bcd travel gds

What is a GDS (Global Distribution System)?

A Global Distribution System (GDS) is a central platform that enables travel agencies, online travel agencies, airlines, hotels, car rental companies and other service providers to distribute products and services efficiently. It serves as a one-stop shop for travel information and bookings, enabling seamless transactions and providing travelers with multiple options at competitive prices, underscoring its critical role in the modern travel industry.

How does a Global Distribution System work?

Here is a condensed description of how a GDS works:

• Integration : Service providers such as airlines, hotels and car rental companies integrate their inventory and pricing information into the GDS database.
• Access : Travel agents access the Global Distribution System through specialized software or web interfaces. They can search for available flights, hotel rooms, rental cars and other travel services based on specific criteria such as date, destination and budget.
• Reservation : Once a traveler selects a service, the travel agency or online travel agency makes the reservation directly through the GDS. The system then communicates with the service provider’s reservation system to confirm the booking and issue tickets or vouchers.
• Updates and changes : The GDS constantly updates availability and pricing information in real time to ensure that travel agents and travelers have access to the most up-to-date options. It also allows existing bookings to be changed or canceled if necessary.

Who uses a Global Distribution System?

Various companies in the travel industry rely on GDSs to help them operate:

• Travel Agencies : Both traditional brick-and-mortar travel agencies and online travel agencies use Global Distribution Systems to search and book travel on behalf of their clients.
• Airlines : The world’s major airlines distribute their flight inventory through GDSs, making it available to travel agents and travelers worldwide.
• Hotels : Hotel chains and individual properties use GDSs to distribute room availability and rates to travel agents and corporate clients.
• Car rental companies : Car rental companies integrate their fleets and rates into Global Distribution Systems, allowing travel agents to book cars for their clients.

What different GDSs are there?

There are several Global Distribution Systems (GDS) that are widely used in the travel and tourism industry. Here are some of the most popular:

• Amadeus : Amadeus is one of the largest GDSs and serves a wide range of travel suppliers worldwide, including airlines, hotels, car rental companies and tour operators.
• Sabre : Sabre is another leading GDS offering a full range of travel services. It is used by airlines, hotels, cruise lines, car rental companies and other travel service providers.
• Travelport : Travelport is a GDS provider that offers a range of solutions for the travel industry, including the Apollo, Galileo and Worldspan systems. It provides travel agencies with access to a wide range of travel services and also offers technology solutions for airlines, hotels and other travel suppliers.
• Worldspan : Worldspan is part of Travelport and provides a range of services to travel suppliers and travel agencies.
• ITA Software by Google : ITA Software is a technology company acquired by Google that provides travel search and booking solutions. It offers advanced tools for searching airfares, itineraries and availability.

These GDS systems offer similar services, but there are also differences in terms of functionalities, coverage, user interface and availability of additional services. Travel suppliers and travel agencies often choose the GDS that best suits their specific requirements.

Who finances a Global Distribution System?

Funding for a Global Distribution System typically involves a combination of revenue streams:

• Subscription fees : Travel agencies and OTAs pay subscription fees for access to the GDS platform and its services.
• Transaction fees : Service providers pay a commission or transaction fee for each booking made through the GDS.
• Additional services : Global Distribution System providers may offer additional services, such as marketing solutions, analytics and consulting, for which they charge fees.
• Advertising revenue : Some GDS platforms generate revenue through advertising partnerships with travel-related companies.

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Pass consulting broadens relationship with bcd travel.

• 30. September 2009
• multi-gds , tmc , xml

Under the multiyear renewal agreement, BCD Travel is using the PASS XX/1 Multi-GDS Hub as a supplier gateway for its transactional platform, called the Source Platform.

The PASS XX/1 , a certified XML API, enables BCD Travel to connect to all major global distribution systems through a single interface. It also allows direct connections to other suppliers of travel inventory.

Reliability, stability and security were key criteria in BCD Travel’s selection of XX/1 as a number of client-specific applications connect to the Source Platform. “PASS Consulting provides a stable, secure, unbiased technology suite that complements our own technologies and vision,” said Hilton Sturisky, BCD Travel’s senior vice president of Information & Communications technology. “By connecting multiple GDSes into a single interface, we can target new strategic opportunities while streamlining operations.”

“We are extremely pleased to enhance our longstanding relationship with BCD Travel, which continues to bring significant benefits to both of our organizations and to the industry,” states Michael Strauss, CEO of Miami Beach-based PASS Consulting. Since PASS hosts the XX/1 application in its data center, it was essential that the PASS environment undergo an extensive security assessment.

“The successful completion of the security assessment and the continued compliance with industry standards is a critical aspect of the services we provide,” Strauss said. “It demonstrates that PASS is maintaining a secure environment for our business partners. We are proud that some of the world’s largest travel management companies can rely on PASS technology.”

About BCD Travel

As a leading provider of global corporate travel management, BCD Travel simplifies and streamlines the business of travel. This benefits our client’s organization on every level: from the bottom-line to the business traveler. BCD Travel operates in more than 90 countries on five continents, with US$14 billion in total sales and a combined worldwide work force in excess of 13,000. BCD Travel is a BCD Holdings N.V. company.

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BCD to consolidate to two-GDS strategy

BCD Travel is ending its distribution relationship with Travelport as part of a new “dual global distribution strategy,” it was reported in Business Travel News. BCD also plans to shift its focus its distribution strategy with Sabre and Amadeus going forward.

BCD SVP of global supplier relations Thane Jackson in a statement said the move “[streamlines] our global distribution technology,” which will simplify operations and technology development in the future.

“The transition will enhance our speed to market with functionalities that will improve travelers’ planning and booking experience,” according to Jackson. “The hallmarks of post-Covid travel are greater complexity of travel requirements and more support and information needed for every booking request. Streamlining our distribution technology enables our training, development and third-party integration teams to service our clients more efficiently.”

Jackson added that BCD has “a high regard for Travelport, but we’re confident that the direction we’ve taken is the right one for our business and our customers.”

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Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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The trains and stations of the Moscow Metro

2 Comments · Posted by Alex Smirnov in Cities , Travel , Video

The Moscow Metro is the third most intensive subway system in the world after Tokyo and Seoul subways. The first line was opened on May 15, 1935. Since 1955, the metro has the name of V.I. Lenin.

The system consists of 12 lines with a total length of 305.7 km. Forty four stations are recognized cultural heritage. The largest passenger traffic is in rush hours from 8:00 to 9:00 and from 18:00 to 19:00.

Cellular communication is available on most of the stations of the Moscow Metro. In March 2012, a free Wi-Fi appeared in the Circle Line train. The Moscow Metro is open to passengers from 5:20 to 01:00. The average interval between trains is 2.5 minutes.

The fare is paid by using contactless tickets and contactless smart cards, the passes to the stations are controlled by automatic turnstiles. Ticket offices and ticket vending machines can be found in station vestibules.

Tags:  Moscow city

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Tomás · August 27, 2012 at 11:34 pm

The Moscow metro stations are the best That I know, cars do not.

Alberto Calvo · September 25, 2016 at 8:57 pm

Great videos! Moscow Metro is just spectacular. I actually visited Moscow myself quite recently and wrote a post about my top 7 stations, please check it out and let me know what you think! :)

http://www.arwtravels.com/blog/moscow-metro-top-7-stations-you-cant-miss

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