True Seamless GDS ^TM - A Reservation Nexus Innovation

Introduction to GDS

What is a Global Distribution Service (GDS) and what can it do for your inn? According to InnLink, a leading provider in Central Reservation Services (CRS) and GDS services, by using InnLink's two-way enhanced GDS interface you can increase your overall CRS revenue (revenue made by outside travel entities in your behalf) by 60% to 100%. For this reason property management systems are implementing or upgrading to next generation seamless GDS technologies to help inns better promote their business and identity.

In this topic we will discuss the different types of GDS, the limitations and advantages, how much time and effort it will take to setup and use GDS and much more.

What is GDS?

Back in the 1960s the airline industry created the first GDS system to keep track of flights, availability and rates. They then installed their systems with travel agents for automation and promotional purposes. Today the various GDS services help promote thousands of businesses in the airline, lodging and travel sectors.

Often when GDS is discussed, the major GDS providers are clumped together and referred to as simply "GDS".

There are now three (down from four) major GDS systems:

Sabre - Has been in operation for over 40 years and was created by American Airlines. Sabre finally became a separate legal entity in 1996. Sabre owns Travelocity.com, the industry's leading online consumer travel web site.

Travelport (Galileo + Worldspan) - Travelport now operates the Galileo and Worldspan GDS brands. Galileo was originally formed by 11 North American and European airlines. Worldspan was originally owned by affiliates of Delta, Northwest and American Airlines.

Amadeus -Was formed in 1987 by Air France, Iberia, Lufthansa, and SAS.

There are other GDS systems 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. There are also other travel networks like Expedia.

GDS Sounds Complicated...

GDS is a little complicated because you have the various services and networks and each entity has their own way of doing business. However, CRS and GDS integration companies like InnLink create technologies for packaging all the GDS and travel networks together into one package. They provide the functionality for property management systems like Reservation Nexus to integrate and communicate with the various GDS services on your behalf.

This allows you to use a familiar tool to promote your inn to thousands of potential visitors across travel websites (Travelocity, Expedia, Hotels.com, Priceline, etc.) and to travel agents worldwide.

The key to making GDS simple is in the hands of your guest management software. You are most familiar with the reservation and property management software that runs your inn on a daily basis and allows you to record phone reservations and accept online reservations from your website. The goal of both your property management software and GDS provider is to make it so that when your availability changes both your guest management software and your GDS services are on the same page. In addition, when you change rates, minimums or room information within your property management software those changes are made seamlessly across the various GDS systems.

There are a couple of different types of GDS integration and they are listed in order of efficiency below.

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