Overview

Guest Booking lets people book on behalf of a non-profiled traveler. Non-profiled traveler information is entered on the purchase page. Of the four options listed below for access to guest bookings, option 1 is recommended as a best practice.

Option 1 - Delegates book for guests

Option 1 grants access to specific guest user account, allowing a delegate(s) to book travel on the behalf of a non-profiled traveler. Non-profiled traveler information is entered on the purchase page (such as name, birthdate, travel reward programs, and passport information). Those assigned to the Guest User account will see all travel booked with the account. If the client has more than one department who will book for guests, they may want each department to have their own guest booking account. This will ensure that they only have access to guest travel for their department (e.g., HR, Finance).

Note: This option is a best practice for assigning guest bookings.

This option requires a special Display Configuration and Group.

From the partner dashboard home page, select the Settings link for the site you want to modify.
From the top menu, select the Services tab.
Select the Display Configuration link in the Travel list.
Select a group to modify to allow all users in that group to change the traveler name on the purchase page.
Scroll down to the Booking, Change and Cancellation Configuration section.
For the option Enable User to change the Traveler Name on the Purchase page, select Yes.
When you select Yes, the option Default the Change Traveler option to checked? displays. Select Yes. For information about other options on this page, refer to Display Configuration.
Save your changes.
Select the Groups tab at the top of the page.
Create a new group by selecting the Add a New Group link. Refer to Setting up and Managing Groups for more information about groups.
Enter a group name, such as Guest and a description.
Select the Service Rules option.
In the Group Parameters section, select First Name in the second drop down, then Equals, and enter Guest in the final text field.
Save your changes.
Select the Rules tab at the top of the page.
Select the Service Rules link.
Verify Service Rules have been configured, and the correct display configurations has been assigned. For more information, refer to Service Rules.
Create guest user accounts. Suggestion when creating guest user account(s):
- First Name: Guest (Parameter when creating group)
- Last Name: Traveler
- Email/User ID: guest@companydomain.com
  - Example of additional guest user accounts, if more than one is required.
Assign delegates to appropriate guest user account.

Important: Inform clients not to change any information within the guest user profile, as it will affect the booking process, will cause issues with finding the account, and will affect the ability to change the name on the purchase page.

Option 2 - Employees book for guests

This option allows all travelers to change the traveler’s name on the purchase page and book for guests.

Important: Using option 2 opens up access for employees to book personal travel.

From the partner dashboard home page, select the Settings link for the site you want to modify.
From the top menu, select the Services tab.
Select the Display Configuration link in the Travel list.
Select a group to modify to allow all users in that group to change the traveler name on the purchase page.
Scroll down to the Booking, Change and Cancellation Configuration section.
For the option Enable User to change the Traveler Name on the Purchase page, select Yes.
When you select Yes, the option Default the Change Traveler option to checked? displays. Select No. For information about other options on this page, refer to Display Configuration.
Save your changes.

Option 3 - Guests book their own travel

This option allows agency or client employees with Dashboard access to create accounts for a guest and send activation email. Guests of the company can then book their own travel and adhere to company policy.

Important: This option may require admins to create many guest accounts, which will then need to be reviewed periodically to determine which accounts should be deactivated.

From the partner dashboard home page, select the Settings link for the site you want to modify.
Select the Groups tab at the top of the page.
Create a new group by selecting the Add a New Group link. Refer to Setting up and Managing Groups for more information about groups.
Enter a group name, such as Guest with profile and a description.
Select the Service Rules option.
In the Group Parameters section, select External ID in the second drop down, then Starts with, and enter Guest in the final text field.
Save your changes.
An admin then needs to create accounts with External ID starting with Guest. Update the remaining fields with the guest user’s information. In the example below, a user account is being created with the ExternalID of the guest followed by first name and last initial (no spaces).
Another option to the above method is to create a Group using the parameter of Job Level equals Guest. You can use any profile field for this option such as one of the MISFields.

Important: TMC or client admin with Dashboard/Console access will want to run a profile extract periodically to ensure all profiles which are no longer required are deactivated. Be aware that this option may require many guest accounts to be created and can become a logistical nightmare when determining which guest accounts should be deactivated.

Option 4 - Create guest profiles for each traveler

With this option, a guest profile is created for each individual employee.

Important: This option is not recommended as it requires significant upkeep.

Follow the same steps as Option 1, but you will create a guest profile for each individual employee.
Assign the employee’s profile as a delegate to the guest profile you created for them.