What is GDS ( Global Distribution System )?

Introduction

The Global Distribution System (GDS) is a computerized booking system. It functions as a single access point for airline tickets, hotel accommodations, vehicle rentals, and other services in the travel and tourism industry. GDS is connected with travel agencies and online booking platforms, which makes it extremely essential in conjunction with making travel bookings from different sectors travel services.

What is a GDS system? To put it in simple terms, it is a unified interface where travelers can find inventories like air tickets, car hires, accommodation, and even holiday deals from different providers. It unifies all suppliers in one portal, offering travel platforms the chance to utilize its competitive nature in pricing. GDS travel systems helps clients check availability and purchase tickets from numerous providers and airlines at their convenience.

What is GDS in travel? It is the link that unites the travel agents to real-time data and stock, enabling efficiency and accuracy while booking. GDS facilitates the triadic integration of travel sector – flight reservation software, hotel booking reservations, and car rental systems by integrating services, pricing, and booking functionalities.

Some of the advantages of global distribution system include giving managers and technical personnel the capability to access real-time data and schedule and price comparisons, GDS enables users to get best trade offers from numbers of suppliers quickly and efficiently.

IBM and American Airlines jointly developed Sabre, which is the first Global Distribution System, or GDS, and it was designed to automate the booking system of the airline’s internal operations. There was no airline reservation system in place prior to the 1960s and all flights had to be booked manually by reservationists, which was a slow and very reliable way that consumed a lot of time.

The entire GDS system changed with the advent of Sabre API Integration, which transformed the travel industry completely. New GDS systems began to emerge servicing particular airlines and travel agencies in groups. By the 1970s, even independent travel agencies could use the GDS, and the scope of services included not only airlines but also vehicles, cruises, hotels, and railways.

Features of Global Distribution System

• Coverage – Increase your exposure to tour operators and tourists through the proactive marketing of travel agencies, consortia and business accounts. The most popular way to book consortia and negotiate company pricing.
• 24 x7 – Accept bookings from travel agents all over the world.
• Market Reach Online – An effective and simple method of marketing your hotel on the Internet. Travel businesses and websites frequently use it.
• Little Maintenance is Required – The information provided to your hotel chain’s or representation company’s central reservation system is automatically copied to the GDS.
• Enhance Coverage – Increase your reach to corporate and leisure travellers with special programmes such as GREATRATETM for year-round bookings, REST & JETTM for airport hotels, and LATEGETAWAYSTM for last-minute reservations.
• Online Distribution Strategy – Increasing market share by making your products available to new online distribution channels.

How does GDS Work?

A GDS is a privately owned network that allows travel service providers (mainly airlines, hotels, and car rental firms) and travel agencies to conduct automated transactions.

Through its computer network system, the global distribution system can assist service providers and travel agencies in connecting with one another.

An in-situ system contains data such as the number of cars and rooms to assist service providers in providing their services to travel agencies.

Furthermore, the various international airlines are linked to specific GDS (Global Distribution System), despite the fact that the inventory has access to all major GDS (Amadeus, Galileo GDS API Integration, and Sabre).

This is because airlines and other travel products are available all over the world 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Table of contents

Advantages of Global Distribution System

• The Global Distribution System (GDS) is commonly utilized to broaden market reach. Through B2B, B2C, B2E, and B2B2C websites, a single global travel distribution system is linked.
• Consumers’ travel buying experiences and convenience have substantially improved thanks to online travel agents (OTAs), which have also increased pricing transparency.
• GDS is extremely effective at attracting international travellers. For that reason, GDS is increasing annually among travel agents at an exponential rate.
• The global distribution system serves as the foundation for reaching out to corporate clients all over the world.
• GDS refers to the ability to update inventory status in real time. Because of its real-time status update feature, managers can easily adjust pricing points or make special offers. Agents can see all changes and propose new updates and offers to customers in real time without waiting for the deal to be concluded.
• You could sell your latest deals, special offers, and discounts directly to tour operators using a worldwide distribution system.
• Direct marketing efforts for market penetration.
• The use of global distribution systems is increasing among both business and leisure travellers.
• GDS has the distinct advantage of being able to provide your guests the greatest rates that no other system can. You can provide your customers with packages which include a hotel stay, plane transport and car hire.
• Travel agents can take advantage of a global platform with a large market share.
• The GDS investment is a smart choice. The system puts your vacation booking services and inventory in front of a large number of clients without affecting your marketing budget.
• GDSS provides business models for retail travel agencies and online travel agencies.

Future of Global Distribution System

The Global Distribution System (GDS) has been the backbone of airline operations for decades.

GDS is the worldwide computerized booking system used to reserve airline seats, accommodation rooms, and automobile rental by travel agencies, internet booking sites, and huge organizations.

GDS’s traditional role is changing and the transformations in the travel sector are challenging. Many online travel websites and airlines are pressuring and encouraging customers to book directly through their websites.

Some airlines charge additional costs for tickets purchased through the GDS as compared to their own website pricing.

Some industry experts believe that GDS will evolve into a direct corporate booking tool rather than a booking tool for travel companies.

Southwest Airlines, for example, does not work with the GDS company Worldspan; American Airlines uses Sabre; USAir uses PARS; Air China uses TravelSky, and Delta uses Worldspan.

You cannot book with Southwest Airlines if you are a World Span agent and need to look directly at their website for pricing.

Another piece of noteworthy information is that the agreements signed between airlines and GDS are subject to renewal.

Many people in the travel industry are wondering if airlines will renew their contracts with certain GDSs. While changes will continue to have an impact on the future growth of GDS, they will undoubtedly play a role.

They will, hopefully, continue to evolve in the same manner that earlier approaches did in the 1950s.

Why Choose OneClick for GDS System Development?

Global Distribution System (GDS) service provides real-time availability and booking of travel services such as flights, hotels, rental cars, and activities to travel agents and online travel agencies.

We are a dynamic group of professionals with quick thinking. The first global consolidation of aviation We trust in promoting a culture that promotes technological innovation, individual expression and creativity.

We collaborate with our clients to develop new ideas and get the finest results possible.

We’re dedicated to helping our customers improve end-traveler engagement and create new, superior travel experiences.

OneClick IT Consultancy provides a white-label solution with suppliers from over 100 countries and airfare inventory from over 20 airlines. Web API services Pre-integrated booking engines and a B2B travel portal.

OneClick is a recognized leader in the travel industry, with ground-breaking technology that continues to modernize the airline commerce and distribution landscape.

OneClick is made up of experts in system analysis and design, as well as system architectures and modeling. Development and coding, testing and implementation, and a variety of other factors.