| Travel distribution is for many an obscure | | | | content rich offering extensive descriptions |
| segment of the travel industry. When | | | | of amenities and services. The hotel |
| audiences hear the word distribution they | | | | industry, entering the automated distribution |
| usually think of shipping or transport. It is | | | | environment a bit later than the airlines, |
| quite inaccurate however to compare the role | | | | has perhaps learned from their experience in |
| of travel distribution companies to the role | | | | addition to using newer technology to |
| of shipping companies. Unlike product | | | | communicate (distribute) their product to the |
| distribution, information distribution is as | | | | consumer. |
| much about packaging and labeling as it is | | | | |
| about transportation. | | | | The next generation GDS should in our view |
| | | | offer serious tools for airline product |
| When it comes to airline products, the | | | | differentiation as well as customer |
| information that the distribution systems | | | | segmentation. Both supplier and consumer are |
| (GDS) are packaging today, for either direct | | | | much more sophisticated and should be enabled |
| consumers or industry professionals, is | | | | to deliver and find appropriate products and |
| reducible to three categories: schedules, | | | | information with the least amount of clicks |
| availability, and pricing. None of the GDS | | | | and intermediaries. |
| show information at the point of sale about | | | | |
| all of the other qualitative differentiators. | | | | Passengers should have access to information |
| The definition of onboard service is | | | | they need to customize their trips. Consider |
| entirely left to one's imagination or | | | | a transatlantic flight. One carrier might |
| experience. | | | | offer free drinks, full meals, free headsets, |
| | | | free newspapers and refreshment kits in all |
| In all fairness, today's GDS were originally | | | | cabins, while another carrier for $50 less |
| designed to automate the selling of airline | | | | offers none of these. In today's GDS |
| tickets by reservation agents and then later | | | | environment you do not have access to any of |
| travel agents. All they needed was | | | | this information. Wouldn't the passengers |
| information about seat inventory and pricing, | | | | like to know what they are getting for $50 |
| and the ability to issue tickets and | | | | less? |
| passenger receipts. When it came to answering | | | | |
| questions about the value proposition, the | | | | The FAA maintains databases with air traffic |
| airline representative provided information | | | | control actual take off and landing |
| by referring to product sheets, in-house | | | | information. By comparing these to airline |
| training or fam trips, none of which was or | | | | schedules we could inform in advance that |
| is available through the GDS. | | | | there is a high probability of delays on a |
| | | | given route. Wouldn't passengers like to have |
| When this schedule and pricing information | | | | this information before they commit to buying |
| was exported to consumer sites, the impact of | | | | a non refundable ticket? Would it not be a |
| this lack of supporting detail is magnified | | | | great service to travelers to be able to |
| ten fold. To get a clear picture of this, | | | | measure their trip time from door to door, |
| imagine that all the milk containers lined up | | | | not just airport to airport. |
| on a supermarket's shelf have the same color | | | | |
| and that the only printed information on the | | | | We are no longer in an era where "one size |
| face of each carton is the industry code name | | | | fits all". Whether occasional travelers or |
| of the producer, the expiration date, and the | | | | road warriors, passengers much be empowered |
| price. As a consumer, one would have to buy a | | | | to choose the right aircraft, the right |
| carton and open it to find out whether it is | | | | airport, and use the sales channel process |
| organic, or homogenized, or condensed, or | | | | most suited to their schedules and their |
| sweetened. | | | | expectations. That is where the GDS will |
| | | | prove themselves most useful to passengers |
| As a contrast to airline distribution, | | | | and suppliers alike. |
| consider hotel booking sites. They are | | | | |