HOW DOES A TRAVEL AGENT OPERATE?

  1. Travel/ticketing agents make use of a booking platform called GDS’s (Global Distribution Systems) to check flight information such as schedules and availability and to make reservations for passengers. A travel agent will create passenger reservations, which are known as Passenger Name Records (PNR). The PNR information is then transmitted directly to the booked carriers. PNR’s are also sometimes referred to as booking files (BF). Travel agents also make use of internet and online search engines to find flight schedules on airline websites. When the GDS system and the internet cannot provide the necessary schedule information, the Official Airline Guide (OAG), in manual or web-based format is an alternative resource for flight schedule information.
    There are a number of international companies that provides GDS (Global Distribution Systems) to agent subscribers. Some of the main companies are Sabre, Galileo, and Amadeus.
    These companies work closely with many airlines whose flight information can be accessed by using the GDS. In addition to flight information and bookings, travel agents also use GDSs to check information accommodation, rail, and car rental products.
    GDS allow travel agents access to most of the world airlines’ flight information.