Sabre - Accessing reservation systems?
 

I wanted to know if there is any way I can access an airline reservation system to view advanced options, etc.

I do a lot of travel on Amtrak and the major US air carriers. Amtrak does not let you access any special options on there website, and only lets you do that over the phone because the agents have access to the reservation system and can actually tweak things, etc.

Airlines seem to be pretty much the same, and cannot really do anything special online. Some you can specify a preferred seat which is cool, but it is still a very "easy" view....I would like something more advanced like those old school booking systems. I think "sabre" and "apollo" sound familiar but are probably gone for people like us to use.

An alternative that someone knows would be awesome!

Thanks
Anton

In order to get direct access to the booking systems, you pretty much have to be a travel agent (or be very, very nice to someone who is. :p)

There is the KVS Availability tool that show seat maps, flight availability, etc. I don't think you can actually book flights through it, but you can get a lot more info from it then your average travel website.

Thanks Elizabeth!
That program looks really cool, I already downloaded it. ^

If anyone else has anything else to check out that would be great too. :)

I am getting to know some Amtrak employees and can access there system at there facilities...do you guys know if Sabre or other systems can access Amtrak too?

Thanks all!
Anton

These "systems" are classified as GDS (Global Distritbution Software). The main GDS systems are SABRE, Galileo (AKA Apollo), and WORLDSPAN.

I have heard a many complaints about them from some FTers who have access. Nevertheless, I would love to have access to any of them just for the benefit of queing RTW fares to respective airlines.

Understanding GDS
 

Does Sabre , Ameadeu , Applo , worldspan have communication ability amongst each other.They communicate and trasfer data amongst themselves.

I understand the the airlines are loyal to one GDS. But what about Hotels. Hotels would like to list there property on all GDS and would want all the GDS to be able to manage there room reservations. For that it will be necceary to ensure that the room count(occupied) is shared

Cheers
- Puneet

All major airlines and most of the minor ones are in all GDS systms. Most hotels are in all GDS systems. When using these you view and book directly into actual availability for airlines, hotels, cars, amtrak and other vendors. There is a special and complicated language used by each GDS which is not interchangeable. You have to pay for access and you have to know what you are doing. In order to gain access you would have to contact the system (Sabre, Amadeus, Appollo or Worldspan) and see what you would have to pay.

Okay Laceezmom : tell me if I have a situation

If I have only 1 room booking left in a hotel and the hotel is registerd on all the 4 major GDS.

If two agents try to book from differnet GDS , for example a Amedus Agent and a Sabre Travel Agent try to book this room. who will get the room. Also once the room is gone will all the 4 Major GDS say that my hotel is full ?

The GDS's have direct access connections to most chains and hotel rep companies. Meaning that whoever hits enter first will get the HK. The second request will come back UC. Hotels that do not have direct access normall will respond within an hour or so with a UC segment.

I would also think the hotels also have some internal capacity control that when inventory reaches X they show sold out in the GDS.

That is right. Whoever sells the room first will get the confirmed reservation, regardless of the GDS they are using. The hotel reservations do not show number capacity like airline reservations will show. The hotel is either available or not available. It is unusual for major hotels to have rooms available by telephoning directly if the hotel is coming up as unavailable in the GDS - occasionally, but not often.

To understand who really stores the room count :

Does the
a) Hotel Website Stores the room count avaialble.
b) or Does the GDS stores the room count available.

From your explanation a) looks to be true.

That meas if GDS gets a request for a room booking. The GDS goes to Hotel Website(online) and checks if hotel has a availability of room. If the Hotel Website says YES to GDS , then GDS passes this information back to the client who requested it saying YES room is available available to book or if its for booking then books the room.

So GDS WILL NOT Maintian the room count available number.

- Puneet

The GDS reservation system does not go through the hotel web site. It is direct access into the hotel reservation system. The hotel web site is often less accurate than the GDS. I have never been able to sell a room through GDS that is not available but sometimes web sites do not agree. Nothing is absolute but I will always trust the GDS booking over a web site booking. The GDS systems are now web based but pre-existed the www.

The hotel web site and GDS systems both front-end the registration system (where room availability is maintained). A hotel web site user is also competing for the same room availability as a GDS system user.