What is a Global Distribution System?

A GDS is a type of software used by travel agents since the 1950s to connect them to their key suppliers
for flights, accommodation and car hire.

These systems originated from the Airline Industry with the introduction of commercial flights, the
airlines needed a system that would allow travel agents to make reservations for flights.

A GDS will have a real-time link to the vendor's database.

For example, when a travel agency requests a reservation on the service of a particular airline, the GDS
system routes the request to the appropriate airline computer reservations system. This enables a travel
agent with a connection to a single GDS, to choose and book various flights, hotels, activities and
associated services on all the vendors in the world who are part of that GDS.

Alike SiteMinders software - A GDS has integrations with other pieces of software which allow travel to
streamline their workflows. This commonly includes back office software which assists them with report-
ing and customer management.

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Key Global Distribution System Providers

It is these original, legacy GDS’s that today provide the backbone to the Internet travel distribution
system.

There are currently four major GDS systems:

1. Amadeus

2. Galileo

3. Sabre

4. Worldspan

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In addition, there are several smaller or regional GDS’s including: SITA’s Sahara, Infini (Japan), Axess
(Japan), Tapas (Korea), Fantasia (South Pacific), and Abacus (Asia/Pacific) that serve interests or specific
regions or countries. In this article, we will provide a closer look at the four major GDSs.

Amadeus

Founded in 1987 by Air France, Iberia, Lufthansa, and SAS, Amadeus is the youngest of the four GDS
companies. Amadeus is a leading global distribution system and technology provider serving the market-
ing, sales, and distribution needs of the world’s travel and tourism industries. It’s comprehensive data net-
work and database, among the largest of their kind in Europe.

As the youngest of the four GDS companies, Amadeus has done remarkably well during its short tenure.

Sabre

For more than 40 years, Sabre has been developing innovations and transforming the business of travel.
From the original Sabre computer reservations system in the 1960’s, to advanced airline yield
management systems in the 1980s, to leading travel websites today, Sabre technology has traveled
through time, around the world, and has touched all points of the travel industry.

Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, Sabre connects more than 60,000 travel agency locations around the
world. In addition to being one of the leading GDS companies, Sabre also provides a broad range of
products and services that enhance travel agency operations and their ability to serve the traveler.

Sabre-connected travel agencies use Sabre web-based technologies and low-fare finding solutions to
create new sales opportunities, drive operational efficiencies, and improve customer service.

Galileo by Travelport

Galileo International was founded in 1993 by 11 major North American and European airlines.

Based on its competitive strengths, Galileo is pursuing a strategy that includes expanding its global
distribution, strengthening customer loyalty, leveraging technology, and capitalising on opportunities
created by increasing Internet use.

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Galileo sees the GDS industry as having the ability and potential to provide electronic distribution and
many components of e-commerce to other industries, and is utilising its strengths to provide expanding
services to its growing customer base.

Worldspan by Travelport

In 1995, Worldspan advanced into the world of Internet technology for the travel industry. Worldspan has
successfully developed the strategies, solutions, and services to ensure the company’s long-term success
in the new web-based world of travel distribution.

Worldspan provides worldwide electronic distribution of travel information, Internet products and
connectivity, and e-commerce capabilities for travel agencies, travel service providers, and corporations.

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Global Distribution System Interfaces

Cryptic

A code driven interface.

Travel agents would need to learn a code language for the GDS provider their agency is using. Codes
allow them to search, price and book Hotels, Cars and Flights.

● Cryptic interfaces are the original way travel agents used the GDS

● Some Cryptic interfaces have integrated some point and click functions into these screens

● You might think it seems crazy that anybody would prefer to use a system that looks like this

● "Any good, strong GDS agent can sit side by side next to anyone who does GUI point-and-click
[booking] and just wipe them out"

● This interface allows agents to make travel bookings in the quickest way possible: Time = Money

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

A GUI is a point and click interface, newly developed so Travel Agents can be trained easily and sort
search result in an easy manner.

● GUI’s were introduced to make training agents on GDS a much quicker process. This booking
method has not been 100 percent because when an agent is trained on cryptic, it is unarguable that the
cryptic method is a quicker way to book for those who are skilled in the GDS language.

● There are pro’s and con’s to both methods

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Self Booking Tool

As leisure travel has become more focussed on self driven booking tools, so has corporate travel. These
booking systems are an interface for the GDS which can be accessed by a corporate customer to book
their travel.

Self booking tools are becoming more of a recurring theme in Corporate Travel.

Online self-booking tools serves every aspect of corporations’ travel needs through a single entry point.

Corporations keep the control of their corporate travel programme and satisfy travellers with the best
choices.

Employees can easily plan, book and purchase complete travel itineraries within their company’s guide-
lines.

Corporations integrate the elements of their global travel programmes, including travel policies, preferred
suppliers and negotiated rates, into one easy-to-use website while cutting their travel costs down.

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Why would a hotel sell their product via a
GDS?

• The GDS audience is a six-figure network of travel agents for unparalleled exposure of your room inven-
tory.

• That’s millions of potential guests that you might not reach otherwise. From leisure travelers seeking
unique tailored experiences, students seeking guidance on their first trip, to budget-conscious families,
to an enormous global population of high paying, high volume, business travelers.

• From a home based travel manager in Dallas to the leading travel agency in Australia. Reaching a high-
touch high-service travel management company in Dubai to a destination specialist in Japan. From lei-
sure agencies across Latin America to bright travel startups in South Africa…. it is safe to say the net-
work of traditional travel agents is still broad and vast.