SynXis CRS Release Notes - Sabre Hospitalitymarketing.sabrehospitality.com/Release Notes/SynXis CRS Release...Guest Connect Mobile Booking Engine ... can be selected as the default

This release is scheduled for April 27, 2013. The upgrade is scheduled to begin at

7:00 AM and end at 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time. The system will be

unavailable during this time. (To see the time in your local time zone click here.)

Please note that items in this document are subject to change based on our

testing and quality assurance process.

SynXis Central Reservation System

Release Notes

SynXis Central Reservation System

Release Plan

Version 6.17

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Sabre+Hospitality+6.17+SynXis+CRS+Release&iso=20130427T06&p1=70&ah=3

SynXis CRS Release Notes 6.17

© Copyright 2013, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, Confidential & Proprietary ii

Copyright

Copyright ©2013, Sabre Hospitality Solutions™. The information contained in this publication is confidential and proprietary. No part of this document may be reproduced, disclosed to others, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language, in any form, by any means, without written permission of Sabre Hospitality Solutions.

Sabre Hospitality Solutions is not responsible for any technical inaccuracies or typographical errors contained in this publication. Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of this publication. Any reference to gender in this document is not meant to be discriminatory. The software described in this document is provided under a license agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of that agreement.

Sabre, Sabre Holdings, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, Sabre Travel Network, Sabre Airline Solutions, GetThere, Travelocity, Travelocity Business, lastminute.com, holidayautos.com, IgoUgo, Trams, Zuji, cubeless, Nexion, and WorldChoiceTravel are trademarks of an affiliate of Sabre Holdings Corporation. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. ©2003-2013 Sabre Inc. All rights reserved. Other products mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.


© Copyright 2013, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, Confidential & Proprietary iii

Table of Contents

Training ........................................................................................................................................... 5

Control Center Help ........................................................................................................................ 5

Control Center................................................................................................................................. 6

Control Center Password Reset ................................................................................................................... 6

Required Fields and Security Questions ................................................................................................ 6

Password Reset...................................................................................................................................... 6

Loyalty Program Updates .............................................................................................................................. 7

Add Import/Export Functionality for Guest and Booker Profiles in Control Center ................................ 7

Enhanced Profile Search Functionality .................................................................................................. 7

User Permission to Manage Loyalty Programs and Levels ................................................................... 7

Email List of Current and Future Bookings to Guests and Bookers ....................................................... 8

Display Only Assigned Rates to Loyalty Program Members .................................................................. 8

Email Template Copy .................................................................................................................................... 9

Monthly Pricing .............................................................................................................................................. 9

Voice Agent .......................................................................................................................................... 10

Guest Connect ...................................................................................................................................... 11

Guest Connect Mobile Booking Engine ................................................................................................ 11

Preferred Room Assignment ....................................................................................................................... 11

Transfer Rate – Alternate Availability Message .......................................................................................... 12

Email Variable Enhancement ...................................................................................................................... 12

Company Profile .......................................................................................................................................... 12

Display Name Options .......................................................................................................................... 12

Branch Name and Code Email Variables ............................................................................................. 13

Convenience Store Payments..................................................................................................................... 13

Guarantee Method Additions ...................................................................................................................... 13

Forbrugsforeningskort (FBF) ................................................................................................................ 13

China UnionPay .................................................................................................................................... 13

Commission Processing: Worldwide Payment Services (WPS) ................................................................. 14

Guest Connect .............................................................................................................................. 14

Guest Connect – Transfer Rate .................................................................................................................. 14

Control Center ...................................................................................................................................... 14

Corporation Rate Name Display on Guest Connect ................................................................................... 15

Guest Connect Mobile Booking Engine ...................................................................................... 15

Mobile Shell and Template Parameters ...................................................................................................... 15

Corporation Rate Name Display on Mobile ................................................................................................. 16

Voice Agent ................................................................................................................................... 16

New Graphical Indicators ............................................................................................................................ 16

Highlight Preferred Room Type................................................................................................................... 17


© Copyright 2013, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, Confidential & Proprietary iv

Display Corporation Rate Name ................................................................................................................. 18

Multi Copy Improvements ........................................................................................................................... 18

Attach a Booker Profile and Either a Global or Chain Agent to a Reservation ........................................... 20

Edit and Delete Company Profiles Access Point ........................................................................................ 20

Global Distribution Systems (GDS) ............................................................................................. 21

Arrival and Departure Information from GDS Reservations ........................................................................ 21

Electronic Distribution ................................................................................................................. 21

Support for Expedia Traveler Preference (ETP) Hotel Collect ................................................................... 21

Channel Connect API Availability Message Enhancements ....................................................................... 22

Support for Rate Filters ........................................................................................................................ 22

Support for Destination Searching ........................................................................................................ 22

New Channel Connect Channels ................................................................................................................ 23

Property Integration...................................................................................................................... 24

Support for China UnionPay in Reservation Delivery and Reservation Sync (OTA/HTNG/OXI Interface) 24

Remove Virtual Credit Card Data from Profile of Reservation Delivery Messages (OXI Interface) ........... 24

Booker Profile: Reservation Delivery, Reservation Sync, Profile Sync (OXI Interface) .............................. 24

New Property Integrations ........................................................................................................................... 24

Reports & Analytics ...................................................................................................................... 25

Preferred Room Types ................................................................................................................................ 25

Expedia Traveler Preference Interface ....................................................................................................... 25

Monthly Pricing ............................................................................................................................................ 25

Loyalty Programs ........................................................................................................................................ 26

Audit HOD and HCD Data ........................................................................................................................... 26

Transfer Rate Updates ................................................................................................................................ 26


© Copyright 2013, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, Confidential & Proprietary 5

Training The Sabre Hospitality Solutions Training team offers recorded and instructor-led training for all major Sabre Hospitality releases at www.sabrehospitality.com/training. We host Release classes in English, Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese.

For other training related questions, contact the training team at [email protected].

Within Sabre Hospitality University, you can access several types of classes and information:

Instructor-Led Sessions – These are live, interactive classes. To register:

1. Within the Training Library section, click the Global Class Calendar link and select your language tab at the top and your region in the map.

2. Select the class within the calendar.

3. Click REGISTER FOR CLASS and complete the details.

Self-Paced Courses – To review training videos, click on the Training Library link. Search for your course and click the link in the Name column to open. (You can use the Filters side bar to narrow your search.)

Training Materials – Click the Training Library link and enter “Presentation”,” User Guide”, or a document name in the search bar to find the document you need. (You can use the Filters side bar to narrow your search.) You can view PowerPoint presentations of the training presentations, User Guides for Voice Agent and Guest Connect, and Overviews of Control Center functionality.

Control Center Help We update Control Center Help with each release. View the What’s New in Control Center Help page to access links to the new functionality and changes.

Access Help within Control Center by selecting the Help icon in the upper right corner of the tool.

Request corrections, updates, or additions to Help and the User Guides by email at [email protected].

http://www.sabrehospitality.com/training

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



Control Center The following changes apply within Control Center effective with the 6.17 release.

Control Center Password Reset

SynXis CRS users will now be able to reset their passwords directly in Control Center without having to contact Account Management or Customer Care. Due to increased security requirements for password resets, we have added user authentication mechanisms that will be prompted after the release and when users need to reset their passwords.

Required Fields and Security Questions

On the first login to Control Center after the release, all users will be required to complete and validate the following data fields:

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Default Hotel ID

These fields will be populated with data stored within the user’s login account and may be updated. Saved information will be stored within the login account.

Users with access to multiple properties will be able to modify and search for the hotels accessible to their login. Once the system locates the hotel, it can be selected as the default hotel and saved to the login account.

After saving their required login information, users will be required to answer a set of six security questions. Users must pick one question from each dropdown and provide an answer that meets the following criteria:

Minimum length of three characters and maximum of 256 characters.

All characters supported by the CRS for use in Control Center are valid.

All CRS-supported languages are supported.

Answers are not case sensitive.

The answers will be saved to the login account and used for future password resets.

Password Reset

In case users forget or lock their password, they can begin the password reset process by clicking on the “Forgot Password?” link. To reset their password, users will be prompted to complete the following steps:

1. Confirm the four required data elements

o First Name

o Last Name

o Email Address

o Default Hotel ID

2. Answer three of the six security questions, which display randomly.



The SynXis CRS will allow four attempts to verify the required data elements and four attempts to answer the security questions.

Once validated, users will be presented with the SynXis CRS standard password reset screen and will receive an email confirming the successful password reset.

Unsuccessful password reset attempts will result in the system locking the account and sending an email to the user to inform that there was an attempt to reset their SynXis CRS password and to call their Support Representative if they did not request the reset.

Loyalty Program Updates

Add Import/Export Functionality for Guest and Booker Profiles in Control Center

To allow SynXis CRS users to manage profiles associated to a chain’s loyalty program, we have added the ability to perform updates to multiple fields of Guest and Booker Profiles in a time-effective manner. The SynXis CRS now allows users to download an Excel template containing guests or bookers associated to a loyalty program, loyalty program level, or membership ID.

To manage Guest Profile data, access Setup > Data Import > Bulk Guest Profile Data Import

To manage Booker Profile data, access Setup > Data Import > Bulk Booker Profile Data Import

Within the Excel file, users will be able to review and perform updates to the fields pertaining to each Guest or Booker’s Profile. Once all updates have been made to the Guest or Booker Profiles on the Excel spreadsheet, users can upload the template to the SynXis CRS for processing of the new data.

If users wish to update a guest or booker profile password, they must set the Update Password field to “True” and enter the new password on the “Password” field prior to the file upload to the CRS.

Enhanced Profile Search Functionality

To allow loyalty program managers to efficiently search for members by their inclusion in the loyalty program or level, we have enhanced the search functionality for Guest Profiles and Booker Profiles.

To search for Guest Profiles participating in a loyalty program, access Manage > Profiles > Guest Profiles.

To search for Booker Profiles assigned in a loyalty program, access Manage > Profiles > Booker Profiles.

Within the “Search Type” drop down, users can choose “Loyalty Program” and the new search option will display.

User Permission to Manage Loyalty Programs and Levels

To allow loyalty program managers to define which team members can edit specific loyalty programs and levels, we have added the ability to manage CRS user permissions to a chain’s loyalty program.

To define managed loyalty program assignment, access Administration > User > User Access.



If users do not have a program or program level assigned to their logins, they cannot perform the following actions:

Add/remove/modify a guest’s inclusion in a managed program.

Add/remove/modify a booker’s inclusion in a managed program.

Edit the details of a managed loyalty program, or modify its descriptions.

This functionality applies only to managed loyalty programs.

After the release, users will have to be explicitly granted access to managed programs.

Email List of Current and Future Bookings to Guests and Bookers

To allow loyalty program managers to keep their program members informed of past or current and upcoming bookings, Control Center now offers the ability to email guests or bookers with a list of their reservations.

To email a list of reservations to a guest profile, access Manage > Profiles > Guest Profiles.

To email a list of reservations to a booker profile, access Manage > Profiles > Booker Profiles.

Within the select profile type, click Email Reservations.

Control Center will present three options to filter the reservations prior to sending the list to the guest:

All Future Reservations

All Past Reservations

Reservations within a date range

To support this functionality, we created two new email templates at chain level with plain text and HTML support:

Reservation Summary for Booker

Reservation Summary for Guest

To send the list of reservations to guest and booker profiles, the “Chain Email From Address” must be filled out within Chain Administration.

Display Only Assigned Rates to Loyalty Program Members

To control which rates are presented to loyalty program members logged into the Guest Connect and Mobile Booking Engines, hotels now have the ability to only display the rate plans assigned to the guest’s loyalty program.

To configure this attribute, access Setup > Channels > Booking Engine > Template Setup.



When enabled, the booking engine template will only display the rates assigned to the loyalty program level of the guest. If disabled, the availability results will display the assigned loyalty program rates and other rates in general availability.

The default value of this attribute is “False” and it must be manually enabled at each template.

Email Template Copy

To enhance the SynXis CRS email template functionality further and to allow significant gains in efficiency, users will now be able to copy email templates within the same property or to other properties within the same chain. The system will copy all data within a template; this includes but is not limited to, HTML formats, images, variables, and photos.

To copy email templates, access Setup > Messages > Email Setup

Default templates will not be flagged as default in the destination chain or hotels unless the “Default” flag is checked in the Template Copy screen.

Monthly Pricing

Apartment rentals, condominiums, and properties that offer extended stay rates need a streamlined way to set up monthly rate plans as well as simplify the display of rates to call center agents and consumers on the booking engine.

The monthly rates functionality offers hoteliers the opportunity to define monthly pricing as well as prorate the price for additional shoulder night stays exceeding a month. Upon selection of the Monthly Rate type, users can create monthly pricing as well as define the minimum number of nights that qualify for a stay booked on a monthly rate plan.

To support Monthly Pricing, we have enhanced the pricing variables within email templates to reflect how rates are presented to guests at the time of booking. Monthly pricing management is also available in the Manage area of the system, under Manage > Availability > Rate Seasons. Due to the introduction of the option of managing either seasonal (daily) or monthly pricing in this area, the menu has been renamed to Manage > Availability > Rate Pricing.



Voice Agent

The availability display has been updated to reflect monthly rates and pro-rated rates when the length of stay requirement is met. The “Daily Pricing” title is updated to reflect Monthly rates.



Guest Connect

Hoteliers utilizing the Flex Template booking engine will have the ability to display monthly rates and pro-rated rates in a simplified manner. The rooms and rate page will alert the user to a monthly rate on the page.

Guest Connect Mobile Booking Engine

Hoteliers utilizing the Mobile booking engine will have the ability to display monthly rates and pro-rated rates

in a simplified manner. The rooms and rate page will alert the user to a monthly rate on the page.

Monthly Rates functionality is activated on the hotel level via Administration > Hotel > Hotel Maintenance.

The attribute is “Enable Creation of Monthly Rates.” The default setting is turned off.

If the hotel wishes to disable Monthly Rates, monthly rate plans will continue to exist in the SynXis CRS. It is up to the hotel to delete each individual monthly rate plan.

Preferred Room Assignment

Companies often negotiate their hotel programs to include one or more preferred room types that their employees should book when travelling. To meet this demand, hotels will be able to perform the preferred room assignment in an effective and time efficient manner. The Voice Agent Call Center application will clearly indicate the preferred room type when a negotiated rate is shopped.

To assign preferred rooms to Company Profiles, access Manage > Profiles > Preferred Room Assignments



Transfer Rate – Alternate Availability Message

To support the Transfer Rate functionality in Guest Connect, hotels now have the ability to customize at the Chain Level the message displayed within the Alternate Availability Hotel List page when the Transfer functionality has been used, to inform the guest booking that they are receiving the lowest price guarantee.

Configure in the SynXis CRS Label Setup page (Setup > Channels > Booking Engine > Label Setup).

The new label is listed under Availability Results page:

Email Variable Enhancement

Chains with a large number of hotels and content in various languages will benefit from an efficient way to manage email templates at a chain level while still being able to handle hotel level content through ten new custom email variables.

Configure in the SynXis CRS Email Setup page (Setup > Messages > General Messages).

In addition to the custom email variables, we have added three variables to populate specific hotel level data:

%Check-InTime% – As configured in Setup > Property > Policies > Local Policies

%Check-OutTime% – As configured in Setup > Property > Policies > Local Policies

%HotelURL% – As configured in Administration > Hotel > Hotel Maintenance and Setup > Property > Property Info > Basics

This enhancement will allow a chain or group of hotels to define content for each of the ten custom email variables at the hotel level while managing a single chain level email template. Each custom variable will support content in plain text as well as:

Alphanumeric characters including special characters.

Support for HTML coding.

Translation to all supported languages in the CRS.

The system will utilize the hierarchal definition as set within Chain Content Management section of Chain Maintenance for the General Messages page.

Company Profile

Display Name Options

Hotels now have the ability to define the Rate Name displayed to travelers searching for the company’s negotiated rate within the booking platforms. To satisfy this need, users are now allowed to define the “Name Display” within each company profile from a choice of six different name display options.

Configure in the SynXis CRS Company Profiles page (Manage > Profiles > Company Profiles).

The name display selection will reflect on the following channels:

Voice Agent

Guest Connect

Mobile Booking Engine

Channel Connect Booking Engine

The option “Rate Name” will be selected by default.



Branch Name and Code Email Variables

To support hotels that choose to display the branch name and code, two email variables have been added to the SynXis CRS to allow for cohesive communication throughout the booking process.

Configure in the SynXis CRS Email Setup page (Manage > Messages > Email Setup).

The following variables reflect Branch information and can be added to email templates:

%CorpBranchCode%

%CorpBranchName%

Convenience Store Payments

Consumers in Japan often use Konbini (or Convenience Stores) to pay for their online purchases, including hotel bookings. To support this important regional requirement, we added this payment method to Control Center and completed the development through the interface to Global Collect.

Configure in the SynXis CRS Payment Methods page (Setup > Property > Policies > Payment Methods).

Hotels located in Japan that have contracted payment processing through GlobalCollect can now activate Konbini as an accepted payment method. On the customer information page in Guest Connect, the guest can now choose Konbini from the Payment Methods dropdown and confirm the reservation.

Hotels must work with their Sabre Hospitality account managers and GlobalCollect contact prior to activating Konbini as an accepted payment method.

Konbini is only supported in Guest Connect.

Konbini can only be activated for properties contracted with GlobalCollect.

Guarantee Method Additions

Forbrugsforeningskort (FBF)

To improve our capabilities of supporting regional payment methods, hotels located in Denmark can now enable Forbrugsforeningskort (FBF) as a guarantee method.


FBF can be accepted as a guarantee method in the Guest Connect booking engine, Mobile booking engine, Voice Agent, and API booking engine.

FBF cards do not require a CVV.

This payment method will not be available through the GDS, IDS, and Channel Connect. FBF will not be supported through Payment Processing.

China UnionPay

To support the demand and growing importance of Chinese travelers, we have added the ability to accept the China UnionPay credit card at the time of booking.


Hotels that currently accept China UnionPay at the property will now be able to accept it as a guarantee method through the Guest Connect booking engine, Mobile booking engine, Voice Agent, API booking engine, GDS, IDS, and Channel Connect.

China UnionPay is not yet supported through Payment Processing.



Commission Processing: Worldwide Payment Services (WPS)

Hotels currently using the Travel Agent Production Report to deliver reservation data to Worldwide Payment Systems (WPS) for commission processing will now be able to subscribe to our Travel Agent Commission Processing Services for automated reservation data delivery.

The interface to Worldwide Payment Services (WPS) will send each hotel’s CRS reservations data on a weekly basis to WPS for batch processing and auditing by the subscribed hotel.

Guest Connect The following changes apply within Guest Connect effective with the 6.17 release.

See the Guest Connect User Guides on the Sabre Hospitality University site for more information. Within the Training Library, search for “User Guides: Guest Connect.”

Guest Connect – Transfer Rate

This functionality applies to the Flex Template. Configure in the SynXis CRS: Administration > Chain Administration > Alternate Availability and Manage > Profiles > Company Profiles - Chain Level page.

In version 6.16.1, we added the ability to designate and book a Transfer Rate Plan for a selected or alternate hotel in Control Center. This addition allowed the ability to book rooms in an alternate property using the lower of both property rates in Voice agent if the originally selected rate was unavailable.

The Transfer functionality has been added to Guest Connect for Chains and Brands who want to offer an alternative for negotiated rates when the consumer’s selected property is unavailable and alternate availability is in use.

This enhancement solves the problem where chains needed to offer options to convert the consumer and maintain revenue that otherwise would go to a competitor.

Consumers can now book the rate returned in an Alternate Hotel if the hotel they selected has no availability and at the same rate or lower where applicable.

The functionality will be available for Chain level profiles and only one Rate Plan per hotel should be attached to each profile. In order to enact the Transfer Rate, Alternate Availability functionality should be enabled as well as the options within the template setup page.

Control Center

A chain level message will be available and displays within the Alternate Availability when the Transfer functionality has been used, so that the consumers booking the room understand that they are receiving the lowest price guarantee. This functionality will reside at the chain level.

A new editable and translatable label “altavail_using_transferrate” can be found under Setup > Channels > Booking Engine > Label Setup.

http://www.sabrehospitalityuniversity.com/



A Company Profile’s Branch Code must be specified either within the Corporate Code field or via the URL.

Corporation Rate Name Display on Guest Connect

This functionality applies to the Flex, Guest Connect Original, and Traditional List Templates. Configure in the SynXis CRS (Manage > Profiles > Company Profiles).

This functionality will be available for hotels and chains that want to define the specific negotiated Rate Name that displays when consumers are searching for availability using Company Profiles on Guest Connect.

Consumers booking corporate or negotiated rates will now be presented with the Rate Name defined by the hotel/chain so that the rate plans associated to the Company Profile are displayed correctly when viewed on the booking engine.

The applicable Rate Name will display within the following locations:

Availability Results

Alternate Availability Results

Customer Information

Price Breakdown window

Reservation Confirmation

Reservation Modify/View

Your Stay information (Flex Template)

Review Reservation

Within Monthly Calendar functionality

Hotels and chains have the following options to specify a Corporation during Availability Check:

Pass a Branch Password with the %promo% parameter in the URL.

Enter a Branch Password in the Corporate/Promotion Code field on the Check Availability page.

Guest Connect Mobile Booking Engine The following changes apply within the Guest Connect Mobile Booking Engine effective with the 6.17 release.

Mobile Shell and Template Parameters

This functionality applies to the Mobile booking engine. Configure in the SynXis CRS (Setup > Channels > Mobile >Template Setup and Setup > Channels > Mobile > Shell Setup).

We added this functionality for chains, hotel management companies, and resellers who are having challenges managing the user experience for consumers shopping on the chain/brand level mobile website.

Hotels utilizing the mobile channel typically have their “Default”' hotel SHELL active and are using Guest Connect redirect functionality.

Previously, when consumers were shopping on the chain or brand level mobile website, and they selected hotels that were part of the chain/brand that manages their own distribution, the system would bypass the chain instance and use the hotel instance instead. This affected the user experience when the consumer encountered the hotel level look and feel instead of the chain level look and feel.



This enhancement solves the problem by maintaining the user experience when shopping on chain or brand level by adding parameters that define the shell and template used when a hotel level redirect to mobile is active.

For Example: https://mobile.synxis.com/XXXXX?brand=XX&shell=XXX&locale=en-US.

Corporation Rate Name Display on Mobile

This functionality applies to the Mobile channel. Configure in the SynXis CRS (Setup > Channels > Mobile).

This functionality will be available for hotel and chains that want to define the specific negotiated Rate Name that displays when consumers are searching for availability using Company Profiles on Guest Connect.

Consumers booking corporate or negotiated rates will now be presented with the rate name defined by the hotel/chain so that the rate plans associated to the Company Profile are displayed correctly when viewed on the Mobile booking engine.

The applicable Rate Name will display within the following locations:


Customer Information

Price Breakdown window

Reservation Confirmation

Reservation Modify/View

Review Reservation

Hotels and chains have the following options to specify a Corporation during Availability Check:

Pass a Branch Password with the %promo% parameter in the URL.

Enter a Branch Password in the Corporate/Promotion Code field on the Check Availability page.

Voice Agent The following changes apply within Voice Agent effective with the 6.17 release.

See the Voice Agent User Guide on the Sabre Hospitality University site for more information. Within the Training Library, search for “User Guides: Voice Agent.”

New Graphical Indicators

In an effort to improve usability and enhance the user experience for the call center agents, Voice Agent will include new graphical indicators to replace the text-based ones from the availability results. The goal is to allow the agents to have a quick way of identifying when relevant information has to be provided to the consumer and what each indication means in a clean efficient way.

The new indicators will provide the same information to the agent that we had before this release but in a graphical and user-friendly way.

http://www.sabrehospitalityuniversity.com/



The indicators before this release:

The new graphical indicators:

The new indicators will enhance the agent experience and usability as follows:

Highlight Preferred Room Type


The Preferred Room type setup addresses the hotel or chain need to provide the corporate consumers an option to stay at a previously agreed room type. With this release, Voice Agent supports call center agents by showing a graphical indicator to identify the Preferred Room type associated to a specific company quickly.

The visual indicator in Voice Agent will display when searching for availability of a negotiated rate linked to a specific company profile. Once the call center agent defines the company code and the associated available products are displayed, a graphical indicator will highlight the consumer Preferred Room type.



The Preferred Room type indicator is for reference only and it will not force the agents to book that specific room.

Display Corporation Rate Name


Hotels and chains have the challenge to sell a specific negotiated rate to their corporate partners as a unique rate. This need pushes the hotels to create one rate plan for each of the companies they have a negotiated rate with, adding a lot of overhead to the rate loading and management process.

We are adding the capability to display the corporate or company name as the rate plan to be sold. This will benefit the call center agents, as they will be able to give the “unique” company rate to the consumer, while maintaining a few sets of negotiated rates that can be shared across multiple companies.

In Voice Agent, the applicable Rate Name will display within the following locations:


Alternate Availability Results

Stay Details Tab

Quick Res Tab

Within Multi Rate functionality

Hotel Details

Multi Copy Improvements

Before this release, call center agents have expressed a need to reduce the complexity on the copy reservation functionality in order to reduce talk time and to make multiple reservation creation easier.

On this release, we are adding the capability for the agents to have copying tools that will simplify the multiple reservations booking process.

When one or more copies are created, the agent will be able to edit all data copied before the copied reservation is confirmed.



With this release, the agent will be able to select whether to copy the existing guest details to all reservations (current functionality) or copy the reservation details and edit the guest’s name. If the agent selects to copy the reservation details and edit the guest’s name, Voice Agent will require that the agents edit the following values:

First name

Last name

Email

In order to maintain sensitive information confidentiality, Voice Agent will not copy payment information (currently included in customer profile copy).

Voice Agent will not duplicate any third party customer profile ID (e.g. PMS/CRM).

Quick guest option will be available for the agents to choose a recent guest from the call. A drop down will auto populate with guests’ names that have been accessed during that call. This includes any guests agents have edited outside of a reservation, added to a reservation, or opened a reservation with those guests.

Guest Copy functionality allows an agent to copy from an existing consumer profile when creating a new guest from a reservation. Voice Agent allows to choose a recent consumer from the call or to search for a previously stored one.

The new copy functionality will be available both for single and multi -copy



Attach a Booker Profile and Either a Global or Chain Agent to a Reservation

Configure in the SynXis CRS Hotel Administration (Administration > Hotel > Hotel Administration).

Before this release, Voice Agent provided agents with the possibility of adding only one of the following profiles to the reservations: Booker, Global Travel Agent, or Chain Travel Agent. This caused agents to decide which one of them to leave out when two where needed.

With this release, Voice Agent users will have the possibility of adding a Booker profile to the reservation and a Global or a Chain Travel Agent to the reservation.

The agent can add both the Booker and the Travel Agent profiles to the reservation.

Although agents can add both profiles to the reservation, they can choose to add only one of them.

Edit and Delete Company Profiles Access Point

Configure in the SynXis CRS User Access page (Administration > User > User Access).

Before this release, call center agents were able to edit and delete company profiles in Voice Agent. Although warning messages displayed; in some cases, the agents accidentally modified or deleted a Company Profile.

With this release, we added a new Access Point so the hotels/chains can define whom they will assign this permission.

The default value for this Access Point is: Deny

Current CRS users will be set up as “Allow” at system level for the new Access Point, “Can Edit & Delete Company Profiles”. New users will have by default “Deny” for this Access Point.



Global Distribution Systems (GDS)

Arrival and Departure Information from GDS Reservations

Transportation detailed transmitted by the GDS will now be captured and displayed in Control Center.

Each supports the information differently:

Sabre GDS can send the air segment information, which is only sent when the arrival date of the air segment is the same as the ‘In’ date of the hotel booking.

Worldspan offers an option to send arrival information. The identifier is /ARR. The field is free text (max of 15 characters). The field can include airline information, i.e. DL 1476 – 8PM.

Amadeus agents can choose to automatically or to manually send airline arrival information, including airline code, departure city code, arrival city code, arrival terminal, and arrival time to the SynXis CRS/our hotels.

Electronic Distribution

Support for Expedia Traveler Preference (ETP) Hotel Collect

Expedia now allows their hotel partners to offer consumers an option on paying for the room booked. The guest can “pay now online” (and use the standard merchant model or “Expedia Collect” rate) or “pay later at hotel” (and use the new ETP or “Hotel Collect” rate). Hotels must enroll in the program and sign an agreement with Expedia to get started.

In order to ensure that the pricing remains the same to the guest after mark-up of the merchant rates, Expedia will calculate the pricing for the ETP rates on their side. Rate values are loaded in the SynXis CRS; however, this pricing information is not sent over to Expedia. Additionally, availability is determined by Expedia based on the associated merchant rate.

A new ETP rate code needs to be set up for each merchant rate type that will offer a payment option to the guest. This is often required for the Standalone, Advance Purchase, Corporate (Egencia), and standard Promotional rates. Package and Non-Refundable rates are excluded from the program.

While a unique ETP rate code is recommended for each associated rate type, a single ETP rate code could be used to accommodate all Expedia rates. In this case, however, the hotel would not have an easy way to identify for which rate type (standalone, corporate, etc.) the ETP rate was booked.

A new rate attribute has been added to Control Center that will need to be selected for ETP rates.



Channel Connect API Availability Message Enhancements

Support for Rate Filters

The Channel Connect API will have the ability to use standard SynXis CRS Rate Filter capabilities to limit the results returned by an availability search. This filter will be set by adding it in the OTA_HotelAvailRQ/AvailRequestSegments/AvailRequstSegment/RatePlanCandidates/RatePlanCandidates/@RatePlanFilterCode attribute in the availability request message:

<AvailRequestSegments xmlns="http://www.opentravel.org/OTA/2003/05"> <AvailRequestSegment> <RatePlanCandidates> <RatePlanCandidate RatePlanFilterCode="RateFilterXYZ"/> </RatePlanCandidates> </AvailRequestSegment> </AvailRequestSegments>

Support for Destination Searching

The Channel Connect API will have the ability to use standard SynXis CRS Destination Searching capabilities to identify the hotels to be returned in an availability search. This destination search will be triggered by adding in the destination code in the OTA_HotelAvailRQ/AvailRequestSegments/AvailRequstSegment/ Criterion/HotelRef/@AreaID attribute in the availability request message:

<Criterion> <HotelRef ChainCode="1234" AreaID="DestinationCode" /> </Criterion>

This functionality can also be used to refine the Radial Searching functionality previously supported in the API.

Chain + Radial Search

<Criterion> <Position Latitude="0" Longitude="0" /> <Radius Distance="1" DistanceMeasure="miles" /> <HotelRef ChainCode="1234" /> </Criterion>

Destination + Radial Search

<Criterion> <Position Latitude="0" Longitude="0" /> <Radius Distance="1" DistanceMeasure="miles" /> <HotelRef ChainCode="1234" AreaID="DestinationCode" /> </Criterion>

Users of the API who wish to take advantage of this functionality must recertify the availability message.



New Channel Connect Channels

Since the last release, a number of new channels have been added and are available for distribution:

Channel Channel Notes

Hotel.de Offer Summary

Distribution of Retail Rates to hotel.de and affiliate sites such as Opodo, BAHN DE, AMEX Holidayinsider, Check 24, and Holidaycheck

Retail/Best Available rates are published to ensure parity.

Hotels can increase their listing on hotel.de with the “Top Ranking” function.

This is done by increasing the commission paid to hotel.de. Other factors are

also considered in “Top Ranking.”

Commission and/or Margin

hotel.de negotiates a commission amount directly with the Hotel or Hotel Company.

Source on Channel Production Report

Trackable via Channel Production Report on End-of-Month report under rate codes

Main Source is Channel Connect; Sub Source is Hotel.de

HotelBeds Offer Summary

Distribution of Merchant or Retail Rates to HotelBeds B2B Model

Commission and/or Margin

HotelBeds negotiates a commission amount directly with the Hotel or Hotel Company.

Source on Channel Production Report

Trackable via Channel Production Report on End-of-Month report under rate codes

Main Source is Channel Connect; Sub Source is HotelBeds

Passkey Reservations Delivery from Passkey’s Group MAX system for citywide events and Direct Licensees

Who Can Participate:

1. “Citywide” refers to hotels that do not have a direct relationship with Passkey but have groups loaded in the Passkey GroupMAX System as part of a Citywide event where the Hotel has entered into a contract with the Meeting organizer to offer rooms to a Citywide Event.

2. “Direct Licensee” refers to Hotels that have a direct relationship with Passkey to utilize the Group Max system for all groups that the hotel has contracted. Citywide events are still maintained in GroupMAX for these hotels but the relationship remains between Passkey and the Meeting Organizer.

Commission and/or Margin:

For Citywide events, the hotels have agreed to the terms of the contract with the Meeting Organizer. For Direct Licensee, the hotels have agreed to the terms of the contract with Passkey.

Source on Channel Production Report:

Trackable via Channel Production Report on End-of-Month report under rate codes.

Main Source is Channel Connect

Sub Source is Passkey Channel.



Channel Channel Notes

Supported Features:

Reservation Delivery

Reservation Modify

Reservation Cancellation

This is a one-way (reservation delivery) interface. Group upload / creation is not supported.

Property Integration

Support for China UnionPay in Reservation Delivery and Reservation Sync (OTA/HTNG/OXI Interface)

As previously noted, China UnionPay is now accepted as a guarantee method and this information can be delivered in all three interfaces and synchronized in the HTNG and OXI interfaces with other property systems.

Remove Virtual Credit Card Data from Profile of Reservation Delivery Messages (OXI Interface)

Previously, Online Travel Agencies (e.g. Expedia and Travelocity) passed virtual credit card details as part of the customer profile in the reservation message. This virtual credit card was not the customer’s information, but was the Online Travel Agency’s payment information. These virtual credit cards will now be removed from the guest profile of the reservation message delivered to the Opera PMS when booked via Expedia or Travelocity but they will still be part of the reservation message.

This functionality can be specified on a property-by-property basis.

Booker Profile: Reservation Delivery, Reservation Sync, Profile Sync (OXI Interface)

Previously, the SynXis CRS did not deliver details about the Booker Profile that was used in a reservation or update Booker Profiles from the Opera PMS using Reservation Sync or Profile Sync. In addition, only a single booking agent was assignable to a reservation. Booker Profiles now have the Profile Type of “CONTACT” and reservations can be delivered and synchronized having two profile types associated with it: “CONTACT” and “TRAVEL” (for Travel Agencies).

New Property Integrations

Since the last release, a number of new property system interfaces have completed pilot and are ready for roll out to additional customers.

Interface/Vendor Type Functionality Supported

ASI FrontDesk PMS 2 Way PMS Reservation Delivery from SynXis CRS to ASI

FrontDesk PMS.

Room Inventory updates to SynXis CRS.

Rate Season updates to SynXis CRS.




Execu/Suite OTA Version 2.1 1 Way PMS Reservation Delivery from SynXis CRS to

Execu/Suite OTA Version 2.1.

NewHotel 2 Way PMS Existing functionality: Reservation Delivery from

SynXis CRS to NewHotel

New functionality: Availability (Sell Limits), Rate

Season, and Stay Controls updates to SynXis CRS

Spectra 2 Way PMS Reservation Delivery from SynXis CRS to Spectra

PMS

Room Inventory, Rate Season, and Stay Controls

updates to SynXis CRS.

Since the last release, one new property system interface has completed and is currently in pilot. It will be available for implementation in the near future:


Singular Logic 2 Way PMS Reservation Delivery from SynXis CRS to Singular Logic

PMS.

Room Inventory updates to SynXis CRS.

Rate updates to SynXis CRS.

Reports & Analytics We added the following new reports and updated functionality on existing reports effective with the 6.17 release.

Preferred Room Types

The Company Profiles and Company Profiles History Reports both now provide Preferred Room Type associations. The Company Profiles History Report shows additions, modifications, and deletions at the chain level.

Expedia Traveler Preference Interface

The following reports have been modified to provide information on the Expedia Traveler Preference Interface:

Rate Configuration Report – Details if a rate is suppressed in an ARI update. Look under the rate plan name for this information.

Rate History Report – Track changes to the “No ARI Push” rates in this report, which shows additions, modifications, and deletions of this attribute.

Hotel Rate Audit Report – Audit changes to the rates excluded from the ARI update to prevent possible loss of revenue due to ineffective rate plans for ARI channels. A new column has been added in the Activation and Rates section for non-ARI Update Rates.

Monthly Pricing

The new feature monthly pricing is flagged in the reports below with a symbol by the Rate Type Name. Monthly rates will only display if the dates selected meet the length of stay requirement.

Configured Rates



Expired Rates

Hotel Rate Audit

Rate History

Loyalty Programs

Several enhancements have been completed to enrich the Loyalty Program reporting.

The Loyalty Program Production Report is a new report, which will summarize reservations that contain either a guest profile or booker profile of a loyalty program. The report can be run to show either one or both, and will summarize across the following categories:

Hotel City and Country

Loyalty Program/Level with Loyalty Number for the Booker, the Guest or both

Reservation Status

The Guest Profile report has been enhanced to include membership numbers and their expiration dates, where applicable.

The Reservations and Reservations History reports have been enhanced to include Booker Loyalty Program and Booker Loyalty Number.

Audit HOD and HCD Data

Greater visibility into HCD interface is available through the following reporting options:

The HOD Interface Activity report now allows the HOD to be audited separately from the HCD data. When running the report, choose Only HOD, Only HCD, or Both.

We renamed the HOD History to the HOD/HCD History report and now display the HCD data in the Hotel Administration section. The new HCD section will show added items, and include the old and new values when modifications are made, plus a date/time stamp of the change. User ID is also available to track who is making changes.

Transfer Rate Updates

The Transfer Rate functionality added to Control Center in the 6.16.1 release has been enhanced to include Guest Connect reservations in addition to the Voice Agent Reservations. Accordingly, the Transfer Program Reservations report has been modified so that it also includes Guest Connect reservations.

Documents

SynXis CRS Release Notes - Sabre Hospitalitymarketing.sabrehospitality.com/Release Notes/SynXis CRS Release...Guest Connect Mobile Booking Engine ... can be selected as the default