How Ratefox Operates

Here's an overview of the process:

Partner initiates a search and follows through all the necessary steps up to the point of booking the room.
Right before submitting the booking request to the supplier, the partner triggers a Ratefox API request to Gimmonix.
The Ratefox API then searches for and compares alternative hotel rooms, by finding the same type of room at a better price point.
If Ratefox finds a room offer with a better price point, it automatically books this room.
In cases where Ratefox does not find a offers at a better price point, it returns a message advising the user to continue with their original room offer.

Ratefox Impact on Booking Times

Overall Timing Impact

When integrating Ratefox into the booking process, it's crucial to understand that the actual impact on total booking time is less than the raw processing times might suggest. This is because:

The booking step itself would occur regardless of whether it happens through Ratefox or the original supplier
Only the search and comparison steps represent pure overhead to the process

There are a minimal number of situations when the booking step impacts the overall time and they are all related to the cases when the Supplier failed to confirm the booking requested from Ratefox.

Standard Mode Timings

In the standard Ratefox flow, two scenarios can occur:

Successful Booking Scenario (90 seconds total)

Supplier Search: up to 30 seconds, avg 12 sec
Rate Comparison: up to 30 seconds, avg 8 sec
Booking Process: up to - depends on Supplier, avg 10-30 seconds,
Actual Impact: up to 60 seconds, avg 20 sec (excluding booking time)

No Better Rate Found (60 seconds total)

Supplier Search: up to 30 seconds, avg 12 sec
Rate Comparison: up to 30 seconds, avg 8 sec

Actual Impact: up to 60 seconds, avg 20 sec (no booking time)

Prefetch Optimization

The prefetch feature reduces these delays by pre-loading supplier data:

Successful Booking Scenario (60 seconds total)

Rate Comparison: up to 30 seconds, avg 8 sec
Booking Process: up to - depends on Supplier, avg 10-30 seconds
Actual Impact: up to 30 seconds, avg 8 sec (excluding booking time)

No Better Rate Found (30 seconds total)

Rate Comparison: up to 30 seconds, avg 8 sec
Actual Impact: up to 30 seconds, avg 8 sec (no booking time)

This optimization effectively removes the supplier search time from the critical path, resulting in a much more efficient process that minimizes the impact on the overall booking experience.

How Ratefox finds a room for replacement

Room Mapping
Ratefox API leverages a sophisticated room mapping to compare requested rooms with alternative options.
This incorporates various room attributes including room name, meal plan, room category, cancellation policies, and more.

By ensuring the booking of the precise room, it effectively minimizes risks and enhances precision in the booking process.

Interactive process
The Ratefox logic integrates an interactive process designed to seamlessly handle instances where information is not fully comprehended or alternative room options are unavailable.

In such cases, Ratefox intelligently halts the process and provides clear guidance to proceed with the original room option, guaranteeing that if no alternative room is identified, users can confidently proceed with their native room option.