I've HAD IT! How to get GDS access and do my own travel bookings?
Sep 13, 2005, 7:35 am
#46
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: 3A - most likey <> BKK <--> EZE; TACA 3A nobody, but GP million miler; Hilton Gold sometimes. Successfully divorced from CO PLAT.
Posts: 3,079
Originally Posted by spotwelder
I do some complex fare searches but often trip over the mileage maximum. So I need to be able to work out the 5 to 25 % extra mileage buy for the tickets as well.
Sep 13, 2005, 7:47 am
#47
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: 3A - most likey <> BKK <--> EZE; TACA 3A nobody, but GP million miler; Hilton Gold sometimes. Successfully divorced from CO PLAT.
Posts: 3,079
Originally Posted by RChavez
If you knowingly book what is obviously a fare mistake, the airlines can (and often will) come back with a debit memo to the agency who ticketed the booking.
Sep 13, 2005, 7:58 am
#48
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: A Southern locale that ain't the South.
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Originally Posted by tvl4free
Absolutety NOT! Didn't you read my post? You build your itineraries that way that YOU want them. Do you have any idea how many extra miles one can add in over the years that way? It's clear that you also have no clue how much one can save w access to consolidator fares.
And Kanebear...90/10? LOL! hehehe. Just between you and me, that larger number should be in your favor...???
And Kanebear...90/10? LOL! hehehe. Just between you and me, that larger number should be in your favor...???
Y'all, keep in mind that Nexion is designed FOR TRAVEL AGENTS. It's a host agency. They're not set up to nurse-maid a bunch of nutty mileage runners. They expect you to have a basic level of knowledge and/or figure it out for yourself. You are NOT their customer... even though you may subscribe to them. It's a business to business environment and they are set up to support folks actually running travel agencies or corporate travel departments.
Sep 13, 2005, 8:53 am
#49
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: 3A - most likey <> BKK <--> EZE; TACA 3A nobody, but GP million miler; Hilton Gold sometimes. Successfully divorced from CO PLAT.
Posts: 3,079
I was just double checking, because that is actually quite generous.
Sep 15, 2005, 1:53 pm
#50
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Join Date: May 1998
Location: Hellsea - NY, NY, USA
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Originally Posted by tvl4free
It's clear that you also have no clue how much one can save w access to consolidator fares.
I strongly suggest a subscription to JaxFax ($20/yr I think) for listings of consolidators for all over the world.
Sep 15, 2005, 2:00 pm
#51
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Join Date: May 1998
Location: Hellsea - NY, NY, USA
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Posts: 1,994
Originally Posted by tvl4free
Yes and no. Some GDS's guarantee their auto-pricing. But forced, manual pricing is not.
Travel agents traditionally are viewed by the airlines as being held to a higher standard than typical customers, especially with regard to bookings/tickets they have personally issued. I would not be surprised if an airline responded with a "You should know better" response to ticketing a misfiled fare, and even then if the fare was obviously a mistake (e.g. a $0 or $10 base fare when the base fare is typically $800-1000).
Not to say that it's right, or even that the agent will necessarily lose the argument. Just be aware that there is always the risk, and as an agent, you don't have the "naive customer" card to play.
Sep 15, 2005, 2:54 pm
#52
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Originally Posted by RChavez
Travel agents traditionally are viewed by the airlines as being held to a higher standard than typical customers, especially with regard to bookings/tickets they have personally issued.
Sep 15, 2005, 3:19 pm
#53
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Location: Hellsea - NY, NY, USA
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Posts: 1,994
Originally Posted by Globaliser
Well, they are the airline's agents after all, and (at least in common law legal systems) agents owe fiduciary duties to their principals, not just legal duties in the strict sense. So you can see why airlines might well take this view.
But there is a conflict between the GDS's promise that as long as a ticket is auto priced, there is little or no risk of being hit with a debit memo, and the airline's expectation that the agent should be able to recognize and refuse to ticket a misfiled fare.
Dec 3, 2005, 9:41 am
#54
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Malaysia and Singapore
Programs: VS Gold
Posts: 22
Originally Posted by RChavez
Oh, of course. And I pretty much agree with any airline's argument that the agent should know better in these situations.
But there is a conflict between the GDS's promise that as long as a ticket is auto priced, there is little or no risk of being hit with a debit memo, and the airline's expectation that the agent should be able to recognize and refuse to ticket a misfiled fare.
But there is a conflict between the GDS's promise that as long as a ticket is auto priced, there is little or no risk of being hit with a debit memo, and the airline's expectation that the agent should be able to recognize and refuse to ticket a misfiled fare.
Any suggestions?
Jun 15, 2006, 2:28 am
#55
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,746
Any way of avoiding their $199 activation fee?
Originally Posted by kanebear
Well that was fast. I'm already up and running and ready to ticket. Now I just have to learn HOW. I went through a host agent called Nexion. It's $50 a month for GDS access and support. They give you Worldspan, Amadeus, Apollo and Sabre acces. You also get consolidator access, Agent59 (commissionable Site59 sales) and cruise booking ability. As I'm AA loyal I plan to set about learning Sabre as quickly as possible. The commission split is 90/10. I'm not in it for that but hey, a little extra never hurt.
They have a proprietary software package called InternetView that's quite helpful for noobs like me. LOTS of online reference materials, macros, keyboard conversions (Try finding a Cross of Loraine on the standard 101 key keyboard... AIN'T happ'nin) and even a syntax convertor that will translate for you if you need another GDS and don't speak the language. So if you speak Worldspan and need Sabre, it'll convert for you (I believe).
I gotta say this, TVL4FREE is ABSOFREAKINLUTELY right. Once you learn the commands it's SO MUCH FASTER to do just about anything. F'rinstance, it took me about 90 seconds to check C class availability on AA for four different city pairs. Expertflyer rocks but it's nowhere NEAR that fast. Basically once you get it down you'll never ever ever want to touch a website again. I can see how whipping up even a quite complex itinerary on this thing is beyond fast. You can even create macros for the things you do often if you don't want to remember the commands.
Another massive advantage... EASY access to complete fare rules... you can even look at your own PNR to doublecheck for mistakes (although you can't see the comments... I already tried.)
Yet another... the ability to display and select flights by alliance. Wanna fly JFK-NRT and only want *A options? No problem. Want Skyteam? Done. OneWorld, that too.
Online GDS courses are available and I plan to take one. They ain't cheap but I want to be able to know it all and do it all. Make no mistake, this isn't for the faint of heart... if you're the type of computer user who drops to a command prompt at the first opportunity, if you like *NIX, and if you learn quickly, this is right up your alley.
It's all about having the fine control to do *exactly* what you want with your travel. Most people don't care, just as thousands of folks out there are happily (if unproductively) still running Windows ME.
They have a proprietary software package called InternetView that's quite helpful for noobs like me. LOTS of online reference materials, macros, keyboard conversions (Try finding a Cross of Loraine on the standard 101 key keyboard... AIN'T happ'nin) and even a syntax convertor that will translate for you if you need another GDS and don't speak the language. So if you speak Worldspan and need Sabre, it'll convert for you (I believe).
I gotta say this, TVL4FREE is ABSOFREAKINLUTELY right. Once you learn the commands it's SO MUCH FASTER to do just about anything. F'rinstance, it took me about 90 seconds to check C class availability on AA for four different city pairs. Expertflyer rocks but it's nowhere NEAR that fast. Basically once you get it down you'll never ever ever want to touch a website again. I can see how whipping up even a quite complex itinerary on this thing is beyond fast. You can even create macros for the things you do often if you don't want to remember the commands.
Another massive advantage... EASY access to complete fare rules... you can even look at your own PNR to doublecheck for mistakes (although you can't see the comments... I already tried.)
Yet another... the ability to display and select flights by alliance. Wanna fly JFK-NRT and only want *A options? No problem. Want Skyteam? Done. OneWorld, that too.
Online GDS courses are available and I plan to take one. They ain't cheap but I want to be able to know it all and do it all. Make no mistake, this isn't for the faint of heart... if you're the type of computer user who drops to a command prompt at the first opportunity, if you like *NIX, and if you learn quickly, this is right up your alley.
It's all about having the fine control to do *exactly* what you want with your travel. Most people don't care, just as thousands of folks out there are happily (if unproductively) still running Windows ME.
Jun 24, 2007, 4:44 am
#56
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: QLA
Programs: SBUX Gold
Posts: 14,507
Ever heard the term penny wise, pound foolish? Ok, so I can't say that yet... but once I have concrete evidence of what I suspect (A. being able to find better fares, B. being able to build better itineraries for the same money E.G. more miles/$ and/or C. having access to fares I wouldn't otherwise), THEN I'll say that and give examples.
but until then....
Aug 20, 2007, 10:27 pm
#57
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: A Southern locale that ain't the South.
Programs: Bah, HUMBUG!
Posts: 8,014
Short answer? If Nexion were $100 a month I'd still do it.
Long answer, between myself, family and coworkers I've probably saved close to $10k in fares compared to using other self-booking methods. ITA can help find fares, but getting them to price is sometimes impossible. Absolutely *not* the case with Sabre.
The biggest benefit thus far hasn't been the savings, but the ability to fine-tune itineraries to a degree absolutely otherwise unknown. I no longer 'play around' to figure out what's breaking a given fare.
No other way I know of to buy an AA fare, have it 'plated' on CX 160 ticket stock, include a leg on SQ just for the hell of it, as well as long-hauls on CX and AA all in F at a price less than discount J one way to HKG, AND have all of it issued on paper tickets without a massive surcharge.
Another great thing; Nexion is changing the way we access the GDS and their old InternetView application is going away. I now have direct MySabre access and a unique pseudo-citycode. By the end of the year I'll be set up individually in Apollo, Worldspan and Amadeus as well. I'm most fluent with Sabre but each GDS has certain areas in which they excel (I.E. Amadeus can autoprice RTWs!).
Long answer, between myself, family and coworkers I've probably saved close to $10k in fares compared to using other self-booking methods. ITA can help find fares, but getting them to price is sometimes impossible. Absolutely *not* the case with Sabre.
The biggest benefit thus far hasn't been the savings, but the ability to fine-tune itineraries to a degree absolutely otherwise unknown. I no longer 'play around' to figure out what's breaking a given fare.
No other way I know of to buy an AA fare, have it 'plated' on CX 160 ticket stock, include a leg on SQ just for the hell of it, as well as long-hauls on CX and AA all in F at a price less than discount J one way to HKG, AND have all of it issued on paper tickets without a massive surcharge.
Another great thing; Nexion is changing the way we access the GDS and their old InternetView application is going away. I now have direct MySabre access and a unique pseudo-citycode. By the end of the year I'll be set up individually in Apollo, Worldspan and Amadeus as well. I'm most fluent with Sabre but each GDS has certain areas in which they excel (I.E. Amadeus can autoprice RTWs!).
Last edited by kanebear; Aug 20, 2007 at 10:36 pm
Aug 21, 2007, 8:49 am
#58
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: YYZ
Programs: Haven't been flying for a while... :(
Posts: 478
No other way I know of to buy an AA fare, have it 'plated' on CX 160 ticket stock, include a leg on SQ just for the hell of it, as well as long-hauls on CX and AA all in F at a price less than discount J one way to HKG, AND have all of it issued on paper tickets without a massive surcharge.
Edit: I want mail too
Last edited by lavalyn; Aug 22, 2007 at 7:00 am
Aug 21, 2007, 10:44 pm
#59
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: WAS airports
Programs: UA Prem Exec, DL Gold Medallion
Posts: 144