In today’s fast-paced travel industry, everything is about speed, accuracy and convenience. Just think about having to manually book a flight, check flight availability by phone, and confirm booking via fax sounds exhausting. Thankfully, those days are long gone. Today, the world of airline reservation systems are here, where technology makes booking flights as easy as just ordering your food online. Whether you are a seasoned travel agent or someone just exploring the industry, knowing how the airline reservation system works can give you a great edge. In this guide, you can learn everything about the system and how it works.
- What do you need to know about the airline reservation system?
An airline reservation system is a digital software platform that helps travel agents and airline companies manage flight bookings effectively. It allows you to search for available flights, compare prices, and book tickets in real time. The best part is that the system can also handle cancellations, modifications, and even online check-ins. In simple terms, you can say it’s a one-stop solution that automates and simplifies your flight bookings. Airline reservation systems are often integrated with the global distribution system, which provides access to a huge range of airline information globally. Thanks to integration, travel agents like you can offer your clients a broader selection of flights with updated prices and availability.
Core components of flight booking software
A good flight booking software goes way beyond just a flight search tool, it’s like a complete package.
- Flight search engine makes it very easy for your users to search for flights using filters like destination, dates, airlines and classes.
- Inventory management shows real-time availability of the seats and updates the system as tickets are sold or cancelled.
- Booking management allows the users to finalise bookings, assign seats and issue tickets.
- Fare management calculates ticket prices dynamically based on demand seasonality and airline rules.
- Payment integration supports multiple payment options like credit cards, net banking and wallets.
- Passenger data storage keeps records of customer profiles and booking history easily.
- Reporting tools generate performance insights, booking trends, and sales reports for agents.
- Mobile compatibility ensures the system works seamlessly on smartphones and tablets.
How the airline reservation system works
- Firstly, you can enter details like departure and arrival cities, dates, number of passengers and class reference.
- The system connects you to the airline database or GDS and just fetches all the matching flight options in real time.
- You can choose a flight based on timing, pricing, layovers or preferred airline. Information like name, age, gender, ID proof and contact details will be collected.
- The system will calculate the total cost, including base fare taxes, fuel surcharge and service fees.
- You can just pay using a secure payment gateway. Payment confirmation will be sent instantly.
- Once payment is done, the system will generate an electronic ticket that’s emailed or texted to you.
- You can make changes to your booking, the request add-ons are checked in online if supported, once your booking is confirmed.
Key features to look for in flight booking software for travel agents
Choosing the right flight booking software for travel agents can be the difference between smooth operations and total chaos. You need to prioritise real-time booking and updates, dynamic display of prices, and multiple airline access via GDS. At the same time, focus on customizable user interface add-on services like meals and baggage admin panel with agent controls and customer notifications via e-mail or SMS.
