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Internet Booking Engines – Where It All Began…

The History 

To understand the evolution of internet booking engines, it makes sense to look at the history of reservation software first.  Believe it or not, the first Airline Reservation System dates back to 1946 and was created by American Airlines. The Electromechanical Reservisor (the name doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, does it?) was comprised of temporary storage based on magnetic drums and was solely dependent on human operators to look up the information. The system was so complex that only certain American Airlines employees were taught how to use it. Ticketing agents had to call a booking office. Those operators would then contact a team operating the Reservisor, who then read the results over the phone. Agents could not directly query the system, creating a prolonged process.

Understandably, this became unmanageable and airlines looked at ways to redevelop the software. In the 1970s, some airlines began to develop Central Reservation Systems (CRS) which could be used by agents. The disadvantage of the early systems was that these CRS could only handle bookings for one airline, meaning each airline had their own CRS.

Developments in the 1970s

This drawback was soon resolved by Global Distribution Systems (GDS) in the late 1970s. This was the first system of its kind that offered integration with multiple airlines and allowed travel agents to book directly from them all. The next logical step in the process was to allow customers to book their travel themselves without any intervention from external suppliers or travel agents. This heralded the advent of the first internet booking engine.

Since the early days, internet booking engines have evolved and become increasingly complex. Rather than simply turn to airlines and hotels individually, travel agents, tour operators and customers themselves are looking for aggregated systems to look up multiple travel components in one search.

Modern Day Solutions

Traveltek’s flagship travel booking engine, iSell, offers just that. iSell was developed to help bookers sell travel products in the most efficient way possible. Unlike the earlier travel technology platforms, with iSell there’s no need to jump between systems. The cloud-based platform connects the industry’s largest network of buyers and sellers worldwide with links to over 300 suppliers, including all the major GDS. All travel components are available within B2B, B2C and B2B2C environments. Thanks to a series of XML connections, iSell is automated and fully-integrated, making manual data inputs a thing of the past. With live pricing and availability, advanced search filters and dynamic packaging tools just some of the numerous benefits of the platform, this advanced system is a far cry from the Electomechanical Reservisor!

 

Whatever travel product you’re selling, your business could benefit greatly by incorporating an internet booking engine. Let’s see the advantages that the implementation of an online distribution and booking solution would bring to your company.

Or, to find out more about how our internet booking engine could help your business grow, click for info on our award-winning platform, iSell. 

24/7 Opportunities

Travellers who decide to rent a car or book a room, an excursion or an activity, don’t want to wait until you’re in the office to help them. They’re looking for an immediate response and confirmation. The use of an online booking engine means that your company is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week; an easy way to satisfy the customer from the outset.

Faster and Easier Payments

With an online booking system, any worries related to safe online payment methods are assuaged. The use of secure payment gateways with data encryption builds trust in customers. If you work in a B2B environment, you can also apply different conditions to your sales. There are also booking engines that offer multi-currency modules, which enable you to operate in different currencies, without requiring a sales channel for each one.

Hang up the Phone

Online booking minimises the dropout rate of potential customers, thanks to the fact that all information and booking details are always available. Customers who need to call a company to make a booking often lose patience if they are assisted by answering machines or subjected to awful hold music. In many cases these time-wasting activities become missed business opportunities.

Automation is King

Many travel processes are often dependent on manual intervention which can translate into errors, inaccuracies and duplication of efforts; all of which put pressure on top line sales and business costs. Automating the administrative processes currently performed by your travel agency staff will free them up to do higher-value work, ultimately maximising sales and conversion rates. Internet booking engine systems automatically receive both the booking and all the required customer information. Also, they send the guests automatic emails to confirm the booking and can issue reservation reminders. Finally, such systems can check availability quickly and easily, responding immediately to customer enquiries.

Upselling Opportunities

Using a web-based system offers the possibility of including additional services or products during the online booking process and payment. This way, you get additional ancillary revenue while offering your customers a breadth of choice.

If you’re in the business for a new internet booking engine, it’s important to choose a provider who understands both the market and your business objectives. Traveltek’s flagship booking engine, iSell, offers users the opportunity to sell travel products in the most efficient way possible.

Unlike many travel technology platforms, with iSell there’s no need to jump between systems. The cloud-based platform connects the industry’s largest network of buyers and sellers worldwide with links to over 300 suppliers, including all the major GDS. All travel components are available within B2B, B2C and B2B2C environments. Thanks to a series of XML connections, iSell is automated and fully-integrated, making manual data inputs a thing of the past. Plus, with live pricing and availability, advanced search filters and dynamic packaging tools just some of the numerous benefits of the platform, the system provides travel professionals with the most innovative booking solution on the market.