Included Below

About GDS Settings

The GDS Settings in chameleon™ enable third party interfaces to connect to a property's Visual One database.

Each interface must appear on the property's purchase order.

Available GDS interfaces include:

• Siteminder (channel manager).
• Pegagsus (global distribution system).
• Expedia Quick Connect (online travel agent).
• Trip Advisor Quick Connect (online travel agent).
• Avvio (hotel booking engine).

Restriction Hierarchy for GDS and OTA Platforms

Tariff Restrictions

1. All restrictions can be set on the Daily Restrictions or Quick Tariff Restrictions/Yielding.
   
   
2. chameleon™ will always look to the Daily Restrictions first.
   
   
3. Tariff Restrictions are only used if the Daily Restrictions permit the reservation to be made.
   
   
4. If a Tariff is associated with a Package, and the “Ovr Pkg Restrictions” flag is set on the Tariff, chameleon™ will look at the Tariff's Yield Restrictions instead of any restrictions set on the Package Yield.
   
   
   
   

Package Restrictions

1. Package restrictions must be set on the Package Yield module or Daily Restrictions.
   
   
2. chameleon™ will always look to the Daily Restrictions first.
   
   

3. Package Restrictions are only used if the Daily Restrictions permit the reservation to be made.
   
   

Restrictions Respected

1. The following Daily Info Restrictions are respected:
   
   
1. Closed to Arrival
   
2. Closed to Departure
   
3. No Sell Through
   
4. Minimum Nights Stay
   
5. Oversell
   
   
2. The following Package Yield Restrictions are respected:
   
   
1. Closed
   
2. Closed to Arrival
   
3. Closed to Departure
   
4. Minimum Nights Stay
   
5. Maximum Nights Stay
   
   
3. The following Tariff Restrictions are respected:
   
   
1. Closed
   
2. Closed to Arrival
   
3. Closed to Departure
   
4. Minimum Nights Stay
   
5. Maximum Nights Stay
   
6. Override package yield (if tariff is attached) flag
   
   
   

Adding a GDS Interface

The property must be enabled to allow GDS accessibility:

1. The property record must be created under “Manage Your Properties”. 
   
   
2. Select “Settings” then “Manage GDS Settings”.
   
   
   
   
3. Select “+Add New GDS”.
   
   
4. GDS Type: Select the desired GDS interface. 
   
   
5. Active: This flag enables this GDS interface to operate with chameleon™.
   
   Note: The Active flag is required to make the Rate Plans and Room Types available to the GDS. However, this task should not be completed until the GDS account is set-up to accept information from b4checkin.
   
   
6. GDS Hotel ID: Enter the hotel ID provided by the GDS platform.
   
   Note: For Expedia, a member of the b4checkin Professional Services team must enter the account information and associated account number(s) into the database, and provide the ID value from that database.
   
   
7. GDS Service URL: This is the connection URL provided by the GDS platform.
   This URL must always begin with https:// for security purposes.
   
   The URLs are as follows:
   
   Pegasus, GDS:  https://book.b4checkin.com/pegasus/
   Expedia Quick Connect: https://book.b4checkin.com/expedia/
   TripAdvisor Instant Booking: https://book.b4checkin.com/tripadvisorconnect/
   Avvio: https://book.b4checkin.com/avvio/
   Siteminder: https://book.b4checkin.com/siteminder/
   
   
8. Source Type: This field determines where rates, availability and restrictions data is obtained from Visual One.
   
   It is recommended to use the “Regular Tables – General Avail” option.
   
   
1. Regular Tables – General Avail: Using the general availability option sends the total number of rooms available in the property for each room type, whereas the web availability sends the total number of rooms available up to a maximum set under the web avail column in Web Settings within Visual One for each room type.
   
   
2. Regular Tables – Web Avail: The number of rooms that is sent is the total set under the web avail column and is not reduced based on actual number of rooms available. For example, if web avail for LDELK is set as 10 and only 2 LDELK rooms are available at the hotel the availability for LDELK sent to the third party will be 10, not 2.
   
   
3. GDS Tables: This option is used when a property would like to manage rates, availability and restrictions data using their OTA Monitor. It is possible for Visual One to provide different rates, availability and restrictions data for GDS than what chameleon™ will receive.  For example, using this option can allow a property to close BAR tariff on GDS but still allow BAR tariff to be booked on chameleon™ for selected dates. 
   
   
9. OTA Type: As provided by the Agilysys team.
   
   
10. Save.

Enable the GDS interval in the PMS settings for chameleon™

1. Select "Manage Your Properties" then select the desired property.
   
   
   
   
2. Select "PMS settings".
   
   

3. In the "V1 GDS Cache Interval" field, enter the number of minutes. This value is required for Pegasus GDS, Expedia, Siteminder, TripAdvisor's Instant Booking and Avvio. 

   
   

4. Save.
   

Once enabled, Rate Plans and Room Type records must be marked as allowed on the GDS:

1. The Room Types and Rate Plans must be created either before or during this process. See sections Agilysys Visual One Room Types & chameleon™, Agilysys Visual One Tariffs & OTA Monitor Mapping and Agilysys Visual One Packages & OTA Monitor Mapping.
   
   
2. Select “Rate Plans” then “Manage Rate Plans”.
   
   
3. Add or edit the applicable Rate Plan or Package. 
   
   Note: the Hours to Cancel and Change field must be set to 0 hours. The property will have set a cancellation period in their GDS extranet which will be respected by that GDS provider. If the change or cancellation request then hits the b4checkin interface, it will need to be accepted, which is why zero hours should be set. If this is set to a valuer larger than zero, the reservation will fail.
   
   
   
   
4. Select the check-box “Is Used in...". For example, “Is Used in Siteminder”.
   
   
5. Save.
   
   
   

About GDS Mappings

GDS Mappings can only be managed by b4checkin Super User.

Mappings must be completed when a property adds a new Rate Plan or Package to any of the GDS interfaces - b4GDS/Pegasus, Expedia, TripAdvisor Instant Booking, Avvio, or Siteminder.

Adding a GDS Mapping

1. Ensure that the GDS Type is built in the b4checkin Admin Site. 
   
   
2. Select "Property Settings". 
   
   
3. Select "Manage GDS Mappings". 
   
   
   
   
4. Select the desired GDS Type. 
   
   
5. Select "+Add New GDS Mapping".
   
   
   
   
6. GDS Hotel ID: Properties may have multiple properties built under one chameleon™ record (one PMS serving multiple properties). This ID ensures that the mapping matches the appropriate property. 
   
   
7. Room Type: Use this multi pick-list to map all applicable Room Type(s). 
   
   
8. Rate Plans: Use this multi pick-list to map all applicable Rate Plan(s).
   
   
9. Save.