The Airline Reservation System of Today

1. The Airline Reservation System of Today The days when making a flight reservation was a time consuming process are long gone. Today, anyone can book a flight quickly and easily using an online booking engine. Whether consumers use an airline reservation system they find on an airline website or one of the many online travel agencies, they are just a few clicks away from having their airline reservation confirmed. Today's online booking engines are easy to use and can help a travel business owner reduce their overall administrative costs. Today's consumer can purchase just about anything using a variety of mobile devices including their travel arrangements. The increasing popularity of mobile applications has been driven by a population that is always on the move and prefers not to carry their laptop with them. All they need is their mobile phone. The online travel applications available today are designed to take full advantage of the many powerful features and functionality offered by an airline reservation system. These easy to use booking engines allow new agents to be trained quickly and has them selling faster. There are even solutions for those who want to control their

2. own User Interfaces while still taking advantage of the innovative technology offered by some of the most powerful booking engine's available. To serve the multiple travel distribution channels used today, there are Business-to-Business (B2B) solutions for Agents, Business-to-Consumer (B2C) solutions for Customers, and even Business-Business-Consumer (B2B2C) solutions to extend an agency's business to include outside Agents looking for their own web presence. The travel booking engine you use should be integrated with an airline reservation system that provides access services and amenities like interactive seat maps so passengers can easily select their seat, request special services or make their onboard meal selection in advance. And customer loyalty programs have become so popular with travel suppliers that it is important to include a customer's loyalty program ID with the reservation. Business Management Tools are another critical feature to consider. Revenue Management tools to help an agency owner control a products selling price and offer targeted promotions or special offers can help set your business apart from competition with unique offerings. The ability to integrate your own marketing message right in the booking engine's availability display or adjust the selling price based on how and when the booking is made can be quite powerful when competing with today's online world. Online booking engines with dynamic packaging tools have become increasingly popular as consumers look for a single source to satisfy all their travel needs. Online dynamic packaging solutions are often an extension of an existing booking engine designed to allow agents as well as consumers to package and price cruises, flights, hotels and other travel products in real time. Custom Packaging solutions allow agency owners to custom tailor a travel package in advance to be sold online. Choosing an airline reservation system with the right combination of options for your travel business can be a critical decision. Finding a

3. technology partner that will help you reach today's mobile consumer can be just as important.