When setting up an online travel agency in Mews Channel Manager you can configure how the channel behaves. This is where you set things like how long guests can stay, whether prices adjust up or down for this channel, and any other channel-specific options. This article explains what to expect on the configuration screen and how to handle settings that vary from one channel to the next.

 

Because every online travel agency is different, the settings you see are different on every channel. Some agencies show a handful of fields, others show many, sometimes split across multiple tabs. Mews shows you the settings the channel exposes, so you configure what the screen asks for.

 

In this article, you can learn about:

• Where the settings come from

• Common channel settings

• Handling settings you do not recognise

• Changing channel settings later

• What to do next

 

Where the settings come from

The configuration settings on this step come from the online travel agency itself, delivered to Mews through the channel's API. Mews surfaces those settings on the screen for you to configure.

 

This means the settings are not something Mews defines or standardises. If a setting is on the screen but you do not know what it does, check the agency's own documentation.

 

Common channel settings

The exact settings depend on the channel, but you often see:

• Minimum length of stay: The shortest booking length the channel accepts by default.

• Maximum length of stay: The longest booking length the channel accepts by default.

• Rate modification factor: A multiplier applied to the rates you send to the channel. For example, a rate modification factor of 1.1 sends rates that are 10% higher than your Mews rates. See Using the rate modification factor in Mews Channel Manager for more detail.

 

Some channels expose additional settings. Configure the ones on your screen based on how you want the channel to behave.

 

Handling settings you do not recognise

If a setting appears on the screen and you are not sure what it does or what value to use:

• Check the agency's own documentation or extranet, which usually explains channel-specific settings in more detail.

• Contact the agency's support team if the documentation does not answer your question.

• Leave the setting at its default if the field is optional and you do not need to change it.

 

Do not guess at values for required fields. Incorrect configuration can lead to bookings on the wrong length of stay, prices that do not match your strategy, or availability that does not sync as expected.

 

Changing channel settings later

You can change these settings at any time after the channel is set up.

 

What to do next

Once you have configured the channel:

1. Select Save and continue to save your settings and move to Step 4 of the setup.

2. Map the channel's room rates to your Mews room categories and rates. See How to map room rates to a channel in Mews Channel Manager and Understanding room rate mapping scenarios in Mews Channel Manager.

3. Continue through the remaining setup steps. See How to set up an OTA channel in Mews Channel Manager for the full flow.

 

With the channel configured to match how you want it to behave, you can move on to mapping your rates, so bookings arrive on the correct rooms at the correct prices.