Why were reservation systems needed?
Before computers, airlines kept seat records on cards and paper. Agents phoned or sent telex messages to check seats. It was slow, and the same seat could be sold twice.
In 1960 American Airlines and IBM started SABRE, one of the first computer systems to keep seat stock live. Other airlines soon built their own.
Computer Reservation System (CRS)
A CRS is a computer system that one supplier (an airline, hotel chain, car rental firm or railway) uses to store and sell its own stock: seats, rooms or cars, with their prices.
- It shows availability (how many seats are left in each class).
- It stores fares and rules.
- It keeps bookings.
India example: Indian Railways sells train seats through its own Passenger Reservation System, built by CRIS. It is the railway's CRS.
Global Distribution System (GDS)
A GDS joins the CRSs of hundreds of suppliers and shows them to sellers all over the world on one screen. Distribution means getting the product to the buyer.
Who is connected?
- Suppliers: airlines, hotels, car rentals, some railways, cruise lines and tour operators.
- Sellers: travel agents, online travel agencies (OTAs), corporate travel desks.
The big three
Amadeus (started in Europe), Sabre (started in the USA) and Travelport (which runs Galileo and Worldspan).
What can a GDS do?
- Show live availability and compare fares across airlines.
- Make a booking and create a PNR.
- Issue an e-ticket.
- Add hotel, car, insurance and seat requests to the same trip.
PNR, fees and benefits
PNR (Passenger Name Record)
A PNR is the booking record. It gets a short code, usually 6 letters and numbers. Its five must-have parts spell PRINT: Phone (contact), Received from (who asked for the booking), Itinerary (flights, dates), Name of each traveller, Ticketing details.
Who pays?
The supplier usually pays the GDS a booking fee for each booked segment. The GDS may share part of it with the agent as an incentive.
Benefits
- Agents: one screen for many suppliers, quick comparison, instant confirmation.
- Suppliers: reach sellers in every country without opening offices there.
- Travellers: live prices and a booking that every party can see.
Today
Some airlines now also sell directly to agents through new links (such as NDC). GDSs are adding these too.
Try it: look at an old flight ticket or e-ticket at home. Find the PNR code and the itinerary part.
Key formulas and definitions
- CRS: one supplier's own booking system
- GDS: network linking many CRSs to many sellers
- PNR: Passenger Name Record (booking record)
- PRINT: Phone, Received from, Itinerary, Name, Ticketing
- Big three GDS: Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport
Worked examples
1. An airline uses a system only to sell its own seats. Is it a CRS or a GDS?
A CRS. It holds one supplier's stock. It becomes visible worldwide only when linked to a GDS.
2. An agent books a flight to Paris, a hotel and a car for one client. How does the GDS help?
The agent sees all three suppliers on one screen, books them together and all three go into one PNR.
3. A PNR is missing the traveller's phone number. What happens?
It cannot be completed. Phone (contact) is one of the PRINT must-have parts.
4. Why might a hotel chain in Kerala join a GDS?
Agents in many countries can then see and book its rooms, so it sells more without opening foreign offices.
Common mistakes
- Thinking CRS and GDS are the same. A CRS belongs to one supplier; a GDS links many.
- Saying the traveller pays the GDS fee directly. Usually the supplier pays it per booking.
- Thinking a PNR is a ticket. A PNR is the booking record; the ticket is issued against it.
- Thinking a GDS only handles flights. It also handles hotels, cars, rail and more.