Airline Reservation System, Travel eCommerce and Internet Booking Engine for Travel and Hospitality Companies – PROVAB.com

Software designing is filled with a lot of buzz words at present and the most frequent of them is the word “Agile”. There are other similar kinds of words like SCRUM, KANBAN, Crystal Clear and Extreme Programming. Top travel technology companies around the globe adopting agile design process for travel portal software development, travel CRM and mobile apps.

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The place that the word Agile holds in software designing could be explained with the help of the waterfall model. You may have read about the concept of waterfall model, when you were undergoing your bachelors in engineering. Waterfall model was also an ornate term used for defining a concept. The waterfall model is sequential designing process, according to which progress is defined as flowing downward like that of a waterfall. The various phases of the waterfall model include Conception, Initiation, Analysis, Design, Construction, Testing, Implementation and maintenance. Leading travel software companies are adopting the same model for scalable travel portal development projects.

The waterfall model dates back to the olden days when the Romans involved themselves in the construction work. The main theory that the Romans has put forward and the concept that is implemented in the Waterfall model is the fact, that when you build a bridge it is a challenging task to bring about change or fix the bridge later. Even if you find a path of fixing the bridge, it will be costly. It is very essential to know what you want at the beginning, when you are designing the project.

The case is different with the software, wherein you can bring about changes in the end-products. Looking at the demand that the users pose to the current software industry, it would not be wrong to say that the users expect change in the end-product very frequently. I can put forward a very common concept in regards to the reason behind demanding change in the end-product. During the beginning of the project an user might have a very vague idea about the features that they want in the project, and a strong opinion is formed with the progression of the project depending on the business needs.

Now I could clearly say that, it is the benefits associated with the Agile designing process that had helps in creating an exclusive place when it comes to software designing. The Agile design process enables the project managers to generate a condition that leads to clear and frequent interaction among the customers, business folks and the delivery team.

There are many projects that Provab.com have accomplished and in which the Agile method was implemented very effectively. These are the projects wherein the features associated with the end-result were quite different in comparison to the features that were through about, while beginning the project. The factor that mattered for us as an organization was the level of customer satisfaction and appreciation that these projects brought along with them.

As mobility solutions depend on the web services generated from the web projects, agile development process will be the backbone of travel portal development companies.

Online Booking Software with GDS and Travel APIs Integration on Existing Travel Website to Improve Sales – PROVAB.com

Your travel business may be small or big, but it can’t survive in the present world without an Online Booking 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 online travel software 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.

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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.

Resources:

http://www.provab.com

http://www.provab.com/travelportaldevelopment.html

http://www.provab.com/travel-software.html

Amadeus Travel Software, GDS Integration for B2C and B2B Travel Agencies with Mid Office & Call Centre Modules : PROVAB.com

http://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.

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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:

http://www.provab.com

http://www.provab.com/travelportaldevelopment.html

http://www.provab.com/travel-software.html

Travel Portal with Flights + Hotels + Transfers + Packages, Computer Reservation System for Agencies – PROVAB.com

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.

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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 dynamic 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 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.

Facebook, Instagram integration helping travel websites, online travel software and booking systems generate more traffic.

Using Facebook integration for the purpose of driving website traffic for the travel agents is a very innovative idea that one can come across. This idea is not restricted to the travel domain and to the travel agents and travel agencies. The idea could be very well implemented for other domains as well, like the e-commerce website. Facebook has always been valued as a marketing channel for the travel agent.

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This write-up is all about letting the readers know about leveraging the power of Facebook to increase the travel agency business and enhance credibility. Having your organizational present felt through the Facebook or advertising through Facebook will not be enough to achieve the level of success you required. This is because people will need to know that you as a travel agency provide an excellent service and is trustworthy at the same time.

The main reason for putting forward the idea of Facebook integration with your business website is for the meaningful utilization of your Facebook page. This technique will be helpful in acquiring new customers, increasing the revenue and retaining the existing customers. The last few years, Facebook has experienced a huge growth, which has changed its image of being a social networking site to a powerful marketing tool. This marketing platform is very effective in the areas like direct sales and customer segmentation. Facebook is being used by around a billion users each day, is capable of providing huge potential for the travel agents and travel agency companies in term of providing a platform for marketing their products and services to the global audience.

One of the most common methods of making the users visit your new site is through the process of search engine optimization or SEO. When an agency that has being conducting offline business upgrades itself to online, it will not be possible for them to make into the list of the high search ranking for the next few months. This is because the top slots of the search ranking are dominated by the large OTAs with big SEO investment.

One of the best methods for the offline travel agencies for acquiring new customers is through the existing ones. This includes the process of motivating the existing customers who are satisfied with your service, to share their positive experience with their friends through the most powerful marketing toll called “Word of Mouth”. The meeting tool of Word-of-mouth has a new definition at present and it is through social media like Facebook, Twitter, etc. Facebook integrated websites have lot many benefits, the foremost being the procedures used by the travel business for maximizing gains from the existing customer. One of the ways to do so is by rewarding these customers for sharing your deals and promoting the deals on Facebook. Implementing this procedure will eventually bring new customers.

Majority of the travel agents possess a business page on Facebook, or in case you don’t have one you should open it immediately. Along with a Facebook account, opening a Facebook booking portal that acts as a mirror portal for Facebook is also necessary. This portal acts as the mirror portal of the current Facebook, helping in selling flight, hotel and packages. This also helps in significantly increasing the look-to-book ration of your travel agency portal.

This would be the best opportunity when you have a Facebook page with a decent amount of fan base and most of the fans are your existing customers. The travel industry is very competitive at present and customer base is shaky for every company operating in the travel business. This situation calls for providing your customers with a strong reason to stay with you. The reason that could help in retaining your customer may include providing better products, providing more competitive pricing and providing superior service. The other way of retaining the customer is rewarding them.

You can use your Facebook page and business website for publishing deals. In case your business website is integrated with your Facebook page, it will enable your customers to share your products and deals with their friend and in turn you can reward them. You can also incentivize your current customers by allowing them to publish deals once or twice a month on their Facebook wall.

The whole idea of posting deals directly on the customer’s Facebook wall is the opportunity that you get by enabling the view of your deals by more number of people when compared to your own Facebook page. Your deal reaches to the entire friend list of your customer and in turn reaches out to more number of customers, and your customers are the brand ambassadors for the reason behind bringing more customers for your travel agency business.

One more important point to keep in mind is that the deals that you publish online should be deep-linked. Deep-links are hyperlinks on the web that will take the users to the specific page on your website in opposition to your homepage. By web we mean website, social media or any other site. The benefit associated with deep linking is that your customers sharing the deal on Facebook wall with their friends. Their friends like the deals and clicking on the deals will take them to the deal page, wherein they can book the deal instead of reaching your home page and searching for the deal there.

Many businesses make the mistake of posting their promotional offers on social media, which directs the user to the home page of the travel agency rather than directing to the specific page for purchasing the deal. When a user click on the hyperlinked deal, it means that they are interested to know about the specific deal and not any other packages deal or entire product that the business is offering. The users don’t prefer reaching your home page and searching for the deal that has caught their attention on the Facebook. This also provides the opportunity of cross-promotion, when the users enquire about the interested deal. You can provide them information about other similar deals and offers that you have in store.

One concept that could lead to success is letting your customer reach the page that they are interested in, rather than them landing in another page and searching for the deal. When a user is unable to find the deal or promotional offers that they want, they are likely to leave the page which will lead to high bounce ranking and in-turn affect your search engine ranking. Facebook integration is a way of measuring of the success of the deal accurately. You get the opportunity of knowing the number of times the deal was viewed, liked and shared along with the persons associated with the action. For every sale that you make, an additional reward could be given to the current customer who referred the deal.

You can choose different types of rewards. The rewards could be in the form of special pricing, discounts or points. This would be a form of incentive for the customers who are constantly sharing your deal and bringing business for you. This is the best way of acquiring news customers along with keeping your current customers happy, and all this is possible without spending a penny.

The next question that must be invading your mind is “what happens when a visit doesn’t transform into a deal”? I could relate this to the benefit of integrating with Facebook. When a user clicks on the promotion and lands on the web page of the deal, the user details gets captured by the software automatically and is stored in the system as new customer along with their interest. These customers get automatically signed in into the system with the help of the Facebook credentials. They also receive an introductory email, which welcomes to the website and in some cases there is a promotional code for making their first purchase from the website. The promo code in travel software is a form of cash discount that tricks the customers to make a purchase from the website.

One more advantage of capturing the customer data through Facebook is about getting a deeper understanding of their preferences and behavior. This understanding is of great help when it comes to creation of marketing campaign for a particular target audience, along with providing a better customer service. Facebook integration with the business website is beneficial for the users as well, which comes in the form of saving their precious time spent on filling the registration form and remembering the login details.

The benefits reveal the underestimating Facebook would be a big mistake, which is considered to be the largest peer-peer connection network. Majority of the people across the world is connected to their friends and relatives through Facebook. There is no better way to make the promotional material reach out to your friend and their friend and their friend than Facebook. This means that through this marketing strategy the travel agencies could reach out to the people whom they would have never through of reaching out to across the globe.

The reason behind Facebook and Twitter becoming so popular for marketing is the promotion through these channels costing significantly less. An interested piece of news content posted on the social media has the capability of going viral within minutes, which is capable of providing your business with excellent word-of-mouth publicity without any cost. Along with this tracking the success of ROI of the marketing campaign becomes much easier and is carried through online channels like Facebook.

A Facebook integrated travel website can bring about transformational change to your travel agency business by driving user engagement, providing instant credibility and providing your website with a true social outlook.

Start a travel agency under OTA model with portal and extranet solutions

Starting a travel business from home is a good idea indeed. You need only a little investment. It is low-risk too. Just that you must be very enthusiastic to offer your clients best in class travel deals.  

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The first step in your home based endeavor is finding the right host agency. It’s better to have a host agency. It will keep your spending low, give you big commissions, and do your backend office. Moreover, if you are a novice in travel industry, they will train you too and assist you in running the business. Most of the host agencies have their online travel software in place, which you can also get access off.  

With the host agency, you need not have an ARC, CLIA, or IATAN number which is costly and difficult to get for a startup. The host agency’s accreditation number is enough and it will be your parent company.  If you use the GDS, the host will take care of the ARC report which will be time-saving to you.  They will also help you to get a travel agent license as required by your region.

Experts recommend to restrict your travel business first to some niche rather than offering all airlines and hotels in the world. It may be for a particular region or a special holiday package. But don’t market just one product, try two or three. Or you can cater to the travel needs of business travelers to a particular country. Or try your luck in booking charter planes for the high-end corporate travelers or billionaires. Name your travel agency accordingly. Try to offer something, which is little different from the generic node.

You are in travel business to make money by providing quality, reliable service to your customers. Have separate accounts and track business expenses. To get your home-based travel agency clicked, you must have a working knowledge of travel agency software, customer service experience and experience in traveling to the destinations you deal in.

Keep on having very satisfied clients and serve your clients to the max. Word of mouth does wonders in travel business.

Regarding Author:

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

Resources:

http://www.provab.com

http://www.provab.com/globaldistributionsystems-gdssystems.html

http://www.provab.com/travelportaldevelopment.html