Monday 27 April 2015

Amadeus GDS Integration for Travel eCommerce Development – www.provab.com

The reliance on the GDS systems including Amadeus gds have increased significantly over the years. Travel agencies across the world, are more and more using global distribution systems (GDS). GDS systems are enabled to provide online travel deals and data through a single source. A more traditional way of calling the provider to confirm the booking, was used, which took considerable efforts and time per booking. Today, latest travel technologies from the leading consolidators (aggregators) including Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan have become popular among the travel agencies and services providers. Out of all, Amadeus GDS has emerged as the most preferred by travel agents around the world to make flights, hotels, car rentals, holiday packages, ferry, cruises or other travel services booking. The volume of the ticket bookings through Amadeus system such that all the leading airlines are actually connected with Amadeus GDS system. A growing travel agency must integrate Amadeus gds web services on travel website.
Amadeus GDS Integration

Apart from the generic travel contents, Amadeus GDS web services provides availability, pricing, details and online reservation module to travel agencies. Nowadays, travellers prefer a one-stop service, and request rich information to make a right decision. Information from the GDS system helps them to navigate, select and book, what they like. The travel agent has to provide detailed, real-time information to enable the consumer to choose an option that is suited to all his/her needs. Amadeus travel system just makes everything easy.
Amadeus had maintained its position as the global leader in travel technology and travel distribution solutions for tourism industry, by constantly introducing innovations. Set of solutions like e power suites, web services, APIs and other value added services, let client choose – what they like. Amadeus tools are built to deliver the professional travel booking solutions. It helps the agents to deliver comprehensive travel itineraries quickly and efficiently.
For travel technology companies also, Amadeus GDS is a top choice and companies can deliver the custom made solutions to travel agents. With great technical support, that it offers – things can be big for Amadeus. Integrating Amadeus gds web services will definitely take the travel agency to another level, as it can access the huge set of travel contents governed by Amadeus GDS.
Regarding Author:
Author is a travel technology expert and has been involved in several travel portal development projects.
Resources:

Global Distribution System Integration – Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre for OTA Travel Website – www.provab.com

In the present date of online sales, where physically existing travel agent shops / kiosks are losing importance and a new trend of bookings through online travel portals & airline reservation systems, is developing very fast. This has created huge opportunity for travel technology companies to build great online reservation systems (airline reservation system, hotel reservation system, & holiday packages reservation system) with top Global Distribution Systems. Apart from cutting edge technology, the user engagement model, displaying the vest pricing and offers are key points for any reservation system to succeed.
Global Distribution System

Amadeus, Galileo / Travelport, Sabre and Abacus are among the top global distribution systems available today. Global distribution systems consolidate the data for airlines, hotels, cars, packages and cruises. This consolidated data, is then shared to end travel reservation software / travel portals through their proprietary web services APIs.
Airline reservation system, commonly known as ARS, is generally considered to be the user side system for any airline or GDS. It consists of the exchange of data through the GDS system, which consolidates the worldwide airline data and share through unique web services API. This is an effective and efficient way of consolidating the global airlines availability and pricing, which is combined together with best GUI interface and published for end users on any airline reservation system (GDS based).
In online travel services marketing & sales, airline reservation system is a part of comprehensive travel reservation system, which consist-off hotel reservation system, transfer system and sightseeing module. GDS system, which is known as global distribution system is the interface between a travel reservation system and the end airlines, because it consolidates the data including the availability and pricing. The end buyers can check the availability and do the booking, which in turn is forwarded to airlines console through GDS.
Advanced airline reservation systems offer the features like oneway, roundtrip, multi-destinations all together. Thus also providing the end users the better deals / offers on every booking, they do. Most of the reservation systems are also offering the dynamic packages like airline + hotel, hotel + cars, hotels + holidays packages, clubbing the packages together. This helps the buyers to plan the travel in a better way.
Check below, if you would like to know more about top global distribution systems.
Author:
Author is a travel technology expert and has been involved in several travel portal development projects.
Resources:

Expedia, GTA Travel, Hotelbeds, DOTW, Agoda, Hotelspro, Tourico – APIs Integration for Agencies in Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey www.provab.com

Booking your hotel through online hotel reservation systems is easy. The availability of multiple accommodations for each destination, gives end users enough flexibility to choose a right hotel at right cost. Each accommodation option provides a varied range of pricing, facility, quality and availability, using which end users can select and pick a desired option.

Hotel Reservation System

Top hotel consolidators Expedia, GTA Travel, Hotelbeds, DOTW, Agoda, Hotelspro, WCT, Travco, Tourico, Bonotel, Travelocity, Jac Travels, Miki and others have designed and developed hotel APIs to share the hotel inventory to global travel agent. The web services of hotel APIs not only sharing the availability but also the room types, pricing as well. The main aim associated with the hotel APIs is travel agents, both small and medium-sized travel agents offer their clients the best of the deals at any corner of the globe. Hotel booking systems equipped with Hotel APIs, makes all the information regarding hotel selection available at the finger tip of the customers, and it is also real time information.
API stands for application programming interface. In simple terms hotel API integration provides a legitimate access for one company to get access to the product of the other companies. A travel management company or a travel portal can get access to a huge variety of hotel inventory through hotel APIs integration.
Hotel APIs acts as web service with the option of online functionality for searching and booking of the hotels across the world. Hotel API web service provides a broader spectrum to the online hotel booking services. The travel management companies or the travel agencies get the privilege of providing its users with the option of choosing their accommodation as per their need at a particular destination, thus giving a wider enhancement to the business of the travel agencies.
The benefits of the top hotel APIs for the travel agencies are as follows:
  • Business Expansion- Travel APIs provides a wider access of hotels across the world for the customers of the travel agency. With the availability of a wider accommodation option and a user-friendly booking, the travel API integration would help the travel agencies in attracting more customers, increasing the present number of customers and allowing the Travel Company or travel agency to expand the business by venturing new avenues.
  • Customer Satisfaction- People approaches the travel portal as they find arranging for the travel to be difficult. The travel agencies website is a one stop shop for all the travel needs with different options to choose form. Travel portal acts as a single platform, enabling the users to search from a varied number of options and booking the most prominent option through the same portal. This makes the process of hotel booking simpler for the users and helps in exceeding customer expectation through providing a varied number of options.
  • Cost Saving – The travel agencies could avoid maintaining software, which will save the cost for maintenance and installation. The travel APIs make real time availability for each hotel accommodation and pricing, helping in saving time and operational cost.
  • Time saving – The user friendly hotel booking interface makes the process of booking much easier and quicker, thus helping in saving cost.
  • Personalized service- The travel API helps the travel agencies to provide personalized service through options like own system, database and websites. The travel agencies can host hotel booking engine with real time information.


Features associated with the top hotel APIs are:
  • Real time availability and pricing
  • Quick booking through simplified search interface
  • Vast inventory
  • Huge number of suppliers
  • Integrated support
  • User-friendly search engine
The leading hotel APIs include Expedia, GTA API, Hotelbed XML, Hotelspro XML, Tourico API, DOTW API, Travco API, Tourico XML, Expedia API, WCT API, Bonotel XML and booking.com.

API based hotel reservation system is a hit at the present as it is accompanied with benefits like 24/7 availability, enhanced client satisfaction, automated system, immediate confirmation, time saving and brings improvement in sales.

B2B Travel Portal Software with Dynamic Packaging growing in London, Madrid, Berlin

http://www.provab.com - While travel volume is expanding at a dynamic pace, travelers are slowly getting bored with the traditional, readymade package holidays. Now, travel agencies and tour operators have begun to offer the innovative ‘Dynamic packaging’ in order to attract more cost-conscious and variety-loving customers.


Travel Portal Software 


Dynamic packaging enables the travelers to create their own package of flights, accommodation, and car rental in lieu of buying a pre-defined package. The customer can pick, choose and design his/her own ideal holiday. It’ll be not the tour operator but the customer who chooses the beach where she’d sunbathe, the hotel she’d stay and the flight she’d fly to her destination. With dynamic packaging, the travel agent or the tour operator can provide a tailor-made holiday package which best suits the traveler’s needs and tastes.

Dynamic packages are mainly sold online. The big margins and high sale price endear this novel travel product to travel agents and tour operators. Many of them are busy getting travel technology companies to build travel software with dynamic packaging of flights and hotels.

Travel software with dynamic packaging of flights and hotels must be able to dynamically source inventories of flights, accommodation and car rental components for the package in real-time. The software also has to dynamically synthesize the customer’s choices into packages and give the total price. Individual prices are not informed to the customer, but, anyway, they’ll be less than when they are bought as single components.

Travel software with dynamic packaging of flights and hotels will provide the travel agent or the tour operator an inventory management system, mark-up engine with business rules and a ticket issuing and resolution system. With such a specialist software, you can offer dynamic packages to your customers direct from your website. An experienced travel technology company can design your system and deliver a viable dynamic package solution for travel retailers.

A good travel booking software development firm can integrate and deploy dynamic packages –flight search engine, hotel search engine / hotel reservation system, car module, cruise and vacation packages – on travel retailer’s websites. It will serve B2C B2B and B2B2C categories. In other words, dynamic packaging connects flights, hotels, car rentals, cruise, etc, in the travel retailer’s booking software and enable him to offer a very wide range of travel products that can be booked together as a package. Customers will be able to book flight tickets, hoter rooms, cruises, etc simultaneously.

Main components of dyanamic package are dynamic inventory sourced from wholesalers, facility provided to customers to choose from that dynamic inventory, and enabling of customers to book in real-time. Even a sub-agent can offer dynamic packages to his customers using.

Travel agency software with dynamic packaging of flights and hotels empowers travel retailers to package various travel products in real-time and sell it in one transaction across multiple distribution channels. With such a sophisticated software, travel agents can deal with both internal and externally sourced products (air, rail, hotel, activities, transfers, cruises, etc) for packaging.

A travel retailer will get the following benefits by integrating travel software with dynamic packaging of flights and hotels

Special discounts for dynamic bookings
Deal with supplier-negotiated contracts - content, inventory, pricing, pricing rules
Integrate with GDS and external supplier and wholesaler systems in real time
Sell packages on multiple channels - B2C, B2B, call center, travel stores, XML
Retailers can offer their own dynamic packages
Increase in revenue and sales volume
Agents can offer different dynamic packages like flight+hotel, flight+car, hotel+car or flight+hotel+car
Customers will get full service packages
Customers can produce their own itineraries
Enhance profitability of your travel booking business in general
Package and market a combination of travel products such as flights, hotels, activities, tours, transfers and various items
Travel software with dynamic packaging of flights and hotels will enhance your agency’s performance in web service, mobile and social networks
Administer markups and commissions
Automate operations and boost efficiency with an integrated back-office and accounting system
Create accounting, management, operational or custom reports quickly
Produces vouchers, itineraries, invoices, bills, passenger manifest reports, etc.

Consumers can customize itineraries through one or more websites. They can choose the dates of travelling by themselves while a package tour always start and end at dates common for all the travelers who participate in that package. In a package tour, the travelers have to invariably go to all the places prescribed in the tour, or stay at hotel! Nevertheless, the traveler has to pay for all those travel products which do not interest him. But with the travel software with dynamic packaging of flights and hotels he can eliminate all the travel components that do not interest him. Thus dynamic package software is useful for both the travel retailer and the travelers.
Regarding Author:


Author is a senior business analyst and an expert in travel software development and marketing strategy implementation. 

Travel Ticketing Website & Travel Portal Software surging in Dubai, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt.

http://www.provab.com - Ticketing system in travel technology means an online booking system to search and book, flights, hotels, transfers, sightseeing and holiday packages. Travel ticketing system supports immediate booking and request management (*which is called queuing up), both the models. Ticketing system also refers to travel software (travel agency software), which are widely used by global travel management companies.
Looking for a Travel PortalGet a Project Quote - http://www.provab.com/get_quote.html
Ticketing System

A ticketing system / travel agent software is online system to store & to retrieve travel related contents. The data may come from the ticketing system’s database or it may come from the GDS Systems – Global Distribution Systems or the third party suppliers. Ticketing system may process the transactions related to flights, accommodations, transfers, cars, cruise and other travel related services. There are three kinds of ticketing systems, which are most widely used today.
  • Ticketing System connected to GDS
  • Ticketing System connected to Third Party Suppliers
  • CRS based Ticketing System
A ticketing system / travel software, while issuing any ticket connects to primary flights / hotels / cars data to find real time availability and pricing. Once the availability is confirmed, users can proceed to make payment to confirm the booking. This whole process is automated and end users get the booking confirmation / PNR or voucher in no-time after making the payment. Below are distinct advantages of travel ticketing system / travel agency software.
  • Round o clock availability, improved sales and great client satisfaction.
  • Fully automated system, and thus saves alot of time of end users.
  • PNR / Vouchers are generated immediately.
  • Comprehensive backend with markup module, currency module, report module and user DB.
Author:

Author is a travel technology expert and has been involved in several travel portal development project.

Online Reservation Software, Travel eCommerce and Travel Mobility Solutions driving growth for travel agencies www.provab.com

Online reservation software and travel mobility solutions are setting up new paradigms for travel agencies. The top and bottom line of growth is better than expected. A travel business may be small or big, but it can’t survive in the present world without an online travel software. You may have hosting a very good travel website design on your domain and it may also be attracting a-lot of visitors as well. But without travel software, you may not be able to realize its full potential. With travel system in place, you can not only connect to potential clients but also achieve the sales online. Integrating a travel agency software will change your website to an online booking system platform.
Online Reservation Software

But how to integrate, is an intriguing issue. There are three basic methods of integration to your existing website:
iFrame Integration
Top travel software provides the white label links, which can be connected in any travel website. Your web designer can simply import these links in iframe. Thus your website will host the search box and will enable the complete online booking software on your website.
Widget integration
You add the code snippet or a widget, from travel software provider, to your website code. Sections of on the online booking UI will be added to the desired places in your website (e.g., search box, hotel room or flights on special offer).
API integration
API integration is one of the most common methods used today. You need a professional travel software development company to achieve this. APIs provide the web services XML, which should be programmed to connect to third party server to bring the data. Its always advisable to hire an experienced travel portal developer to do this for you. Hotel APIs or Flight APIs integration will give you the complete control on look n feel of the system and customization.
With API integration, travel companies can -
Have B2C, B2B, corporate and white-label modules
Manage multiple suppliers including GDS & hotel consolidators
Manage separate sub-domains / domains for end users and agents
Update the markup from the backend
Have IP based currency option
Have comprehensive reporting system
Regarding Author:

Author is a travel technology expert and has been involved in several travel portal development projects. 

Friday 24 April 2015

Online travel software, ecommerce applications for agencies in Spain, United Kingdom and Denmark www.provab.com

The reliance on the GDS systems including Amadeus gds have increased significantly over the years. Travel agencies across the world, are more and more using global distribution systems (GDS). GDS systems are enabled to provide online travel deals and data through a single source. A more traditional way of calling the provider to confirm the booking, was used, which took considerable efforts and time per booking. Today, latest travel technologies from the leading consolidators (aggregators) including Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan have become popular among the travel agencies and services providers. Out of all, Amadeus GDS has emerged as the most preferred by travel agents around the world to make flights, hotels, car rentals, holiday packages, ferry, cruises or other travel services booking. The volume of the ticket bookings through Amadeus system such that all the leading airlines are actually connected with Amadeus GDS system. A growing travel agency must integrate Amadeus gds web services on travel website.

Online travel software
Apart from the generic travel contents, Amadeus GDS web services provides availability, pricing, details and online reservation module to travel agencies. Nowadays, travellers prefer a one-stop service, and request rich information to make a right decision. Information from the GDS system helps them to navigate, select and book, what they like. The travel agent has to provide detailed, real-time information to enable the consumer to choose an option that is suited to all his/her needs. Amadeus travel system just makes everything easy.
Amadeus had maintained its position as the global leader in travel technology and travel distribution solutions for tourism industry, by constantly introducing innovations. Set of solutions like e power suites, web services, APIs and other value added services, let client choose – what they like.  Amadeus tools are built to deliver the professional travel booking solutions. It helps the agents to deliver comprehensive travel itineraries quickly and efficiently.
For travel technology companies also, Amadeus GDS is a top choice and companies can deliver the custom made solutions to travel agents. With great technical support, that it offers – things can be big for Amadeus. Integrating Amadeus gds web services will definitely take the travel agency to another level, as it can access the huge set of travel contents governed by Amadeus GDS.
Regarding Author:
Author is a travel technology expert and has been involved in several travel portal development projects.
Resources:

Global Distribution Systems, Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre integration for agencies in Tunis, Oran, Kaduna – www.provab.com

A global distribution system (GDS) is a database capable of storing and updating enormous information on the supply of a wide range of tourism products worldwide. GDSs enable the travel agents to access, in real-time, availability, features and prices of flight tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises, ferry reservations, trains and other services. With a Global distribution system integrated to their website, travel agencies can allow their customers to search and book travel products and services and issue tickets too.

Looking for a Travel Portal – Get a Project Quote - http://www.provab.com/get_quote.html

Global Distribution Systems

Global Distribution System

Travel agencies are greatly aided by GDS systems because they are enabled to offer their customers rates, inventory, discounts, rooms, and descriptions on a real-time basis. In other words, global distribution systems are intermediaries between travel product suppliers –and travel retailers who sell tickets to the final consumer.

Main features of GDS:

• Report availability and prices of travel products

• Reserve user requests.

• Sale and ticketing

• Track sales (extend customer’s stay, change of flights, etc).

• Facilitates control management for travel agencies).

Evolution of GDS

The prototype of GDS in the travel industry can be seen in the 1950s as the traditional legacy business model which inter-operated between airline vendors. Computer reservation systems (CRS), at the initial stage, was used by the airline companies as an automated booking system, but later, travel agents were given access. Around 1980, CRS enabled travel agents to connect to various travel providers in a single system. At this stage, in addition to flights, hotels and car rentals were included. CRS acquired much strength by late 80s being so helpful to both suppliers and distributors. In the 90s, computerized reservation systems of airlines were transformed to global distribution systems (GDS). So we see that GDS has developed from airline alliances and ended up becoming independent business units with product internationalization and introduction of new products, especially hotel rooms.

GDS integration for travel agencies and suppliers of travel products

Travel agencies must have full access to a global distribution system GDS. To get connected to a GDS, travel agencies need a contract.  This will enable the travel agents to provide an astonishing amount of travel product rates and information to their customers, at the lowest possible rates. An experienced travel technology company can integrate any GDS to the computer reservation system or website of a travel agency.

It’s critical also for the properties to be on a GDS. Travelers now go to travel portals to find travel products. So hotels, car rentals, etc, have to be there to get Internet visibility and, thus, more reservations. A GDS allows real-time access to inventory system of a hotel with the current prices, discounts, room types, facilities like Wi-Fi  and different aspects of interest to the potential customer.

Owners can hire a good travel technology company to get access to the GDS of their choice. A property can be connected only in one GDS provider. If the property owner wants to change the provider, he can cancel the existing provider and activate another with a switch letter.

How much does it cost?

To integrate GDS to your system, you’ll have to pay a one-time setup cost and pay a monthly charge of a minimum amount per reservation.

Major GDS systems

Amadeus was started in 1987 by Air France, Iberia, Lufthansa, and SAS in order to create a European GDS, by fusing their CRSs. In 1989, seven more airlines joined Amadeus and began to allow travel agents to book flights through neutral screens. It is now the largest leisure package distributor in the world. Through Amadeus GDS integration, a travel agent can offer travel products from 430 airlines in 195 countries, 32 car rental companies in 37,918 locations, 20 cruise lines and 300,000 hotel properties. More than 100,000 travel agencies are connected with Amadeus GDS.

Sabre, a joint venture by American Airlines and IBM, was started in 1960. In 1970, Sabre system began to be installed in travel agencies.  Now 55,000 travel agencies use Sabre GDS to book products from 400 airlines, 88,000 hotels, 24 car rental brands, and 13 cruise lines.

Galileo and Worldspan are the other two major GDSs. There are also third party consolidators like Sahara, Infini (Japan), Axess (Japan), Tapas (Korea), Fantasia (South Pacific), and Abacus (Asia/Pacific) that cater to particular regions or countries.

The big consolidators also include such as Expedia, Orbitz (Merchant program registration needed), Hotels.com, Travelocity, AAA, Hotwire, Priceline and TravelWeb.

The future of GDS

As a tool of of content aggregation, GDS is here to stay and be more powerful. Novel technological solutions in middleware continue to appear. Global distribution systems have a long way to go.

Travel Agency System for Agencies in Nairobi, Algiers, Kano – www.provab.com

Despite the economic recession, people travel more than ever. Regarding booking their flights and hotels, now they often use their PCs or smart-phones. Or they come to your office and you help them to book the best choices with the help of your office computer. So you need a travel agency system.

Get a Project Quote – http://www.provab.com/get_quote.html

Travel Agency System


Travel agency software systems are used across the globe and most important part of OTA business model. In travel business, the processes are customized based on every business type/ offerings / transactions. Following are some of the important points -  

Managing the large number of bookings

The main objective of a travel business operator to buy a travel agency software is to manage the reservations efficiently and rapidly. With a good system, you can track bookings end to end without any flaws. Software for travel agent must provide an integrated system of real-time reservation software, booking systems, web publication, accounting and administration. It should be ultimately flexible and can be easily made to deal production of complex packages, dynamic packaging using clients' own resources in combination with GDS, hotel and car rental systems etc.
Multiple Sales Channels

With multiple sales channel feature, one can use travel agency system as a common platform for you as well as your customers to book travel products and services online. The internet booking engine will enable you to manage the bookings by your customers as well as your subagents. Consumer site will allow your customers to book and to pay through payment gateways. Agency site or B2B will allow your subagents to make bookings while you can track commissions and agents’ accounts.
Hotel Booking System

With the hotel booking software system, one can take direct bookings through your own travel agency system. This is automatic and without any human intervention, your firm can take bookings 24/7. Higher conversion rate, detailed report, instant confirmation and sending of confirmation to customer’s phone and email are other salient features.

Airline booking software

Our flight booking engine will maximize your online flight ticket sales. It is integrated with all the major GDSs. It is a fully customizable software too so that it can cater to all your specific business requirements.

Mobile apps are now going hand in hand with leading travel software. This is again a criteria of making a right choice.

Regarding Author:

Author is a senior business analyst and an expert in travel portal development and marketing strategy implementation.

Resources: