Committing a PNR/BF |
Required. Commits (end transacts) the changes in the booking file (PNR/BF) to the Apollo or Galileo CRS. The booking is not complete until the PNR/BF is end transacted. Note: Current booking transactions include the end transact request within the booking transaction itself. Previous versions of booking transactions required a separate transaction to end transact. |
Modifying a Hotel Booking
A sold hotel segment can be modified in a number of ways; most of these modifications can be combined in a single transaction request.
Before performing any type of modification to a hotel segment, or the data within the segment, the associated booking file (PNR/BF) must be retrieved from the Apollo Galileo CRS:
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The XML transaction that retrieves a PNR/BF is PNRBFManagement_#.
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GWS customers can also use two Web Services, used within a session, to retrieve and modify a PNR/BF:
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Itinerary eBL.
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The Modify method in Reservation Builder eBL.
Task |
Description |
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Room types can be modified without canceling and rebooking the entire hotel segment, provided that the room rate does not change. For example, a standard room with a double bed was available, but now the traveler can book a deluxe room with a king bed. |
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In many instances, dates for a hotel booking can be modified without canceling and rebooking the entire hotel segment. After modification, the dates adjust forwards or backwards, as necessary. |
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Optional hotel data includes supplementary details, such as special requests, membership program numbers, and rate information. This task allows existing data to be modified, or new data to be added. |
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If a room reservation is no longer needed, the hotel segment should be canceled. The cancellation request notifies the vendor that the room can be released back into inventory. Typically, the vendor will acknowledge the transaction by sending back a cancellation number. Before the segment can be canceled, the PNR/BF containing the booking must first be retrieved. |
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Finalizing a PNR/BF |
Required. Commits (end transacts) the changes in the booking file (PNR/BF) to the Apollo or Galileo CRS. The hotel is not complete until the PNR/BF is end transacted. As with the booking process, any changes to a sold hotel transaction must be end transacted to the CRS to be valid. Note: Current booking transactions include the end transact request within the booking transaction itself. Previous versions of booking transactions required a separate transaction to end transact. |