Airline Reservation Software or in short ARS allows an airline to sell their inventory. It contains a database of reservations, number of tickets issued, schedules, and fares. Basically, this airline ticket reservation system is a web-based flight booking engine that helps booking a flight ticket online for particular seats available in the airline’s inventories. Additionally, it is connected with the Global Distribution System (GDS) and offers better inventory and price to air passengers.
History of Airline Reservation Software
Before the 1950s, the process of booking airline tickets was handled manually at central reservation hubs. These hubs were essentially rooms filled with individuals who used physical cards to show available seats. In the 1950s, American Airlines implemented a system that would provide real-time access to flight information across all its offices. Additionally, they aimed to streamline and automate their reservation and ticketing operations. In 1952, it came up with Magnetronic Reservoir- an electronic reservation system. In 1964, it introduced Sabre, which was able to keep inventory correct in real-time and accessible to agents across multiple channels.
Overview of Airline Reservation Software
The airline industry has evolved into a sophisticated industry. By implementing various technologies, it has eased the process of reservations. Airline Reservation Software is an integrated system, which can be accessed by the clients in a single portal provided by the travel companies. It incorporates airline schedules, fare tariffs, passenger reservation, and ticket records.
The reservation system of an airline functions as a direct distribution channel, providing information to the Global Distribution System (GDS). Another form of this direct distribution involves customers who use online platforms or mobile apps to handle their own booking.
The travel agencies or other third-party distribution channels access the same GDS as those accessed by the airline reservation system. It allows messages to be transmitted by a standardized messaging system that functions on two types of messaging that transmit on SITA’s high level network.
How Airline Reservation System Empowers Travel Agencies
Airline Reservation System Software or ARS is a web-based flight booking solution that helps in consolidating data from all airlines through the use of a global distribution system. It provides inventory and rates to travel agents and customers in real-time. Although initially it was developed by the airlines for themselves, it is now developed for the travel agencies as well. With ARS, travel agents can access detailed data provided by the airlines and distribute the collected information to the consumers, in this case the air passengers, in real-time.
