When you book a hotel with Pilot, your reservation moves through a few confirmation stages. Depending on where your booking is in that process, you may hear about two different confirmation codes.
Most of the time, we only need the Pilot confirmation code.
What confirmation code will I get right away?
Pilot Reference Code (instant and automatic)
Right after you complete checkout, you will receive a Pilot Reference Code automatically. This is the only confirmation code Pilot issues instantly.
This code is your reference number for Pilot Support. If you contact us, we can use it to quickly locate your booking and help with things like:
Updating guest details (for example, a name correction)
Adding special requests (for example, late checkout)
Contacting the hotel on your behalf
What is the hotel confirmation code?
Hotel-issued confirmation code (not instant)
Some hotels generate their own confirmation code once your reservation is fully added to the hotel’s local system. This code is created by the hotel, not by Pilot.
A hotel confirmation code is mainly used for the hotel’s internal record keeping and troubleshooting. Many hotels look up a reservation by guest name, once it appears in their local system.
Why might the hotel not see my reservation yet?
If you booked well in advance, the hotel may not immediately display your reservation under your name in their local system. This is common for bookings made with assistance or “third-party booking”, some properties finalize or sync guest details closer to check-in.
Until the reservation is visible in the hotel’s local system, the front desk may not be able to find it by name.
When should I contact Pilot vs the hotel?
Before about a week prior to check-in: Contact Pilot Support. We can assist with booking-related questions, changes, and requests.
Within about a week of check-in: Pilot Support can still be your main assistance. At this stage, the reservation is more likely to be visible in the hotel’s local system, and the front desk is typically best positioned to help with on-property requests, so we’ll call them directly.
Do I need the hotel confirmation code?
Usually, no.
In most cases, you can rely on your Pilot Reference Code and contact Pilot Support for help, especially if your trip is still far away. If your reservation is already visible in the hotel’s local system, the hotel can often locate it by name.
I still want the hotel code, how do I get it?
You can request it from Pilot Support. We can provide it once the hotel has generated it.
Please note: Pilot cannot override hotel processes or manually force a reservation into the hotel’s local system. We can request the code and follow up, but the timing depends on the property’s systems and workflow.