Let’s start at the very beginning. And in this case, it’s the way airlines distribute their tickets. There are five main types of players in this process:
- airlines,
- Global Distribution Systems (GDSs),
- flight data aggregators (ATPCO, OAG, and Cirium),
- third-party travel retailers (OTAs, metasearch engines, traditional agencies), and
- airports.
How airline distribution systems are connected
How do these players collaborate on the technical level? To answer this question, we need to introduce and briefly explain some key abbreviations related to flight booking. If you want to become better acquainted with systems and concepts behind the three-letter short forms, just click on the link to the dedicated article.
What is PSS?
Key components and integrations of a passenger service system.
A passenger service system (PSS) is a suite of software modules, supporting interactions between the carrier and its customers. Its key components are a central or airline reservation system (CRS), an inventory control system (ICS), and a departure control system (DCS.)
The PSS also comprises or integrates with a revenue management tool that analyzes historical data and sets pricing rules and an e-commerce platform (airline website) for flight and ancillary distribution. Some key players among PSSs are New Skies by Navitaire, Altea by Amadeus, and Avantik by Bravo Aero.
What is CRS?
A central reservation system, also called an airline or computer reservation system, serves as storage for flight-related information like schedules, fares and rules for each booking class, passenger name records (PNRs), e-tickets, etc. It’s also involved in managing booking requests and ticket issuing. Some airlines run their own CRS that may come as a part of the PSS. Yet, many carriers prefer to host and manage reservations on one of the GDSs.
In a broader sense, a CRS is a key technology of any travel organization that sells its inventory online, namely, hotels and airlines. It allows managers to control reservations across all distribution platforms.
What is PNR?
Read the main article: What is PNR?
A passenger name record (PNR) or booking file is a digital document that contains information about a traveler or group of travelers and their itinerary. Each PNR has a unique code called a booking reference or record locator. Thanks to this number, the file can be easily found in the CRS database. A traveler purchasing a flight gets the code via email and can use it to access flight details or check in online.
