Posts in the category "GDS"

travel-agency-desktop-summit-by-the-open-axis-group
GDS

Travel Agency Desktop Summit By The Open Axis Group

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As reported by Tnooz, the Open Axis Group, a group of industry experts trying to establish an innovative new distribution standard, will hold a meeting to discuss the inadequacies of current travel agency desktops. Following the name for their distribution standard, Distribution 2.0, the working group is called Desktop 2.0.

In addition to the Open Axis Airline Members and third party developer allied members, several representatives from travel agencies, OTAs, TMCs will be invited. Continue reading 

travel-industry-full-content-agreements-vs-direct-connect
GDS

Travel Industry: Full Content Agreements Vs Direct Connections

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Besides being up to date with the newest technologies across industries, as a travel technology provider we are constantly observing the current developments in our industry from a business perspective. Among the hottest topics: full Content Agreements vs. Direct Connections or Google’s “alleged” market entry.

With Airlines such as AA moving away from the GDS-dependent distribution model to Direct Connections with Agencies and TMC’s some say this will finally establish a foundation for innovation in travel distribution; for the first time since almost half a century there would be a serious alternative to the GDSs while creating an incentive for TMCs to accelerate the development of their software. Economically the GDSs behavior in the last years is easy to understand: Continue reading 

gds-and-ota-new-year-not-so-new-conflicts
GDS

GDS and OTA: New Year, Not So New Conflicts

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We all celebrated New Year’s Eve and hope for an exciting New Year. And I am confident that 2011 will have much to offer for us, but right now, we seem to deal with the same problems as in 2010.

The travel industry still centers on the conflict between the GDSs, OTAs and American Airlines and its direct connects. This time, two big players, namely Expedia and Sabre, have made their moves against American Airlines’ direct connect.

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statement-about-travelports-myth-busting
GDS

Statement About Travelport’s “Myth-Busting”

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These days, direct connections and the GDSs’ ability to display airlines’ ancillary services are an important issue for the travel industry and each side’s opinions are diametrically opposed. Travelport has published a statement concerning AA’s direct connect. Travelport disagrees with AA and claims most of AA’s statements to be “myths”.

Although Travelport’s argumentation seems valid at first glance, when thinking about it you realize that things are not as easy as Travelport would like them to be. We believe there is a need for clarification. So, to understand our point-of-view, please read the following statement: Continue reading 

first-green-screen-mobile-booking-application-launched
GDS

First Green Screen Mobile Booking Application Launched

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Tnooz recently reported on a green screen mobile booking application developed by Mobile Travel Technologies for the GDS Abacus. It is the first time that a green screen and mobile booking have been combined. This is interesting insofar as green screens are just the opposite of what could be considered an innovation.

They use the same cryptic, DOS-like commands agents have been using 20 years ago and yet – or maybe therefore – they are extremely popular among travel agents. It seems, for many travel agents green screens are more efficient and faster to handle than modern GUIs (Graphical User Interface).
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ancillary-revenues-blessing-or-curse
GDS

Ancillary Revenues – Blessing or Curse?

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According to a study recently published by Amadeus and IdeaWorks Airlines’ ancillary revenues will increase from $13.5 billion in 2009 to $22.6 billion this year. In 2009 United Airlines had a total of about $1.5 billion in ancillary revenues.

For airlines ancillary revenues accounted for a huge part of their total revenues, like Allegiant (29.2%), Spirit Airlines (23.9%) and RyanAir (22.2%). This clearly indicates the importance of ancillary fees for the entire travel industry including low-cost-carriers, traditional airlines travel agencies and the GDSs.
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pass-xx1-multi-gds-hub-offers-comprehensive-connectivity-to-the-complete-travel-offering
GDS

PASS XX/1 Multi-GDS Hub Offers Comprehensive Connectivity

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The recently announced partnership between Hotel Reservation Systems (HRS) and Concur is supposed to not only provide mutual clients with rich hotel content but at the same time lower travel costs.

This cooperation means that any of Concur’s corporate customers can now access HRS’s hotel content directly from their online corporate booking tool. Providing direct access to more than 250.000 hotels in 180 countries that are both chain and independent hotels make HRS the largest non-GDS source of online hotel content available today.
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travel-booking-going-completely-mobile-soon
GDS

Travel Booking Going Completely Mobile Soon?

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With more than 50% of the public using in the US being smart phones and 3G networks, the basis for this travel booking scenario has already been established and time seems right for a complete switch of booking to users’ cell phones.

In addition the number of advantages of mobile booking tools seems to be infinite. Not only will users have more choices with regard to their used equipment. They will also be more independent in terms of time and location, being able to make changes on the go. Continue reading 

gds-agent-desktops-seem-to-be-inappropriate-for-industry-conditions
GDS

GDS: Agent Desktops Seem To Be Inappropriate For Industry Conditions

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Recently Sabre announced the launch of its next generation agent tool that will as expected offer multi-GDS access. With Amadeus (AmadeusOne) and Travelport (Universal Desktop) already offering a similar solution all three GDSs offer connections to each other’s hosts now. Constant Change Causes Difficulties For Industry Players

However, the given discontinuity of environment and volatility of the market caused by various mergers, political decisions and protectionism along with the economic downturns resulting in business travel budget cuts, make industry participants meeting new challenges. Continue reading 

cloud-computing-as-an-opportunity-for-big-changes-in-travel-technology-part-i
GDS

Cloud Computing as an Opportunity for Big Changes in Travel Technology? (Part II)

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Two possible ways the Cloud could Influence Technology Solutions for Travel. Cloud computing is not a new idea in the global sense, but it is not as widely recognized in the travel sector as it should be. There are different ways (described in the following in no particular order of importance) to affect travel as well as related technologies and businesses.

Cloud computing can replace applications, hardware and software traditionally used by travel agents, so that they can work online and are charged a license fee. Agents can benefit from the technology as it works on a pay-as-you-book basis that can be much more cost effective for companies during the years of recession. Continue reading 

cloud-computing-as-an-opportunity-for-big-changes-in-travel-technology-part-i
GDS

Cloud Computing as an Opportunity for Big Changes in Travel Technology? (Part I)

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With Google recently announcing the rollout of their long rumored and unofficially called “GDrive”, an extension of Google Docs which enables users to upload, store, organize and access any type of file virtually, the discussion about cloud computing, (which lately was already gathering dust), becomes worth talking about again.

In combination with shared folders, Google provides users with the ability of secure and easy collaboration on online files by storing them in the cloud. Its forerunner Google Wave already changes the direction away from people thinking, ‘This is my PC, and this is my hard drive,‘ to ’this is how I interact with the web. Continue reading 

swifttrip-llc-signs-5-year-agreement-with-pass-consulting-to-access-multi-gds-content
GDS

SwiftTrip, LLC Signs 5-Year Agreement with PASS Consulting to Access Multi-GDS Content

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PASS Consulting Corporation today announced that it has signed a 5-year agreement with The Travel Authority (TTA) and its subsidiary SwiftTrip, LLC, a software development company owned by TTA, Passageways Travel, and Morris Murdock Travel The Travel Authority is a leading provider of travel management services and online booking programs.

PASS Consulting is specialized in providing superior technology solutions and services and is a recognized industry innovator in the competitive business travel marketplace. Continue reading 

pass-consulting-successfully-supplies-nutravel-with-gds-connectivity
GDS

PASS Consulting Successfully Supplies nuTravel with GDS-Connectivity

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Under a multiyear agreement, nuTravel has been using Travel Technology Provider PASS Consulting to access GDS inventory via its certified XX/1 multi-GDS transaction server.

In a recent interview with The Beat’s Jay Campbell, nuTravel President & CEO Carmine Carpanzano pointed out the importance of pooling resources with third party technology providers in order for businesses to be cost-effective.
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pass-is-technology-provider-for-american-airlines-direct-connect
GDS

PASS is Technology Provider for American Airlines Direct Connect

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By providing a direct link into the host reservation system, among others, American Airlines provides direct connectivity to shopping and pricing facilities, booking, ticketing and post ticketing servicing transactions through Farelogix.

The AA Direct Connect provides technical flexibility in order to ensure enhanced offerings and customized services. Flexibility in adapting its delivery of optional services, based on changing customer demands, instead of being static by only collaborating with antiquated GDSs is the most important step towards the desired product presentation and innovation. Continue reading 

pass-travel-technology-solutions-multi-gds
GDS

PASS Travel Technology Solutions – Multi GDS

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PASS Travel Technology Solutions: PASS Consulting Group has just announced the full deployment of their Virtual Travel Organizer, also known as PASS VTO. PASS VTO provides travel agencies with the ability to evaluate and book travel options from GDS data or other sources from a single integrated screen.

PASS VTO offers dynamic packaging as part of a profiling function which allows the travel agent to instantly match the exact needs of the traveler. This means the agency has access to the most complete data filtered to the exact needs of the situation which saves the agency time while providing the best service and pricing to the customer. Continue reading 

PASS-consulting-Sabre-travel-network
GDS

PASS Signs New Authorized Developer Agreement with Sabre Travel

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PASS Consulting Corporation, a leading source for end-to-end technology and professional services for the travel industry, has signed a new Sabre Authorized Developer agreement.

As a result PASS is a Sabre Authorized third party developer for projects related to Sabre GDS connectivity. PASS XX/1 Multi-GDS / GNE – Hub is the high-performance transaction server platform to access any major CRS and GDS and makes such inventory available to clients through XML. Continue reading 

passenger-name-record
GDS

How to Retrieve a PNR (Passenger Name Record)

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If you want to retrieve a PNR, Passenger Name Record, what are you going to do? Perhaps you aren’t a Travel Company or don’t really know about all the specific things going on in the Travel Market? Here you get more information about how to retrieve a PNR.

How can you retrieve a PNR? Let’s say you want to retrieve the PNR Data from different GDS Systems. For example when you want to check the quality of your bookings that have been made, perhaps you want to check if the corporate rules of your company have been held in the last bookings. Continue reading