In some cases, Expedia may manage certain reservation changes through an internal process called “reconciliation”.
This usually happens when the guest makes modifications that affect the entire structure of the reservation, such as:
extending or shortening the stay,
changing dates,
significant price changes,
rate changes,
promotions,
taxes,
availability,
or a complete recalculation of the reservation.
What is a reconciliation?
Although from the guest’s perspective it may seem like a simple reservation modification, Expedia may internally decide to rebuild the entire operation.
Instead of directly updating the original reservation:
Expedia creates a new internal reservation,
generates a new Expedia ID,
and internally links both reservations.
It is important to note that:
Expedia still considers it part of the same guest itinerary,
but technically it is no longer considered the same internal booking object.
Important: Expedia does not always process changes as a standard modification
Even if it appears that the guest is simply modifying the same reservation (for example, adding one more night or changing dates), Expedia may internally decide not to directly update the original reservation.
In certain cases, Expedia:
recalculates the entire operation,
internally rebuilds the reservation,
generates a new Expedia ID,
and performs a process called “reconciliation”.
This means that:
for Expedia it is still the same guest itinerary,
but technically it is no longer considered the same internal reservation.
For this reason:
Expedia may not send a standard XML modification event to the channel manager,
nor send the reconciled reservation through the usual flow.
As a result:
AvaiBook does not receive the new reconciled reservation as a normal modification,
since the process occurs internally within Expedia’s ecosystem.
It is important to note that this behavior depends entirely on Expedia’s internal logic and may vary depending on:
the type of change made,
rates,
availability,
taxes,
promotions,
policies,
or internal reservation recalculations.
Therefore, two seemingly similar changes may behave differently:
in some cases Expedia updates the same reservation,
while in others it performs a complete reconciliation.
Difference between a standard modification and a reconciliation
Standard modification
When Expedia processes a regular change:
it keeps the same Expedia ID,
sends a standard XML modification event,
and AvaiBook can automatically update the existing reservation.
Common examples:
small date adjustments,
minor changes,
modifications that do not require recalculating the entire operation.
Reconciliation
When Expedia considers that the change affects the reservation more deeply:
it internally rebuilds the operation,
generates a new Expedia ID,
and performs a reconciliation between the original reservation and the new one.
In these cases:
Expedia does not always send a standard XML event to the channel manager,
so AvaiBook may not receive the new reconciled reservation.
Why does Expedia perform reconciliations?
The decision depends on Expedia’s internal logic and the impact the change has on the entire reservation cart.
Although externally it may seem like “just adding one more night”, Expedia may need to recalculate:
availability,
rates,
taxes,
promotions,
policies,
stay rules,
validations,
payment methods,
virtual cards,
or inventory conditions.
For this reason:
some modifications are processed as simple updates,
while others are processed as full reconciliations.
Important: Expedia’s collection model may influence reconciliations
One of the most important factors in understanding why Expedia performs a reconciliation instead of a standard modification is the collection model used for the reservation.
Expedia mainly distinguishes between:
Expedia Collect
Hotel Collect
And this directly affects how it processes:
date changes,
stay extensions,
nightly rates,
taxes,
payments,
and financial recalculations.
Expedia Collect
For Expedia Collect reservations:
Expedia charges the guest directly,
controls the total reservation amount,
taxes,
commissions,
refunds,
virtual cards,
and financial reconciliation.
For this reason, when the guest requests changes affecting:
nights,
total amount,
nightly rates,
or length of stay,
Expedia may need to fully recalculate the financial operation.
In these cases, Expedia is more likely to:
internally rebuild the reservation,
generate a reconciliation,
create a new Expedia ID,
and not process the change as a simple standard XML modification.
Hotel Collect
For Hotel Collect reservations:
the property directly manages the guest payment.
Since Expedia has less financial control over the operation:
some modifications can be handled more simply,
keeping the same Expedia ID,
and sending only a standard reservation update.
Therefore, in certain scenarios:
adding or removing nights,
or changing dates,
may not require a full reconciliation.
Changes after check-in: a particularly relevant factor
Expedia also differentiates between changes made:
before check-in,
and after guest arrival (post-arrival / post check-in).
Post check-in modifications are usually much more sensitive because they affect:
actual guest consumption,
applied nightly rates,
taxes,
financial reconciliations,
commissions,
already issued virtual cards,
or the financial settlement of the reservation.
For this reason, reconciliations are much more common for modifications made after guest arrival.
Common example
A typical example would be:
same guest,
same reservation,
one-night extension,
and a change in the total amount.
Although externally it may seem like a simple modification:
Expedia may recalculate the entire operation,
internally rebuild the booking,
generate a new Expedia ID,
and perform a reconciliation instead of a standard update.
Important for AvaiBook
In certain reconciliations:
Expedia does not send a standard XML event consumable by the channel manager,
since part of the process occurs only within Expedia’s internal ecosystem.
As a result:
AvaiBook may not receive the new reconciled reservation,
nor process it as a traditional reservation modification.
Does this always happen when extending a stay?
No. Two seemingly similar modifications may behave differently.
For example:
in some cases Expedia updates the same reservation,
while in others it completely rebuilds the operation.
The decision depends on multiple internal Expedia factors and not only on the date change itself.
What happens in AvaiBook when Expedia performs a reconciliation?
In certain reconciliations:
Expedia does not send a standard XML event,
nor a traditional reservation modification.
Therefore:
AvaiBook does not receive the new reconciled reservation,
and cannot process it as a normal modification.
In some cases, the system may generate internal technical references to maintain operational consistency and reservation traceability.
These references are usually internally identified with prefixes such as: NP_reference
and are used to differentiate reservations or internal processes that do not come directly from a standard XML flow from the portal.
Summary
When Expedia performs a reconciliation:
it is not always a simple reservation modification,
but rather a complete internal rebuilding of the booking.
For this reason:
there may be a new Expedia ID,
the original reservation may remain internally linked,
and the channel manager does not receive all the necessary events to reproduce that process exactly.