This article explains what happens in RMS when a booking arrives through a connected online channel, how to manage those reservations, and how to monitor channel performance.
Overview
Once a channel connection is active in RMS, your property distributes rates and availability to that channel automatically. When a guest completes a booking through the channel, RMS receives the reservation and creates it automatically - no manual data entry is required.
This article covers how channel bookings arrive, what information is populated on each reservation, how to find and manage channel reservations, and how to monitor the performance of your connected channels.
How a Channel Booking Arrives
When a guest books through an Online Travel Agent (OTA) such as Booking.com or Expedia, the channel sends the reservation details to RMS. The reservation is created on the Booking Chart and Reservations page automatically.
Each connected channel has a corresponding Travel Agent record in RMS. When a booking arrives from that channel, its Travel Agent is automatically attached to the reservation. This means commission is calculated immediately - no manual entry is needed per booking.
What Each Channel Reservation Contains
Each inbound channel reservation includes the following automatically populated fields:
| Field | What it contains |
|---|---|
| Travel Agent | The channel the booking came from (for example, Booking.com or Expedia). Set automatically from the channel connection. |
| Booking Source | The source recorded for the booking, reflecting where the guest originated. Populated automatically from the channel's configuration. |
| TA Commission | The commission amount calculated automatically from the Travel Agent's commission setup. Visible in the reservation account. |
| OTA Ref 1 / OTA Ref 2 / OTA Ref 3 | The channel's own booking reference numbers, used to cross-reference the booking in the channel's extranet or portal. |
If a Booking Arrives with No Availability
If a channel booking arrives and the requested room type or category is no longer available in RMS, a Quote Reservation is created automatically. This is a placeholder that allows your team to review and action the booking rather than the reservation being lost.
The confirmation text sent to the guest in this scenario is configured in your Online Options settings under the "Reservation Request Confirmation Text (Quote Due to No Availability)" setting.
Finding Channel Reservations
To view reservations from a specific channel, use Reservation Search and filter by Travel Agent. Each connected channel has its own Travel Agent record, so filtering by the channel name returns all bookings from that source.
You can also view channel reservations on the Booking Chart. Each reservation displays the Travel Agent name, which identifies the channel it came from.
Processing Channel Commissions
Commission amounts are calculated automatically when a channel reservation is created. To review and process outstanding commissions due to Travel Agents, including online channels, go to Accounting > Travel Agent Commissions. This screen lists all reservations with commission outstanding, grouped by Travel Agent, and allows you to mark commissions as paid once processed.
Monitoring Channel Performance
RMS provides two reports specifically for analysing how channels and travel agents are contributing to your property's revenue and occupancy. Both reports can be filtered by date range, property, room type category, and rate type, and include an optional year-on-year comparison.
| Report | Location | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Channel Performance Report | Reports > Online | Performance of your connected online channels side-by-side: reservation counts, revenue, average length of stay (LOS), and commission. Best for comparing OTA channels and evaluating the impact of new or changed connections. |
| Travel Agent Performance Report | Reports > Management > Statistics | The same performance metrics broken down by Travel Agent. Covers both online channels and traditional travel agents, making it useful for a broader view across all third-party booking sources. |
Related Articles
- Channel Performance Report - how to run and interpret the Channel Performance Report.
- Travel Agent Performance Report - how to run and interpret the Travel Agent Performance Report.
- Travel Agent - how Travel Agent records work in RMS and how commission is configured.
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