Knowledgebase: GDS and OTA Channels
OTA Contract Rates: Switching an Existing OTA Contract Rate Connection to BookingCenter
Posted by Jeff Tweddale on 20 Sep 2013 09:19 AM

It is not uncommon for a customer who is switching to BookingCenter to already use another company's Channel Manager to connect to an OTA Contract Rate, such as Booking.com or Expedia.

To avoid disruptions or problems, you will have to inform your Market Manager at the specific OTA (such as Booking.com) that you will no longer receive bookings through the current Channel Manager (such as Provider ID X).  Instead, you will be switching to a NEW Channel Manager (such as Provider ID Y - the actual ID is different for each OTA.  Please see the enrollment directions for the desired OTA switch for details.)  

When you do this, you will have to manage your bookings through the OTA's extranet (ask your Market Manager how to do this if you are unfamiliar) while we are mapping and verifying your connection to BookingCenter and our Channel Manager.  If you abandon the extranet, you may open your property up for overbookings and duplicate bookings.  Once your interface connection is certified and confirmed with BookingCenter, you can begin managing your rooms LIVE in your BookingCenter product.  

Please keep in mind, that where the booking originated from is where it will continue to be managed.  So if a booking is received in the extranet, it will stay in the extranet until completion.  It will not download into the BC software, nor will it accrue commissions from BookingCenter directly.  If the booking was made in a different Channel Manager ID, then any modifications or cancellations of that booking will not get updated through BookingCenter.  

While the specific OTAs have their own ways for handling these situations, Expedia and Booking.com both email and/or fax any updates about modifications or cancellations to bookings that originated in prior channel products.  Thus, it's imperative that you watch for emails from these OTAs and use the emails to edit/cancel bookings.

 

For OTA Contract Rate enrollment directions:  

 

A.)  Booking.com:  https://support.bookingcenter.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/271

B.)  Expedia:  https://support.bookingcenter.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/323

C.)  Priceline:  https://support.bookingcenter.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/322

D.)  Hotwire:  https://support.bookingcenter.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/386

 

 

 

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