Originally Posted by iknowthings

For an example for paid rates, let's say I am a revenue manager and I establish rate 12RMOC (the most common rate plan for member flexible) for the entire month of February. It will have a 2 day cancellation policy (again, for example). The rate will still have the ability to dynamically adjust to supply/demand, but the cancellation policy remains the same for all reservations booked under 12RMOC. Suddenly, a special event happens the second week of February and I need to adjust strategy. I would have to remove availability for 12RMOC and make 35ABCD (prepaid rate plans vary widely but the 35 part is right!) the only available rate plan that has a 24-hour after booking cancellation policy, but again the rate is able to dynamically change. I could not just change 12RMOC to pre-paid non-refundable without making every single reservation for the entire month of February pre-paid non-refundable, which would probably cause a riot.

These are just example rate plans, but the entire system functions in this way with the exception of redemption reservations, which are easy to cheese out of anyway.