Sample Hotel Transaction Flows

The following hotel transactions overview provide examples of typical flows for hotel transactions within standard business processes. The transaction flows show the “happy path” for a common use of hotel transactions.

These examples are NOT:

• Intended to provide a comprehensive description of all possible hotel-related transactions, variables, or error responses. Additional transaction-level documentation and XML samples provide further information about alternative methods for performing hotel processes.

• Intended to provide code samples for client applications. Each of the Galileo products that uses XML transactions provides sample code.

• Preferred practices can vary by region and organization.

Definitions

The following definitions apply to Transaction Flow content:

• Business Process: The travel-related purpose behind a specific activity or transaction. The reason why a specific activity is performed.

• User Activity: A specific interaction between the end user and the client application to support a business process.

• Client Activity: A specific interaction between the end user and the client application.

Note: User activities and client activities can be interchangeable, depending on the level of manual or programmatic input designed into a specific client application.

• Task: The specific Galileo International-specific activity required to support the User or Client Activity. The task explains how a specific business process is enacted as it relates directly to a CRS, Web Service, or other Galileo-specific environment or process.

• Transaction: The actual request and response data that is transmitted between the client application and the CRS or Web Service.

Transaction Flows

Transaction Flow 1

In this Transaction Flow, a hotel room is booked by using an index to search for hotel properties. This transaction flow is often typical in agency-oriented travel applications.

 

Step 1	Retrieving Reference Points
Step 2	Requesting a Hotel Index
Step 3	Requesting a Complete Hotel Availability
Step 4	Booking the Hotel Segment using Booking eBL   Note: The Reservation Builder eBL Web Service is available to Galileo Web Services customers only. XML Select and XML API Desktop customers can use the XML transactions shown in Step 5 of Hotel Transaction Flow 2 to book hotel segments.

Transaction Flow 2

In this Transaction Flow, a hotel room is booked by using a standard hotel to simultaneously search for available hotel properties and room rates. This transaction flow is often typical in consumer-oriented travel applications.

 

Step 1	Requesting a Standard Hotel Availability
Step 2	Requesting a Hotel Description
Step 3	Requesting a Complete Hotel Availability
Step 4	Retrieving Hotel Rules
Step 5	Booking a Hotel Segment Using PNRBFManagement Note: Galileo Web Services customers also have the option of using Reservation Builder eBL to book hotel segments, as shown in Hotel Transaction Flow 1, Step 4.