Talk:Computer reservation system

Typo?

Somewhere in the article, there is a broken link on the name Thomas Watson, Jr. Does this possibly refer to Thomas J. Watson, Jr? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.56.28.189 (talk) 14:29, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

New generation of CRS?

Does anyone have more information to offer on the "new generation" of CRS that offers reservations for activities and events, such as Viator and Adventure Central?

They all do this now. The GDSs have all kinds of products for optional sales and services. It is a new generation functionality in the same old system. Envie (talk) 12:10, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

"Open" CRS systems

There are a number of open, non-mainframe CRS systems available for low-cost, budget, regional carriers that are not listed here. Chief among them is Navitaire, which has features used by major carriers such as American Airlines and Continental, regional carriers Airtran and Jetblue in the US, as well as international carriers VirginBlue, Ireland's RyanAir, and Canada's WestJet to name only a few.

Other players in this arena include SkyVantage and AccelAero. Can we add others? Who does Spirit Airlines out of Fort Lauderdale use?

No Pegasus?

if i'm correct Pegasus Solutions is a GDS too, how come no one hasn't noticed it missing here!?!?! Pegasus Solutions

They dont provide airline reservations (they are limited to hotel only), The four main players listed offer car hire/flight/hotel reservation facilities. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Marma1 (talk • contribs) 14:45, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I think we should keep this 'Airline' Orientated —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.35.229.129 (talk) 00:23, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Pegasus is technically classed as a "switch" and not a GDS (Although Pegasus Solutions owns UTell a CRS provider). Acting as a switch, they distribute hotel information, rates, availability, etc. to over a thousand websites or ODD (Online Distribution Database) partners. Although many major North American travel websites are owned by GDS Companies (Sabre -> Travelocity, Travelport (Worldspan/Galileo) -> Orbitz) and pull given information from these areas, many of them also utilize Pegasus as a primary or secondary supplier. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Themeehan (talk • contribs) 20:26, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

Mistake?

The article says Amadeus uses both browser based and vpn based access. I thought that Galileo does the latter

They all do this. Envie (talk) 12:31, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Apollo vs Sabre

A very good description is contained in Thomas Petzinger's HARD LANDING: THE EPIC CONTEST FOR POWER AND PROFITS THAT PLUNGED THE AIRLINES INTO CHAOS (1995). The big battle in the late 70s and early 80s was between United Airlines "Apollo" system and American Airlines "Sabre" system. But were supposedly neutral systems that gave travel agents accurate and up-to-the-minute information, but did the two companies cheat at the edges? Yeah, they did, and sometimes it seemed it was more than just the edges!— Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.235.28.21 (talk • contribs) 13:48, 30 April 2006 (UTC)

Outdated links

The link "Consumer Web Watch: Computer Reservations System (CRSs) and Travel Technology" seems outdated; web page no longer available. The link "Anderson, Karen. "Evolution of the GDS" (PDF), Press.com" seems outdated. Removed Wake 05:27, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Wrong?

I am searching the web now for 'central reservation system'. The abbreviation for this is CRS as well. Does this mean both terms are abbreviated with CRS? And what is the exact definition of a central reservation system?

Read The Fine Acronym? ;-) ClementSeveillac 22:26, 7 June 2006 (UTC)

rename or rewrite?

This article either needs to be renamed or updated or improved. I'm not sure which. CRS is generic and this article is only about airline systems. Hotels and other businesses use these. Vegaswikian 07:57, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

Nope , "systems are now accessible to consumers through Internet gateways for hotel, rental cars, and other services as well as airline tickets." If you go to the pages from Sabre etc you get more information. reg .Mion 18:42, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

I agree to Vegaswikian comment above. CRS are not just by Airlines only. So it is a Generic. reg .Neel 15:42, 1 Dec 2008 (UTC)

New Generation of CRS/GDS

The new systems of CRS/GDS, called GNE (GDS, new entrants), pronounced "genie", are internet-based access and distribution systems not requiring data in the system to be stored in the system in advance for usage, unlike traditional CRS/GDS antiquated mainframes which operate over dedicated telephonic systems and required advance storage in order to book (and where they made most of their revenue in the past.)

The GNE can search multiple individual travel sites (airlines, car rental agencies, hotels, tour operators, cruise lines, etc.) as well as other consolidated travel sites (Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, etc.), and other airline/car/hotel/tour/cruise consolidators/wholesalers/discounters, etc., all at the same time; create a virtual data set for use in the GNE, and then present the data under many different parameters/filters for the purpose of creating a travel arrangement, i.e. a Passenger Name Record (PNR.)

Unlike traditional CRS/GDS systems, elements of the PNR do not have to be booked thru the same supplier of data; each element can be booked directly with each individual supplier, thus lowering data storage costs.

The GNE then creates a master record of the arrangements booked, i.e. a Super PNR (SPNR), and provides a summary of the arrangement for the traveller.

Appendments, changes, cancellations, etc. work in the same way.

thx//ajp

woah! we do have two GNEs .... but they don't search websites. There are metasearch engines such as Kayak, etc., that have a functionality similar as you describe. What GNEs do is access the same fare tariffs and rules feed as the GDSs do (there is only one available). But GNEs have coded a modern system to parse airfare rules and schedules, using server farms, etc. - instead of mainframes programmed in Cobalt as is appropriately called out above. BUT the GNEs do not and cannot book PNRs. They server up fare and schedule data to be taken into a GDS to be booked and ticketed. Agencies build GUIs on top of this and code in between the GNE search results and the GDS booking fulfillment. All the bookings are with the origiinal supplier only in a certain sense. Agencies build the algorithms to search "airlines, car rental agencies, hotels, tour operators, cruise lines" and a GUI on top to consolidate the bookings into a database. Envie (talk) 12:30, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Someone please update this article

According to this link http://www.amadeus.com/amadeus/x26292.html Amadeus' marketshare has passes 30%

This needs to be defined as Amadeus always qoute terminals as their market share which they have a large number of due to airlines also using their systems, should this not be based on segments as they are the true revenue generator? marma1 06/09/2007 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Marma1 (talk • contribs) 14:48, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Hi,

I can confirm that Amadeus' GDS (the current term for CRS) market share estimates are based on the share of air segments (ie one-way tickets) where the ticket was issued by a travel agent, not the number of terminals connected to the system.

Best regards AmadeusSpokesperson (talk) 14:47, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

Hi,

I believe the article listed GDS market shares in the US. Amadeus' US market share, both in terms of terminals and segments, is still relatively low. Sabre has over 50%, Travelport has over 30%, and Amadeus has the rest.

Thanks, Keith —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kthhrrsn (talk • contribs) 02:54, 14 May 2009 (UTC)

flight sector?

Whats a flight sector? I think it should be flight segment, but I'm not sure.. Anyone else know what its supposed to be? —Cliffb 02:07, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

a segment is one leg of a journey -- it is related to ticketing -- the one line you see for each city pair a sector is part of an air fare construction -- whereby certain flight sectors can be combine into one continuous fare -- it could be a single or city pair or include more stops Envie (talk) —Preceding undated comment was added at 12:37, 11 February 2009 (UTC).

Amadeus vs Galileo

A recent edit [1] changed "Sabre, Galileo and Worldspan have full browser based solutions while Amadeus still utilizes a VPN based system." to "Sabre, Amadeus and Worldspan have full browser based solutions while Galileo still utilizes a VPN based system." Since the edit was unsourced, I'm concerned about the accuracy of this information. Does anyone know which version is true? -Harmil 12:49, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

Hi,

I can't speak on behalf of Galileo but I can confirm that Amadeus has a full, browser-based solution. Travel agents can choose to use the graphical user interface or the older "green screen". More experienced travel agents often prefer the green screen.

Best regards AmadeusSpokesperson (talk) 14:50, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

Forgot a major NAmerican Res System

Much of the market information is blatantly incorrect. For example, mention of US going to Amadeus with the America West merger and Continental being on Amadeus. One major N American system missing is SHARES which is owned by EDS. Both of the previously mentioned airlines use Shares. The "old" US Airways uses Sabre, also owned by EDS [2]

This article requires a complete re-write just to correct the facts, let alone the format. Guilden NL 05:52, 4 December 2006 (UTC)Guilden_NL

Yes, the Continental section is incorrect. Continental does not use Amadeus it uses SHARES. SHARES (owned by EDS) is also used by Virgin Atlantic, Mexicana, Aero Mexico and others. This should be corrected asap. --216.21.150.97 00:12, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

Section about code sharing

I have made an attempt to clean up this section, as requested. If you think it is now good enough, pls remove "needs clean up" template. --Dutch-Bostonian 21:22, 17 February 2007 (UTC)

Well, the section about Core Sharing should be completely removed. It has very little to do with CRS. 64.231.233.114 19:50, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

It has everything to do with a CRS, the sharing codes are handled within the CRS. Mion (talk) 17:22, 15 July 2008 (UTC)

CopyVio?

Some of this article seems to be copied from http://www.du.ac.in/coursematerial/ba/tourism/Lesson01-20.pdf. I didn't see an explicit copyright, perhaps it could be considered plaguerism. Wake 05:23, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

I can't load that document at all (link doesn't respond) so I can't say for sure, but I certainly can say that this article needs to be re-written, especially since we've had a rash of large, anonymous edits with no edit summaries on a number of CRS-industry-relate pages recently. -Harmil 02:43, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

CRS/GDS

The correct term of the abbrieviation CRS is CENTRAL reservations system, not computerised. There is a very big difference beteween a CRS and a GDS. A GDS is a distributions system and holds no inventory. The GDS connects to several different CRSs. For example Amadeus provides both CRS and GDS, but it is two different products/services

This article really needs rewriting, if no one else is willing to, I will do it. The information about GDS should be moved to a separate article Global distribution system. --Tradof 09:50, 30 April 2007 (UTC)

Sorry, this seem to be an industry of abbrieviation confusion... I checked further, and it seems like Computer reservation system -CRS is usually referring to the same as Global Distribution system-GDS. I.e. a reservations system without its own inventory connecting the travel agents to the airlines (or other travel suppliers, train, ferry, cruise, hotel, car rental). On the other hand, Centralized reservation system-CRS is one travel supplier's own inventory system and is also called a booking engine. To make the confusion bigger Amadeus call their booking engine a CMS, which usually is a Content Management System, but in Amadeus' case a Customer Management Solution.

So I agree that this should be one article, and being a GDS it should cover all travel secotrs, but we are missing an article about the other CRSs. --Tradof 10:54, 30 April 2007 (UTC)

This article need rewriting, no doubt. Also, CRS stands for computerised, not central. The starting section named "Today's challenges" sounds like an extract from an IT salesman's presentation kit. TPF(Transaction Processing Facility) is still very widely used, incorporating support for mordern technologies and communication frameworks. Worldspan themselves have invested millions for expanding TPF using IBM's new mainframe technology See here: http://www-03.ibm.com/industries/travel/doc/content/news/pressrelease/1781775106.html (23:48, 3 August 2007 (UTC))

Hi,

Airlines started Computerized Reservation Systems. At some point, they were renamed to GDS or Global Distribution Systems. Sometime after airlines started CRSes, hotel and car rental companies created CRSes. In the car/hotel world, CRS represents Central Reservation Systems. Hotel and car CRSes connect to modern GDSes. The article, in my opinion, accurately captured the transition of airline systems from CRSes to GDSes.

Thanks, Keith —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kthhrrsn (talk • contribs) 02:58, 14 May 2009 (UTC)

Codeshare (again)

I have once again removed the section on code sharing. This had nothing to do with the CRS which is merely a reservation tool used by airlines and travel agents (which I was for several years). The CRS systems do show flights that are code shared clearly, any failure to pass this on to the client is purely the fault of the agent. Please show why you feel this information should be included.--Dmol 20:16, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

-rv codesharing codes are handled within the CRS, which makes it relevant, that its the fault of the agent or not isn't relevant, the agent isn't discussed here. revert.Mion 20:32, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

What are "codesharing codes"?. The only indicator I ever saw was a small indicator before the flight number in the display (and sometimes you could recognise patterns in the flight numbers).

Thats what you see as an agent on you screen, you get preselected data from the database, if you would have full acces to the database, you would see the full list of codesharing codes.Mion 20:57, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

The public does not ever see the output of a CRS, that is why the agent comments were valid.

Code share was around a long time before CRS, perhaps decades before. The fact that it is evident in the CRS does not mean that it is a product of the CRS, merely that is where it can be seen. But how is "Competitive Concerns resulting from Codesharing" a valid header for this subject, when codeshare already has its own article which includes the information you keep adding is already there.--Dmol 20:43, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

ok, these are 2 issues, the 1. if it's evident in the CRS or a product of the CRS doesn't matter, the fact that its part of the CRS grants it the right to put a section about it in the article.

Which also answers the second question, if you ad a section in another article you have to give a short version of the other article, thats why "Competitive Concerns resulting from Codesharing" is the head of this section.Mion 20:51, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

codesharing is a product of the OAG -- long time before CRSs -- it was a big paper catalogue ") [OAG is what today pushes all airline schedule data out to all GDSs/industry systems] Envie (talk) 12:45, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Galileo (CRS)

Somebody knows where the article Galileo (CRS) went ? Mion 21:14, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

It's at Galileo CRS--Dmol (talk) 19:18, 22 December 2007 (UTC)

Galileo + Worldspan now = Travelport. These two GDSs merged in 2008. Envie (talk) 12:46, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

True, but the system is still widely known as Galileo, and that is unlikely to change anytime soon.--Dmol (talk) 22:04, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Merger

Somebody else tagged Airline Reservation System to be merged here, but didn't tag this article or create the subsection here, so I'm doing that. I'm also voting support - this would give a nice historical perspective to online reservation systems. Other opinions? Torc2 (talk) 13:54, 22 December 2007 (UTC)

• I'm not convinced that this is a good idea. I would strongly oppose this if attempted before the present article is rewritten to fix the noted problems. Vegaswikian (talk) 00:31, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

US bias

Important though the US experience is in many matters to do with the air industries, there is no reference to ay work outside the US, such as the systems built in the 1980s by British Airwys. I propose the name of this article is changed to refect its lack of worldwide perspective. Chasnor15 (talk) 07:13, 27 March 2008 (UTC)

Name change and clarification

Although the article is named Computer Reservations System the actually technology described is that of the Global Distribution Systems (GDS). This is the common name of said systems. One thing to keep in mind is that a CRS (CENTRAL Reservation System) is the first line in the distribution cycle. The CRS holds all information on a given property, be it hotel, resort, etc., which is then fed (in most cases) to the GDSs via "next-generation-real-time connections". Travel Agents book via GDS Terminals NOT via a CRS.

Missing from this article is information on "chain codes", an important piece of the GDS system.

Hi,

I believe the article is called "Computer reservation system" because that's what they were originally called. Both their ownership and their capabilities evolved overtime, and the industry began to refer to them as Global Distribution Systems (GDS). The firt line in the distribution cycle depends on your perspective. For an airline, the GDS is the host of their reservation system. Chain codes are hotel specific. Car companies have 2 letter codes which they refer to as a "vendor code" vs. a "chain code" (because they are not hotel chains), and airline 2 letter codes are referred to as airline codes.

Thanks, Keith —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kthhrrsn (talk • contribs) 03:04, 14 May 2009 (UTC)

Name change and clarification

Although the article is named Computer Reservations System the actually technology described is that of the Global Distribution Systems (GDS). This is the common name of said systems. One thing to keep in mind is that a CRS (CENTRAL Reservation System) is the first line in the distribution cycle. The CRS holds all information on a given property, be it hotel, resort, etc., which is then fed (in most cases) to the GDSs via "next-generation-real-time connections". Travel Agents book via GDS Terminals NOT via a CRS.

Missing from this article is information on "chain codes", an important piece of the GDS system.

Themeehan (talk) 21:01, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

I don't think you have this right. The 'CRS' and the 'GDS' are the same thing in most cases, we are all just housed in different partitions in the mainframes. Our GDSs talk to each other and the only centralized thing is a (primarily TTY-based) messaging system called SITA, which prioritizes which messages are going to get where faster. Another centralized thing we have is where air fares are filed. All airlines in the world have to use one (extremely antiquated) system to publish air fare. But neither are a CRS. CRS and GDS are two words for the same thing. American Airlines operates ("lives", shall we say) in the Sabre GDS -- as do many other airlines. Travel agency X uses Sabre to access schedules and inventory on all airlines -- just as AA can do when it needs to..... and all airfare is pushed to all systems. Before deregulation, we had CRS systems. Airlines owned the reservation systems in a monopoly-esque way, so I suppose you could say back then there were 4 CRSs. But now it is deregulated in early 2000's and airlines are not allowed to own reservation systems -- although they can use proprietary systems in house. CRSs just got a new name when the reservation systems were privatized. No one uses the word CRS anymore.... Envie (talk) 12:06, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Patheo in the Major System list?

What is Patheo doing there? It's not even a Minor System, let alone a Major System. Bladkin (talk) 09:13, 17 October 2008 (UTC)

Plus -- no airlines were involved in the creation of Patheo.... those were engineering grad students...... Envie (talk) 12:06, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Patheo is a small GDS system, since 2001 they have operated their own airline data base reservation system they collected themselves. In 2008 they launched their own GDS data base for hotels and cars GDS sytem data base. They are not as big as Amadeus, Sabre, Galileo, Worldspan or Abacus but they do own a share in the GDS market reservation system network. Worldspan does use part of Patheo's network on flights. Patheo first started in this business only an a flights GDS reservation data base but then expanded to hotels and car rentals. I know they are building their new data base for cruises by 2010. I have to give them credit, to build your own worldwide GDS data base from scratch without all the capital but constantly adding and adding more feeds into their own GDS data base is quite impressive. When you use Patheo, you are using their own GDS data base for the Global Distribution System under Patheo.

Links to failures?

I found out about the Confirm Project following a discussion on Slashdot, and it seems that the page is something of an orphan. Perhaps it should be linked from this article, even if just as an indication that such things haven't always paid off? —Donal Fellows (talk) 18:31, 11 July 2009 (UTC)