The Global

Distribution
System (GDS)
About GDS
A Global Distribution System (GDS) links
reservation inventory under one
computer-based network. The most
common uses for Global Distribution
System GDSs are in the tourism industry,
mainly for airlines, hospitality companies,
and car rental companies. In this way,
service providers, such as travel agencies
tour operators, and online travel agencies
can all sell tickets for the same flight,
hotel, or car rental.
Presence on a corporate Benefits of
a Global
travel platform

Exposure to higher-paying
clientele
Distribution
System
Increased revenue
opportunities
Presence on a
corporate travel 50

platform 40

A hotel GDS gives your

30
hotel access and visibility to
thousands of travel agents
and corporate bookers
20
worldwide looking to buy
hotel rooms either
individually or as a
10
package, broadening your
sales possibilities.
0
Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 Item 4 Item 5
 Exposure to higher-
paying clientele
10 Billion
As part of a GDS hotel booking
system, your property will be
exposed to a more targeted,
5 Billion professional travel community that
can be difficult to target through
your hotel website or online travel
agencies (OTAs). In addition to
being listed on a GDS, you can
1 Billion invest in paid advertising to increase
your exposure even further on these
systems.
Increased A hotel GDS provides several
new opportunities to grow
revenue hotel revenue, including
participation in attractive

opportunities package deals (hotel, airfare,

car rental, etc.), increased
return business, and longer
stays.
3 types of GDS
systems

Travelport

Sabre
Amadeus
 3 types of GDS systems
Amadeus
Amadeus has been connecting travel
providers to travel sellers since 1987.
They serve over 770,000 hotels in
190+ countries worldwide and have a
global team of 19,000 employees.
Aside from hotels, Amadeus also
services airlines, airport operators,
rail operators, ground handlers, car
rental companies & transfer
providers, insurance provider
groups, and cruise lines & ferries.
Amadeus
Sabre has been part of the birth of
airline automation since the 1960s.
Today, they have almost 400,000
travel agents in their global travel
marketplace. Their technology
products include travel-focused
mobile apps, check-in kiosks, airline
and hotel reservation networks,
ticket agent terminals, aircraft &
crew scheduling systems, revenue
management solutions, and more.
Amadeus
With origins leading back to 1971,
Travelport encompasses the Galileo,
Worldspan, and Apollo GDS systems.
Their worldwide travel retail
platform services travel agencies
and suppliers with distribution,
technology, and payment solutions,
among others. They have
partnerships with hotel chains and
boutique hotels to develop targeted
promotions and flexible rate models
to gain greater visibility in their
markets.
How do GDS systems work?
GDS services are only available for
authorized users who are licensed and
registered since the GDS hotel booking
system allows companies, such as travel
agencies and corporate bookers, to
book travel on behalf of others.
A GDS has the power and functionality to
send its inventory to OTAs. So, it’s
possible to list a room on a GDS and sell
it on a website like Booking.com or
Expedia.
 Core GDS Functions
Availability – GDS provides and displays options of several travel services
that a client might need, such as hotel rooms and airline seats. Included as
well are the information, prices, and availability of such services

Availability

Booking Requests– It has a 24 hours and 7 days capacity to support and

process a massive number of requests. Once the availability of a travel
service or product is confirmed, the GDS system proceeds to make and
transmit a booking request which is processed by the server.

Booking Requests
 Core GDS Functions
Passenger Information – It contains information about passengers, such
as the name, address, contact number, payment methods/details, and
other special information or requests, known as Passenger Name
Record(PNR).

Passenger Information

Rates and Conditions – It contains databases and records of fares and

rules of travel services like reservation policies, payment deadlines,
cancellation policies, and promos.

Rates & Conditions

Thank You For Listening