Travel Agent & Wholesaler Overview - Property Management System
The system includes a powerful Travel Agent/Wholesaler module.
Travel agents can make reservations by calling the property or your
central reservation department directly. If you allow them
access with a password, Travel Agents/Wholesalers can also make
direct bookings into your system using
RDP's Internet Reservation Module (IRM). All IRM reservations
are automatically loaded into the RDP database.
Various reports
show total revenue generated by each agent on a daily, month-to-date
and year-to-date basis, with comparisons to last year. Travel
agents can pre-deduct their commission, or the system can print
a commission check. Unique rates can be established for each
travel agent or wholesaler. Additionally, room blocks can
be allocated to specific wholesalers, varying each day of the year.
Topics covered in this document include:
Multiple
Access Methods (IRM and Phone)
Travel agents can check rates and availability and make reservations
using a variety of methods, as indicated by the diagram below.
Click on any element of the diagram for more details.
Diagram - Travel Agent Multiple Access Methods |

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Global Distribution
System (GDS)
Travel agents have traditionally checked rates/availability and
made reservations using workstations in their office that were connected
to the Global Distribution System (GDS). For your property
to receive travel agent reservations using the GDS, you must sign
up with a GDS provider.
RDP offers interfaces with several
GDS
providers to automatically load new reservations, changes, and
deletions made by travel agents, wholesalers, or guests using the
GDS into the RDP database automatically. This interface only
works with RDP approved GDS providers.
Internet Reservation
Module (IRM)
RDP offers the optional
Internet Reservation Module (IRM) to allow travel agents
and wholesalers to check rates and availability and make reservations
24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With a proper password, agents
or wholesalers can make reservations directly on your system, from
any workstation connected to the Internet, anywhere in the world.
See
Travel Agent Reservations Flow for more information.
Travel
Agents and Central Reservations
Travel agents can make reservations by calling the property,
where a reservationist can use RDPWin
to check rates and availability and enter the reservation.
RDP also offers a Central Reservations option, which allows reservations
to be entered from a central location to multiple RDP properties.
See
Central Reservations.
Over One Million Travel Agents by IATA Number
The system can store over one million travel agents using their
unique eight-character IATA number. Any travel agent can be
accessed by IATA number, name, E-mail address, or reservation history
in less than one second. The system stores the complete history
on all travel agents and wholesalers, including all reservations,
rates, checks, adjustments, etc. Travel Agent information
can be uploaded from other systems into RDP for a fee.
E-mail Marketing
to Travel Agents
E-mail is one of the most powerful and least expensive marketing
tools available, and it has been fully incorporated into the core
RDP system at no additional charge. E-mail features included
in the system:
- E-mail databases are created for
guests,
travel agents,
groups,
wholesalers and
condo/
timeshare owners
- Mass E-mails can be sent directly from the RDP System -
no third-party software required. For example, an E-mail
could be sent to 50,000 travel agents with a special offer.
The agent could click on a link in the E-mail, which would take
them directly the Internet Reservation Module to make reservations.
- RDP abides by all current regulations for anti-SPAM by allowing
guests to "opt out" of mass E-mails
- Guest confirmations can be sent via E-mail, fax, or printed
and mailed
- Crystal Reports
can be created and distributed by E-mail
- Reservations made by the
Internet Reservation Module (IRM) can send E-mail
confirmations automatically
- RDP newsletters are sent via E-mail
RDP E-mail Marketing
Travel
Agent Interface to Reservations
The system is designed to make new
reservations
while the guest, travel agent, or wholesaler is on the phone.
If the agent already exists in your travel agent database, the agent's
name and address is automatically added to the reservation.
A new agent can be added without leaving the reservation screen.
All future travel agent reservations can be displayed during the
reservation process, allowing the reservationist to address any
problems, such as frequent cancellations or duplicate reservations.
Three Travel Agents Per Reservation
The system allows for three different travel agents on the same
reservation. These are not necessarily all travel agents,
but "commissionable" entities. For example, if a guest calls
Bob's Travel, who in turn calls Vail Central Reservations, who in
turn makes the reservation with your property, there could be three
commissions involved: one to Bob's Travel, one to Vail Central,
and a third to the reservation clerk.
Checks can be printed to each travel agent on the reservation.
Additionally, all reservation history is maintained for each travel
agent, limited only by available disk space.
Travel Agent Confirmations - Printed
or Via E-mail
Confirmation letters can be printed or sent via E-mail to either
the guest, travel agent, or both. The rate can be shown on
the confirmation to the travel agent, but suppressed on the confirmation
to the guest. The travel agent address is entered one time
on the travel agent master record and used for all reservation confirmations.
Sample Confirmation
Forms Available.
RDP E-mail Marketing
Sample Reports
Automatic Commission Calculation
The travel agent commission percentage is stored in the travel
agent master and is automatically calculated for each reservation.
Each travel agent can have a different commission percentage.
For example, the system can automatically pay 10% to most travel
agents, but pay special agents 15%. Additionally, the same
travel agent can have a different commission percentage on each
reservation. An agent may receive 10% until they reach a yearly
volume of $30,000, at which point they receive a 15% commission
on all additional reservations.
Pre-Deduct or Non-Deduct Travel Agents
Travel agent reservations are entered as pre-deduct or non-deduct.
A pre-deduct agent keeps his commission and sends the property the
net. For example, on a $1000 reservation at 10% commission,
the agent collects $1,000 from the guest, keeps $100 in commission,
and sends the property $900. A non-deduct agent sends the
entire $1,000, and the system then generates a commission check
for $100.
Checks can be printed directly from the RDP system. A complete
history of all reservations and checks is maintained for all travel
agents and wholesalers, limited only by available disk space.
All financial transactions involving travel agents are automatically
posted to RDP's integrated
general ledger system. Financial totals can also be
exported from RDP to the third-party accounting system of your choice,
such as Quicken, Open Systems, etc.
Agent Commissions Hidden from Guests
A pre-deducted travel agent commission is always hidden from
the guest. For example, on a $1,000 reservation with a $100
pre-deduct commission, the agent will send the net of $900.
In this case, the system automatically credits the guest folio with
$1,000 as a "prepayment," even though only $900 was received.
The system separates this $1,000 into a $900 debit to cash and a
$100 debit to commission expense. The net result is correct
accounting, yet the guest folio reflects only the $1,000 credit.
Sample Guest
Folio
Front Desk & Night Audit Overview
Net Rate Agents and Wholesalers
The system allows for net rate travel agents with unique rates,
as opposed to percentage commissions. In the example below,
the rack rate for high season for a King room is $150. "Great Time
Travel" has been offered a net rate of $120, while "Adventure Travel
has an even lower net rate of $110. Once the net rate tables
are entered into the system, all rate calculations for the travel
agent are automatic. The system can also invoice travel agents
and wholesalers for net rate reservations. The guest folio shows
only incidental charges and not the wholesaler billing information.
Additionally, net rate travel agents can be assigned a room block.
The system can bill travel agents and wholesalers when the guest
check in or out. Statements can be printed and reconciled
to guest vouchers.
Rates: King Rooms |
Agent Name |
High Season |
Medium Season |
Low Season |
Rack Rates |
$150 |
$100 |
$70 |
Great Time Travel |
$120 |
$84 |
$63 |
Adventure Travel |
$110 |
$80 |
$56 |
Print Statements and Checks
The system prints statements to all non-deduct agents, net-rate
agents, and wholesalers. Either balance forward or open item
statements can be utilized. For non-deduct agents, statements
show all commissions and generate a check. A full check register
is provided, including reconciliation with bank statements.
Wide Variety of Reports
A wide variety of reports are available showing travel agent
history, revenue totals, booking pace, and other statistics for
travel agents and wholesalers. Totals for travel agents and
wholesalers are available for any date range, with comparisons to
prior year. Some sample reports are below.
Automatic Interface to General Ledger
All travel agent and wholesaler activity is automatically interfaced
to the RDP general
ledger system. During system installation, general
ledger account numbers can be assigned for commission expense, commission
liability, cash, and other ledger account numbers. The system
automatically makes all entries to these customized account numbers
using standard double-entry accounting principals. Totals
can also be exported into the back office system of your choice.
Upload Travel Agents into RDP From Another System
Travel agent information can be uploaded from other systems into
RDP for a fee.
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