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GDS by SiteMinder - Quick Reference Guide
GDS by SiteMinder - Quick Reference Guide
Updated over a week ago

Quick Reference Guide will show you the basic functionalities of GDS bySiteMinder

Overview

We recommend you spend some time reviewing this document prior to logging into the extranet. If you have questions that are not covered within this document, please view the Help button in the top right-hand corner of the extranet, or contact your local GDS by SiteMinder support team:

Generally, pricing and availability will be updated via The Channel Manager, and as such some information contained within this document is for reference only. Other data being sent from The Channel Manager to the CRS includes:

  • Minimum Length of Stay (Inventory Grid)

  • Stop Sells (Inventory Grid)

  • Close to arrival & close to departure (Inventory Grid)

  • Included occupancy (room mapping)

  • Extra adult/child rates (room mapping)

  • Single occupant discount (room mapping)

Please contact the GDS by SiteMinder team on the above address if you require assistance with any of the following within the GDS by SiteMinder extranet:

  • Editing property information

  • Editing room or rate information

  • Adding a rate, including a negotiated rate

  • Adding a room

  • Any other questions/queries regarding the GDS

Reservations

  1. Search Reservations

Manage > Reservations > Search Reservations

The Search Reservations page can be used to search for specific bookings, using one of several criteria. Searching in this way allows you to view the full history of the reservation such as customer and booking agent information. Credit card details can be retrieved via The Channel Manager.

Reservation information screenshot

Within the Reservation History section of this page, you are also able to see when the reservation was made and, if modified or cancelled, the date/time this change was made.

  1. New Reservations

Manage > Reservations > New Reservations

The New Reservations page displays all new, unviewed reservations up to 7 days past arrival. If the message ‘No New Reservations Found’ is displayed, you have viewed all new reservations.

Screenshot

Reports

  1. Reservations

Reports > Reservation > Reservations

The Reservations report generates data based on the last activity on the reservation and shows information such as confirmation number, reservation status, arrival & departure dates, guest name, GDS source, average rate and more. Please note that all reports are generated in a new window – you will need to allow pop ups from gds.siteminder.com in your browser to view the report.

If you have multiple properties attached to your login, you can also use this report to view reservation information from two or more hotels.

Screenshot

  1. Negotiated Rate Production

Reports > Rate > Negotiated Rate Production

The Negotiated Rate Production report provides information on the number of reservations each of your negotiated rates is generating. It also includes statistics on revenue, average daily rate (ADR), nights, and length of stay.

Screenshot

Availability

Pricing View
Manage > Availability > Pricing View

Pricing View is a useful tool to see whether a room or rate is available on a given date, and at what price. Based on the criteria entered, it is possible to view what is accessible to agents booking through the GDS channel.

Screenshot

If a rate is unavailable for the selected dates, it will advise the reason why.

Screenshot

Troubleshooting / FAQs

  1. An agent can’t access a negotiated rate

  2. Check that the rate is available for the date and rate in question using the Pricing View tool (Manage > Availability)

  3. Check that there is availability in place in The Channel Manager, and that the room/rate is mapped to the GDS by SiteMinder channel.

If the rate is unavailable due to lack of availability over the requested dates, check different dates using the Pricing View tool and ask agent to reconfirm. If the rate is incorrectly showing as unavailable, or the rate is showing as available in Pricing View, but agent is still unable to book, please contact your local GDS by SiteMinder support team with the following information:

  • Name of rate attempting to access

  • The GDS the agent is using (Sabre, Galileo, Amadeus, Worldspan)

  • Rate access code (RAC) the agent is using

  • Pseudo city code (PCC) of the agent

  • Dates being searched

  • A user is unable to access credit card details

  • Credit card details are stored in The Channel Manager

  • Please note that SiteMinder employees have do not have access to retrieve credit card information.

  • A reservation is missing some of the guest’s contact information

  • In most cases, travel agents will not provide guest contact details other than the name, as the guest has engaged the agent to act on their behalf.

  • The travel agent, as the travel booker, should be the first point of contact for hotel communications.

Glossary

Term| What it means
---|---
Amadeus| A GDS Provider, serving over 200 markets around the world. Amadeus serves many different companies including airlines, travel agents, hotel operators and car rental companies.
Central Reservation System (CRS)| The system used to manage a hotel’s distribution and room bookings. In this instance, gds.siteminder.com.
Chain Code| The two-character code used to identify hotel chains within a GDS, Chain codes may vary by GDS.
City Code| 3-letter code of a location (airport, city) or identify which airport or city uses a particular code.
Global Distribution System (GDS)| Reservation platform offering comprehensive travel shopping to travel agents worldwide. GDS by SiteMinder works with Sabre/Abacus, Amadeus, Apollo/Galileo and Worldspan.
Consortia| Marketing organisations that link together small to medium sized independent travel agencies to leverage purchasing power and marketing opportunities.
Derived Rates| Rates that are linked to and track another rate. E.g. CONBTI linked to CONAMX but 5% less.
Galileo| A global distribution system serving users in Europe, South America, Asia and Africa. The Galileo system is managed by Galileo International, a subsidiary of Cendant Corporation, and uses “RoomMaster” for hotel bookings. It's parent company is Travelport.
Geo-coding| The process of defining locations using degrees of longitude and latitude.
Government Rate| A rate offered at a discount to Government and other not for profit organisation employees. Government rates are generally accessible to all travel agents using a ‘Government’ search qualifier. Usually, some form of identification is required as proof the guest is travelling for this purpose.
Guaranteed Reservation| A hotel reservation secured by a credit card number or Travel agent IATA. In exchange for card number or IATA, the hotel promises to have a room for traveller no matter when you show up.
IATA| International Air Transport Association (IATA) – Geneva-based association of airline companies that operate international services and establish standard practices. IATA accredits would-be travel agents throughout the world. This certification includes issuance of an ID-code, termed an IATA number. IATA numbers are used as the travel agent identifier in reservations to allow suppliers, including hotels, to pay commissions.
Negotiated Rate| A price or rate for a hotel room, set through an agreement between the property and an entity such as a company. Negotiated rates apply to a specifically defined group or category of travellers for a specified period, after which the rate no longer applies and must be renegotiated.
Passenger Name Record (PNR)| The GDS file or record that contains information about a passenger’s travel plans, including flight itinerary, hotel booking segments, car rental booking segments, and related details.
Pegasus| Distribution service offers "seamless connectivity" between the GDSs (above) and the hotel central reservations systems through its GDS Seamless Interface. This allows travel agents to "search and shop" for the right hotel room on a real-time basis.
Pseudo City Code (PCC)| Identifier that distinguishes one travel agency location from another. Depending on the GDS, this is usually a three to five- character code. If an agent’s PCC is not loaded against a rate access code, they will not be able to view the rate.
Public Rate| A rate or price that is not subject to any restrictions based on channel or promotions. A public rate is available to all travellers.
Rate Access Code (RAC)| The code used by agents to access a specific rate, such as a company negotiated rate, within the GDS.
RELOC (Record relocator)| When a passenger, travel agent or airline employee refers to a record locator they typically mean a pointer to a specific reservation which is known as a Passenger Name Record or PNR. Example record locators for the GDS are RMT33W, KZVGX5, IIRCYC.
Sabre| A GDS offered by Sabre Holdings. Sabre Holdings is a provider of travel technology services and electronic travel distribution for the travel and transportation industries.
Worldspan| Is a GDS that provides software used by travel agents to book airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, etc. Worldspan was formed in early 1990 when Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, and Trans World Airlines decided to merge their reservations systems into a single system. It's parent company in Travelport.

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