Knowledgebase: Problem Bookings
Bookings: Double Bookings and How to Deal With Them
Posted by Jeff Tweddale on 15 Dec 2009 08:22 PM

Any time a double-booking occurs, it is problematic for the Front Desk. These can happen because of online bookings or because of operator error. 

Please follow the below action plans depending on the source of the problematic booking:  

1.)  If a double-booking originating through your website (Source = WEB) is going to need to be edited or cancelled, then you do not need to contact BookingCenter nor any agent.  Simply cancel or edit the booking as you wish.  However, it is our opinion that the Guest ought to be notified if you are going to 'downgrade' or 'side grade' them to a different room than booked.

2.)  If a booking came through a Global Booking Network source (Source = GDS, Travel Agent IATA number, etc.) it is going to need be cancelled to reconcile your double-booking.  To do so you MUST CONTACT THE GUEST and/or the AGENT who made the booking, as this Guest made a confirmed booking.  BookingCenter CANNOT cancel or otherwise move any bookings made through your Global Booking Network.  Each Booking has the Agent details attached to it, or the Guest contact details.  You need to use this contact information to get hold of the Guest or Agent.  BookingCenter does NOT notify Agents or Guests when you cancel bookings.

3.)  If you are working OTA Contract Rates - such as with Booking.com or Expedia - please visit this link for further tips:  https://support.bookingcenter.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/549.


Use the following BookingCenter tools to manage and resolve 'double bookings': 

1.)  For a Management Tool or Management Tool Pro users, double bookings cannot occur. However, bookings to OVER Rooms may occur.  Read the article at: https://support.bookingcenter.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/139 for information on this situation.

2.)  In our Desktop PMS, we have a 'Double Booking' tool that highlights conflicting duplicate bookings with large black XXX on the Availability screen and allows you to transfer one of the duplicate bookings to another room and book the other in that room (usually the one that was there first, but this is the operator's decision).  Alternatively, a user can choose to cancel one of the offending bookings - but remember to contact the Agent or Guest to do so.  BookingCenter does not notify Agents or Guests when you cancel bookings.

3.)  In MyPMS, a user can have a setting that allows them to 'Over Book' (found under Setup | PMS | Users and available only to Manager level access or higher). While this can't make two bookings for the same room, it can overbook a Room Type if this setting is checked for your user(s).  Simply transfer one of the duplicate bookings to another room type and book the other in the original room (usually the one that was there first, but this is the operator's decision).  Alternatively, cancel one of the offending bookings, but remember to contact the Agent or Guest to do so.  BookingCenter does not notify Agents or Guests when you cancel bookings.