Channels and contracts

A channel is anyone who sells your cabins:

Type	Example
Back office	Your own office: phone, WhatsApp, walk-in
Agent	A travel agency
Portal	An online platform such as nilecrz
API	Another system connecting directly

Each channel has a contract per vessel saying:

• which categories and rate plans it may sell;
• its allocation: the shared pool, its own allotment, or on request;
• its payment mode (see Payments);
• its markup or commission;
• its hold lengths and, on request, its answer deadline;
• an optional visible cap, the most free cabins it is shown at once;
• stop sell, which pauses that one channel.

The contract is enforced on every call, in the office and through the API alike. A channel never sees or touches another channel's holds or bookings.