Global distribution systems (GDS)

A global distribution system (GDS) enables online reservations of flight, hotel, and car rental services. Travel agents reserve services using a GDS, and then synchronize the reservations with the system to create a travel file.

Which GDS are supported?

The system supports the following GDS:

• Amadeus

• Sabre

• Travelport GDS:

• • Galileo

  • Worldspan

How does the system interface with GDS?

The system offers five tools for interfacing with a GDS.

Four tools are used for importing data from the GDS:

• From PNR: This tool is used for importing the flight, hotel, and  car reservation details from a PNR from any GDS into the system through an API. The system imports the most recent state of the PNR.

Click here for a list of flight details imported with the PNR.   Sabre Amadeus Webservices Galileo Worldspan PNR ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Dates ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Times ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ From IATA code ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ To IATA code ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Airline ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Flight number ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Class ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Status ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Terminals ✔ ✔ X ✔ Equipment ✔ ✔ X Only when searching and reserving through the system ✔ Milage ✔ ✔ X ✔ Stops ✔ ✔ X ✔ Fare Basis ✔ X ✔ X Operated by ✔ ✔ ✔ X Airline PNR ✔ ✔ ✔ X Time Limit X ✔ ✔ X

• GDS to TB: This tool is used for importing into the system the flight reservation details from PNR files. The system automatically imports the PNR files at fixed intervals, and then you need to manually review the files on the dashboard and either create a new travel file, update an existing travel file or delete the file. Supported for Sabre,  Amadeus, and Worldspan only.

Click here for a list of flight details imported with the PNR file.   Sabre Amadeus Worldspan PNR ✔ ✔ ✔ Dates ✔ ✔ ✔ Times ✔ ✔ ✔ From IATA code ✔ ✔ ✔ To IATA code ✔ ✔ ✔ Airline ✔ ✔ ✔ Flight number ✔ ✔ ✔ Class ✔ ✔ ✔ Status ✔ ✔ ✔ Terminals X ✔ ✔ Equipment ✔ ✔ ✔ Milage ✔ X ✔ Stops ✔ ✔ ✔ Fare Basis X ✔ ✔ Operated by X ✔ ✔ Supp PNR X X X Airline PNR ✔ X X Time Limit X X X

• Queue: With Sabre, you have the option of placing PNRs in a queue. The system will periodically sample this queue, and import the data into the system, creating and updating travel files as necessary. With Amadeus, the system can withdraw PNRs from a queue and import them into the travel file.

• ENS: ENS is a web service offered by Sabre. When this tool is activated, automatic notifications are sent to the system with updated PNR information on flight, hotel and car rental reservations, and the system creates/updates travel files accordingly.

And one tool for exporting from the system into the GDS:

• TB to GDS: This tool is used for exporting passengers to a GDS. When a user is making a reservation in the GDS, and the passengers exist in the system, the passengers can be exported to the GDS using this tool (including frequent flyer information), which prevents the creation of duplicate passengers when a PNR file is imported into the system. Supported for Sabre and Amadeus only.

How can you use a GDS with the system?

Search and Book Services

You can use the Reservations System to perform queries in the GDS, and book flights. This feature is enabled for all the GDS supported by the system.  After the reservation is created and saved in a PNR, the system synchronizes with the GDS, and a travel file is created with the PNR.

During the booking process, in the Passenger Details page, you can enter the passenger's frequent flight information, which is transmitted to the GDS after the reservation is completed. The frequent flyer can be for the airline being reserved or for any other airline in the alliance.

Synchronize with a GDS to bring the PNR into the system

If you created a PNR in the GDS, you can bring it into the system directly into the system using two methods:

• API: The system synchronizes with the GDS to bring the PNR directly into the system through an API using the From PNR tool.

• Saved Files: The PNR is saved as a file, which can be imported into the system using the GDS to TB. This option is only available for  Sabre, Amadeus and Worldspan.

The system brings the itinerary, pricing and ticket number (the ticket number can also be imported separately) from the PNR into the travel file.

When bringing a PNR into the system, the system compares the information in the PNR to the existing travel files. If a new PNR was created, a new travel file is opened and new transactions are created. If the PNR matches a transaction in an existing travel file, the transaction is updated.

When comparing a PNR to an existing transaction in a travel file, the system checks for the following in order to determine a match:

1. Are the flight route, flight numbers, and flight tickets the same?

2. If yes, was a ticket issued?

   1. If a ticket was not issued - the transaction is updated.

   2. If a ticket was issued, and the ticket number and price are the same - the transaction is updated.

The following additional features are enabled for Sabre and Amadeus.

• If a specific travel file number is saved in the PNR, the system will import the PNR into that travel file.

• If a group PNR is imported, a group travel file is created in the system.

• With hotel and car rental transactions, if a voucher was issued, and the voucher has not been selected or covered in the Supplier Reconciliation module:

• If the name and reservation number of the hotel in the PNR are identical to the hotel transaction, and the details of the hotel reservation have been changed (dates, prices, pick-up or drop-off stations and rooms), in the travel file, the transaction is updated and the voucher is amended with the new information.

• If the reservation is cancelled in the PNR, in the travel file the voucher is cancelled and the transaction is deleted.

If the voucher is selected or covered, the original transaction in the travel file will remain unchanged after the PNR is imported. If the reservation details are changed, a new transaction will be created in the travel file. If the reservation is cancelled in the PNR, the transaction in the travel file will remain active.

GDS Mapping

You can map between the user's user name in the system and the user's user identifier and PCC/OfficeID in the GDS. The mapping is defined in Setup - Users - <User Name>. This feature is only enabled for Sabre and Amadeus.

Mapping the user name enables the system to import the user name of the user who opened the PNR into the system and add it to the travel file.

The user name is saved in the transaction as the user who issued the voucher. If a tax invoice is issued when issuing the voucher, the user is also saved as the user who issued the tax invoice.

When importing the PNR:

1. The system first searches for a user with a user identifier and PCC/OfficeID for the GDS in the mapping table.

2. If no user is found, the system searches for a user who has the exact same name as the user identifier returned from the GDS.

3. If no user is found, or no user information was returned from the PNR:

   1. For manual import (From PNR or GDS2TB), the system takes the  user currently logged into the system.

   2. For automatic import (ENS or Queues), the user takes the default login user defined in Setup - Website Definitions - Travel File. If no default login user is defined, the system takes the hardcoded user: automatic.

Limitations

You can only bring one PNR into a travel file, and therefore separate travel files are created for each PNR.

However, there are several options for importing a new PNR into an existing travel file:

• Manually: In the travel file, use the From PNR tool

• Automatically: In Setup - Website Definitions - Reservation Systems, in the Unite PNRs section, select Import new PNR to existing travel file. Only PNRs that match the travel file are imported.

This option does not apply to group travel files. When importing a group PNR, the system creates a group travel file. If there are individual passengers in the PNR with separate travel arrangements, the system opens a new individual travel file which is linked to the group travel file.

A match is determined as follows:

• All the passengers in the PNR exist in the travel file. Passenger names, phone numbers,  index numbers (if they exist in the PNR), and employee IDs if relevant are compared.

• The user attached to the travel file and the user who created the PNR share the same branch.

• There is up to a 48 hour overlap between the start and end dates.

Click here for detailed examples. The travel file start date is January 2, the travel file end date is January 14.  The PNR departure and arrival dates are: January 3 and January 6 – The PNR is imported. The PNR dates overlap with the travel file dates January 6 and January 9 – The PNR is imported. The PNR dates overlap with the travel file dates January 8 and January 13 – The PNR is imported. The PNR dates overlap with the travel file dates. January 10 and January 16 – The PNR is imported. There is a 48 hour difference between the PNR and the travel file. January 15 and January 19 – The PNR is not imported. The PNR and the travel file dates do not overlap.

If there is a match with a closed travel file, the PNR is not imported. If there is a match with a travel file that has the status Cancel, the PNR is imported and the system automatically changes the travel file status back to Open.

• Sabre and Amadeus only: If the PNR contains the remark New Travel File, the PNR is imported into a new travel file, even if it was supposed to be imported into an existing travel file. However, if the the PNR already exists in the system or contains a specific travel file number, it will be imported into an existing travel file, and the remark will be ignored.

• Sabre and Amadeus only: If the PNR contains the remark TB<travel file number>, the PNR will be imported into the travel file with that number. The remark needs to be added when the PNR is first created.

Ticketing

Once the ticket is created in the GDS, a payment obligation is created. The system will import the price and ticket information, and to complete the process a voucher needs to be issued in the travel file. By default, the voucher is issued automatically when the system synchronizes with the GDS to bring the PNR containing the ticket into the system. You can prevent the voucher from being issued automatically using the Prevent Automatic Issue of voucher for ticketing PNR option (Setup - Website Definitions - Debit Terms), and require the users to issue it manually in the travel file.

Reissue

You can reissue an existing ticket with a new number because of a change in the flight schedule or classes (or when it is no longer possible to void a ticket, and it is cheaper to reissue the ticket than issue a refund).

When a ticket is reissued, both tickets are still active, and therefore an additional transaction is added to the travel file with the new ticket, and the legs that are no longer relevant are cancelled. This option is supported for Sabre, Galileo, and Amadeus using the From PNR tool, and for Amadeus using the GDS to TB tool.

Void

A user can mark a ticket as Void in the GDS on the same day it is issued (until 23:59), and before it is reported to the BSP.  Because a void ticket has not yet been reported to the BSP it can be removed from the system and the transaction, allowing you to replace it with a new ticket if necessary.

If the system identifies a void ticket in a PNR:

• If a voucher has not yet been issued for the ticket, the tickets are deleted from the transaction.

• If a voucher has been issued, the voucher is cancelled, and the ticket is deleted from the transaction.

• After the ticket has been voided, the user can remove the itinerary from the PNR. If there is no itinerary, the transaction is deleted from the travel file.

The system can only handle void tickets from Amadeus PNRs using From PNR, and Sabre PNRs imported through the ENS mechanism.

Refund

A user can mark the ticket as refund in the PNR, if it is cancelled after the day in which it was issued, and a refund request has been submitted to the airline. With PNRs imported from Sabre and Amadeus, a refund is issued automatically.

With PNRs imported from all other GDSs, the refund tickets need to manually be cancelled in the travel file, and the user needs to manually issue the refund.

Cancel PNR

When a user cancels the PNR in the GDS, when the PNR is imported into the system (using the From PNR tool, if you are working with Galileo or Worldspan):

• If a voucher was not issued: The transaction is deleted.

• If a voucher was issued: You need to manually delete the ticket and then the transaction.

Direct payment by customers

Some customers want their credit card to be billed directly when the ticket is issued. These customers (usually corporate clients) have an agreement with the GDS, and when the PNR is created their credit card information is saved in the PNR. When the system imports a PNR with credit card data, the system bills the client directly. The credit card is saved to the transaction, and the payment method is defined as Credit Supplier.

This feature is enabled for PNRs imported through Sabre and Amadeus.

APIS

APIS is an advanced passenger information system used by certain countries. Countries that use APIS require that the passenger's passport information be submitted in advance of the flight departure. These countries are saved in the system as Need APIS.

In the Reservations system, when searching for and reserving a ticket to a destination that is Need APIS, the Passport fields are marked as mandatory for each passenger.

Passengers

Prevent duplication of passengers

The system maintains a file on each passenger created in the system. During the booking process there are three methods for preventing duplication passengers from being created.

• TB2GDS: The system maintains a file on each passenger. With Sabre and Amadeus only, in order to prevent the creation of duplicate passengers, during the booking process, users can use the TB2GDS tool to export passengers to the clipboard in a format that Sabre recognizes. This information can be pasted into the PNR. When importing the PNR, the system creates a travel file for the existing passenger. With Sabre Only - The passenger's name and index number are pasted into the PNR remarks.

• From PNR:

• • Sabre - when importing the PNR, the system checks the PNR remarks for the passenger name and index number.

  • • If there is a match the existing passenger is used.

    • If there is no match, the system checks the PNR for the 7 right-most number of the passenger's phone number.

    • • If there is a match the existing passenger is used.

      • If there is no match, the system checks the travel agent/corporate client and employee ID:

      • If there is a match, the existing passenger is used.

      • If there is no match, a new passenger is created.

      • If the phone number is missing, but the passenger name is identical, the existing passenger is used.

  • Amadeus - When importing the PNR, the system checks the PNR for the passenger's name and the 7 right-most number of the passenger's phone number.

  • • If there is a match an existing passenger is used.

    • If there is no match, the system checks the travel agent/corporate client and employee ID:

    • If there is a match, the existing passenger is used.

    • If there is no match, a new passenger is created.

    • If the phone number is missing, but the passenger name is identical, the existing passenger is used.

• GDS2TB: When importing the files into the system, a page is displayed to the user listing the relevant existing passengers. The user has the option of selecting an existing passenger or creating a new one.

Update existing passenger details

When a PNR is brought into the system, the system can read the passenger information in the GDS and update the passenger details

• Date of birth: If the passenger's date of birth is returned in the PNR, the system updates the passenger's account with the returned information.

• Phone numbers: If the passenger does not have a phone number, and the GDS returns a phone number, the phone number is added to the passenger's account.

• Passport information: If the PNR returns passport information (number, expiration date, and nationality), and:

• • The passenger does not have a passport number - the system adds the passport information to the passenger's account.

  • The passenger has an identical passport number, but the nationality is different - the system adds the passport information as an additional passport to the passenger's account.

  • If the passenger has an identical passport number and nationality,  and the expiration date in the PNR is later - the system updates the passport in the passenger's account with the expiration date from the PNR.

  • If the passenger has an identical passport number only - the system updates the passport information with the information returned from the PNR.

• Frequent flyer information: If the PNR returns frequent flyer information, and:

• • If the passenger has a frequent flyer airline and number - the system does nothing.

  • If the passenger does not have a frequent flyer airline or number - the system adds the frequent flyer information returned from the PNR to the passenger's account.

The following information is returned from each GDS:

Complex PNR

A complex PNR is a PNR that has more than one ticketing airline. This means that the PNR includes several segments, and different segments are ticketed by different airlines. When the PNR is opened into a new travel file, a single flight transaction is created. After the PNR is ticketed, the flight transaction is automatically divided into separate transactions for each ticketing airline. Complex PNRs can be imported from Sabre and Amadeus using the GDS2TB tool, and from Amadeus using the From PNR tool.

Commission

The commission is automatically calculated as the different between the supplier price and the net to remit price. The commission is attached to the flight transaction, and used in reconciliation procedures.

Conjunction tickets

A conjunction ticket is created when two or more tickets need to be issued for a flight, such as when the flight has four or more legs. The system can identify and import PNRs that require conjunction tickets,  for Sabre and Amadeus using the GDS2TB tool, and for Amadeus using the From PNR tool.

Electronic Miscellaneous Documents (EMD)

Electronic Miscellaneous Documents (EMD) are electronic non-flight vouchers that can be issued in the GDS to purchase additional services from the airline, such as additional checked baggage, or extra leg space.

EMD can be added to the travel file when importing a Sabre or Amadeus PNR. For EMD a general transaction is opened, with the following information:

• Name: Electronic Miscellaneous Document

• Passenger: The passenger connected to the ticket in the PNR

• PNR Number

• Ticket Number

• Dates: The start date and end date of the related segment

• Suppliers:

• • Reserving supplier and service provider - the airline from the PNR

  • Supplier paid - the supplier in the Payment by company field, in the reserving supplier's account. If there is no supplier in this field then the reserving supplier is used

EMD transactions are recognized in the BSP reconciliation process.

If you are working with Sabre, Void and refund EMD transactions are handled automatically when the PNR is imported. If you are working with Amadeus, void and refund EMD transactions need to be handled manually.

Divide/Split PNR

When the system imports a PNR that was divided/split from Sabre or Amadeus, the system always imports the PNR into the existing travel file that was opened for the passenger.

After the system imports the divided/split PNR from Sabre or Amadeus:

• If the transaction has not yet been ticketed:

• The transaction is divided and a new transaction is created for the passenger who was divided/split from the PNR.

• In the original transaction, the passenger is removed and the price is updated accordingly.

• If the PNR is divided/split after a ticket is issued:

• A new transaction is created and ticketed. The ticket number for the divided/split passenger is added to the new transaction.

• The original transaction is amended. The passenger who was divided/split is removed and the price is updated accordingly.

• If the PNR is divided/split after the ticket is issued and the voucher is paid for or in use:

• The original transaction remains unchanged.

• A new transaction is created with no ticket number and the price is 0.

• Any refunds issued in the GDS are added to the original transaction.

Automatically cancel travel files when PNR is cancelled in the GDS

You can have the system automatically cancel travel files and transaction fees when an XI command is performed in the GDS.

To activate this feature:

1. Go to Setup - Website Definitions - Reservation Systems.

2. Select Travel Files and transaction fees can be automatically cancelled when PNR is cancelled in GDS.

When this option is selected, when an XI command is performed in the GDS, and the flight transaction is removed from the travel file, if there are no other transactions in the travel file:

• Any tax invoices issued for transaction fees in the travel file are automatically cancelled

• All transaction fees in the travel file are automatically deleted

• The status of the travel file is changed to Cancel.

This option does not affect travel files containing other financial documents (for example a receipt).

What are the differences between each GDS?