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A computer network called a Global Distribution System, or GDS serves as a mediator between various travel service suppliers and travel brokers. It gathers inventory, schedules, and fares from suppliers. In addition, it allows agents and OTAs to browse for and make reservations utilizing manual terminals for agents and connectivity APIs for OTAs. In this post, you will learn more details about the system, its benefits, and the future of it too.

The requirement to distribute airline tickets gave rise to the concept of a Global Distribution System. Although there are many big and small GDSs, we will focus on the most popular ones that serve practically the entire globe. Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport.

The Global Distribution System (GDS) is a travel agent’s central computer for ordering plane tickets and other travel-related items. You can read through the following sections to know more about the system.

Scenario Before The Establishment Of GDS

The GDS is frequently mistaken for a Central Reservation System (CRS). It is because of the automated inventory-tracking devices known as CRSs that were owned and operated by specific vendors (like airlines, car companies and hotels) initially.

In 1946, American Airlines developed the first CRS system. Travel agencies did not have immediate access to that inventory, even though it helped vendors automate their inventory. Travel agents would need to call the airline’s booking office, get in touch with one of their CRS operators and then call the travel agent back with the information. A lot of effort was required to purchase a single airline ticket.
individuals purchasing their tickets? Disregard it!

These CRS systems improved steadily throughout the late 1950s and the 1970s, thanks to IBM. Travel agents also wanted things to be more automated on their end as they were increasingly irritated with all the hassle, they had to go through to book a ticket. GDSs serve as a type of umbrella for numerous CRS systems nowadays.

The Present Day Scenario With GDS

The GDS first served as a means of distribution for numerous airlines. However, it has since grown to include inventory for hotels and auto rentals. However, we’ll concentrate on the GDS’s airline component for this post.

Each GDS system has access to its pool of carriers, and numerous choices are available. Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport are the three biggest GDSs.

One can enter the information of hundreds of airlines into a single GDS system, accessible to millions of travel agents worldwide. So, this will help several clients to book tickets.

Airlines’ benefit is avoiding labor in trying to market to specific customers. Their product is in the hands of thousands of customers thanks to the pool of agents that collectively make GDS bookings.

Travel agents benefit from the GDS’s ability to display a wide range of prices from numerous airlines and comprehensive information about each flight in one location. The airline, the dates, the price, the kind of aircraft, the class of the seat, and many other factors. There are plenty of choices. Therefore, having access to all the details from many airlines is fantastic if you’re ordering many tickets.

What is the Travel Sector’s Future for GDS?

The developments occurring in the travel sector are challenging and modifying the conventional role of GDS. For example, airlines and other online travel agencies are pressuring and enticing customers to make reservations through their websites.
Compared to the pricing on their website, some airlines are adding extra charges for tickets bought through the GDS. Some industry insiders believe that GDS may evolve into a platform for direct corporate booking instead of a travel agency service.

For instance, USAir, Delta, American Airlines, and Air China use Sabre as their GDS, whereas TravelSky utilizes Worldspan. Southwest Airlines, and PARS by USAir. If you are a WorldSpan-using agency, you must check Southwest Airlines’ website for pricing if you want to make a reservation.

Another noteworthy piece of information is that contracts between airlines and GDS are subject to renewal. Many people working in the travel sector are unsure whether the airlines will continue using particular GDSs. There will undoubtedly be a role for changes, even though they will continue to impact GDS’s future growth. Hopefully, they will keep improving, just as they did with the old-fashioned methods in the 1950s.

What Are The Benefits Of Present-Day GDS?

For airlines, car rental, and hotel businesses, GDS will be the most significant distribution channel. The following are a few of the main advantages of adopting GDS.

• With significant market penetration, travel agents can get a global platform.

• Offer your clients the best prices possible—rates that no other system can match.

• Offer travel services to many customers without compromising your marketing
expenditure.

• Increased pricing transparency for consumers

• Access to inventory is available 24/7, making business models like OTAs and retail
travel agencies possible (Online Travel Agency)

What Is API Integration For A Global Distribution System?

If you have experience in this field, you know that one of the primary means of data sharing in the travel sector is still API integration. Here is a summary of the significant GDSs’ data through their APIs.

API integration for Amadeus

Amadeus for Developers introduces two types of API sets with various access levels.

Self-service

APIs offer the testing environment that enables new booking websites to begin creating apps and get them ready for production quickly. The following is covered:

• Utility trips
• Location of destination
• Hotel comparison shopping, search, and ratings
• Airfare and flight search

Enterprise API

The majority of the Amadeus API family are enterprise APIs. Nine different inventory types are covered.

• Utilities
• Transfers
• ship lines
• Railways
• Mobile options for automobiles
• Hotels
• client profiles
• booking travel insurance
• Airlines

Each of them contains several APIs. Some are instructive, like the search for the cheapest flights. The other component is designed for booking. Technology-wise, Enterprise APIs are designed to exchange data in SOAP/XML and REST/JSON formats. Upon direct contact with the Amadeus team, pricing and access requirements will be available.

API Integration For Sabre

Sabre APIs offer nearly the same set of features as Amadeus. Sabre classifies its APIs into seven categories:

• Utility
• trip planning
• Transportation on land (car rentals and rails)
• Session control
• Hotels Profiles
• Cruises
• Airlines

The system does not currently provide alternatives for insurance or airport transportation. Contacting the Sabre team enables access to the system as well. Integration with Sabre is possible via both REST and SOAP APIs.

Travelport API

The three GDSs that Travelport incorporates are Apollo, Galileo, and Worldspan. One Travelport Universal API now unifies them all. The universal API, in contrast to Amadeus and Sabre, is a collection of the following features:

• Tickets and extras
• Rail API link rooms with Travelport
• Connect with Air API
• Client profiles

As with all GDS suppliers, access to the API can be obtained by contacting the Travelport staff directly. In addition, it can be accessed by a single SOAP/XML interface.

Commonly Asked Questions
How To Begin Using A GDS?

You must be a licensed travel agent to use the GDS. Moreover, You will need a valid industry identification number. For example, ARC or the Airlines Reporting Corporation and the IATA or the International Air Transport Association can be two of them.

It is because airline agencies would not be able to transmit your commission payments anywhere without this number. Additionally, airline companies forbid unlicensed agents from selling tickets.

If you are not looking forward to getting this accreditation, you can partner with an IATA or ARC host company to purchase tickets for yourself. Unfortunately, some airlines won’t let you sell tickets even if you have a complete IATA license. To be on the safe side, make sure you speak with the specific airline to find out whether they would work with you before you sign for the GDS.

How Much Does Using A GDS Cost?

It depends on the particular GDS service that you want to use. For instance, if you wish to use the flight reservation software from Amadeus, they can sell it to you for $150–$160 each year. However, it is best to contact the GDS provider to know the exact amount. You can make reservations for flights on any airline using the software.

Do You Require A GDS?

A GDS will be helpful for you if you are a travel agent who falls into the following category.

• You probably don’t need it if you work as a leisure agent and don’t frequently book flights.
• Travel agents with a wide range of clientele and complicated itineraries
• high volume of reservations for flights only
• A person working for a company that needs to reserve tickets for all of their employees on behalf of corporate clients or a corporate travel agent

Conclusion

GDSs are undoubtedly the finest at providing worldwide distribution for travel networks. However, they have drawbacks, such as demanding standards, cumbersome confirmation procedures, and significant resource usage. Moreover, the adoption of low-cost carriers by GDS still has an opportunity for expansion. In addition, the NDC (new distribution capability) is not to be overlooked, which is still being developed.

Apart from that, there is no clear distinction between Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport as the superior GDS. The solution is more intricate, and we hope this post clarifies things. Employ a travel technology expert and explore other choices if your travel agency isn’t very tech-savvy.

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