Each Agent and the corresponding channel is Availability and Rates plans to each of these channels is setup and managed individually. and distribution is managed in each individual channel

Agent

Because you can setup and manage a unique set of Room allocations and Rate Plans to each Agent Channel, we refer to this as an Agent Relationship. Examples of Agents Channels include the frontdesk, website, buuteeq, GDS, Booking.com and other online travel agents.

All Agent Channels are listed and managed in SETUP | RELATIONSHIPS | AGENT RELATIONSHIPS.

The BookingCenter PMS system automatically provides four Master Agent Channels by default. These agents control the availability and rates to your basic channels: frontdesk, members area, website and GDS (if activated). They must have Room and Rate allocations in order to function properly and are automatically populated with the Room Types and Rate Plans you setup in your system.

The other two types of Agents are the PMS Agent and Net Rate Agent. Both of these are optional and are activated when you either create a special agent or promo code, or sign-up and activate a OTA Contract Rate Program.

Once you have decided to sell your rooms online, it is time to think about how you will manage the availability and rates of these rooms to each Agent Channel. Since each Agent has a unique set of conditions and commission rates, you many want to tailor Room Allocation and Rate Plans to fit each channel.

Managing Availability and Rates on Website. If you are ONLY selling rooms on your website, go to Master Agents.

If you are selling your rooms on your website AND through general GDS distribution

If you are selling rooms ONLY on buuteeq

If


 

 

Selling rooms online or, Online Distribution is process that first involves setting up your Agents and then allocating the Rooms and Rate plans to those Channels. The number and types of channels you will manage depend on what you have elected to sign-up for or activate.

Summary of three types of Agents ( See below for details and examples of each type of Agent)

  • Master Agents: These agents control the availability and rates to your basic channels:  They must have allocations in order to function properly.
  • PMS Agents: These are "special" agents that you have set up in the My Agents area. This Agent is also used to set up Promotional Codes.
  • Net Rate Agents

for each Agent Channel that you have setup. Selling your rooms through these channels is online distribution and managing these rooms and rates is done in AGent Relationships

 

Online Distribution (Selling rooms online) and Channel Management (Managing Rates and Availability to each channel)

There are two important parts to the process of selling your rooms online:

  1. Managing Rates and Availability
  2. Allocating the Rooms and Rates to each Agent Channel.

 

 

MyPMS offers several options for managing Rates and Availability depending on the needs of your property.

The one basic requirement for ensuring

Allocation of Rooms

Managing Rates

MyPMS offers a Channel Manager,  Think about the amount of rooms you want to offer and the rates you will offer them for. Since each agent has a unique set of conditions and commission rates, the a,  either through your website, GDS or OTA channels and/or Special Agents

In MyPMS distributing and selling Rooms online is done through Agent Channels. Agent Channels  are independent and unique to the each agent through which you sell your rooms online.  Each Agent Managing availability and rates of these rooms  MyPMS allows you to Each Agent in the Agent Relationships list has a unique and individual channel there are three types of Agents:

  • Master Agent
  • PMS Agent
  • Net Rate Agent

 

 

to which you can allocate Room Types with Rate Plans.

Each of these Channels can be further managed through Rate Loading and modifying the percentage (%) of the Rooms allocated in a Room Type.

Therefore, there are 3 ways to manage Availablity and Rates to Agent Channgels:

  1. Room Type/Rate Allocations
  2. Rate Loading


Types of Agents


Master Agents:These agents control the availability and rates to your basic channels. They must have allocations in order to function property

  • Agent MyPMS (viewable in the Front Desk Area when making bookings.)
  • Agent BC  (Distributes Rooms to your Booking Engine and Website)
  • Agent BCM Members Area Booking
  • Agent WR (Global Booking Network - Displays allocations on all GDS channels). Note: This will only appear if you are signed up for GDS.

Net Rate Agents: These agents will only be visible if you have signed up for a Contract Program with a major OTA

Contract Rate programs are run by mass sellers such as,Booking.com, Travelocity, Hotwire, Orbitz, Expedia, and Priceline. In these programs, properties agree to a reduced rate and the company pays you for the contracted rate instead of the guest. These are good ways to stay booked, especially in slow seasons, as the travel sites always give priority to their properties displaying Net Rates. BookingCenter can sign you up for nearly all Net Rate companies and automate the delivery of availability, rates, and bookings through these programs.

Usually we recommend waiting a few months to see the results of the distribution and marketing BookingCenter can do on your behalf, before signing up for a Net Rate contract. We have a complete list of Net Rate companies we can automate at: http://www.bookingcenter.com/products/net_rate.html. Contact mailto:GDS_Support@BookingCenter.com to request enrollment into any Net rate program.

PMS Agents

  • These are agents that you have set up in the My Agents area.

buuteeq website:

  • Choose the Agent BUT and follow the steps above to manage the allocations to your buuteeq website

 

You can add multiple Rates to a single Room Type in each Agent. There can be multiple Rate Plans assigned to one Room Type and a Room Type can be allocated to multiple channels. For example, If you wanted to offer the same NSK (non smoking king) Room Type at 3 different rates (i.e., Rack, AAA, and COR), then you would need to the Room Type 3 times each with the separate and corresponding Rate attached. One for the RACK, one for the AAA, and one for a COR rate. This would allow your guest to choose from these 3 rates when booking the NSK rooms.To learn how, go to

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