9 minute read
An Internet Booking Engine (IBE) is a software that revolutionizes the way travel companies operate. It empowers customers to book travel products and services online, enhancing their convenience. This user-friendly platform allows travellers to search for flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and other travel-related services, compare prices, and make reservations directly through the company’s website. IBEs streamline the booking process, providing real-time availability and pricing information and secure payment processing capabilities. They are not just tools, but crucial assets that drive revenue for travel businesses, making them indispensable in the modern travel industry.
What Exactly Does an Internet Booking Engine Do?
Price, rates, and availability are managed within suppliers’ reservation systems, such as hotel companies. These systems define the cost of a room per night or day, establish policies, and specify occupancy limits. In addition to this fundamental information, various other details are stored within the reservation system or in the content management system (CMS) of the Internet Booking Engine (IBE). Some content may also be housed within the CMS of the website on which the IBE operates.
An Internet Booking Engine is a master of organization. It takes the complex web of information about hotels, their facilities, and amenities, availability, and prices, and presents it to the user in a simple, easy-to-understand format. It’s like having a personal travel agent at your fingertips. Through this intuitive pathway, users can select a room and proceed with the booking by entering their details, all with just a few clicks.
History of the Internet Booking Engine
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 solely depended 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 read the results over the phone. Agents could not directly query the system, creating a prolonged process.
Unsurprisingly, the complexity of the Electromechanical Reservisor became unmanageable, prompting airlines to seek ways to improve their software. In the 1970s, some airlines took the initiative to develop Central Reservation Systems (CRS) that could be used by agents. However, these early systems had a drawback-they could only handle bookings for one airline, necessitating each airline to have its own CRS. This limitation posed a challenge, highlighting the need for more efficient and unified reservation systems.
This drawback was soon resolved by Global Distribution Systems (GDS) in the late 1970s. This was the first system of its kind to offer integration with multiple airlines and allow 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 turning to airlines and hotels individually, travel agents, tour operators, and customers themselves are looking for aggregated systems to search for multiple travel components in one search.
Global Distribution Systems to Online Booking Engines
The landscape of travel bookings has grown significantly, with online booking platforms playing a big role in enabling vacation reservations for travellers worldwide.
Global Distribution Systems (GDS) have been at the heart, serving as centralised platforms connecting travel providers such as airlines, hotels, car rental companies, and tour operators with travel agents and online booking platforms. These systems enable real-time inventory, pricing, and availability access, streamlining the booking process and ensuring accuracy and efficiency.
Online booking software has revolutionized how tour operators manage and sell travel packages. These solutions enable operators to showcase their offerings, manage bookings, and process payments efficiently, thereby streamlining their operations and enhancing customer satisfaction.
Websites are the primary interface for travellers to explore accommodation options and make reservations. Booking engine solutions integrated into hotel websites provide users a user-friendly interface to search for availability, compare prices, and complete their bookings with ease.
Effective channel management is essential for maximizing visibility and revenue. Booking engine solutions offer robust channel management features, enabling travel providers to distribute their inventory across various online channels, including travel agents, OTAs (Online Travel Agencies), and direct booking platforms.
Travel agents play a vital role in assisting travellers with their bookings, and booking engine solutions empower them with the tools and resources they need to provide efficient and personalized service. With access to comprehensive booking platforms, travel agents can search for available options, compare prices, and make reservations on behalf of their clients.
Modern Booking Systems
The booking process has been streamlined and simplified with the introduction of Internet Booking Engines (IBE), which provide users with a pathway to search, compare, and book travel services online. These platforms aggregate information from various sources, including GDS, hotel booking systems, and airline reservation systems, to offer users a comprehensive selection of options.
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, which are just some of the numerous benefits of the platform, this advanced system is a far cry from the Electomechanical Reservisor!
Booking engine solutions have revolutionized the way travel bookings are made, offering convenience, efficiency, and accessibility to travel worldwide. Whether booking flights, hotels, cruises, or tour packages, these platforms provide users with the tools and resources they need to easily plan their journeys. From hotel booking engines to airline reservation systems, the travel industry has embraced technology to enhance the booking experience for travellers across the globe. Whatever travel product you’re selling, your business could benefit greatly by incorporating an internet booking engine. Let’s see the advantages of implementing an online distribution and booking solution 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. Using 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
Any worries related to safe online payment methods are assuaged with an online booking system. 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, enabling you to operate in different currencies without requiring a sales channel.
Hang Up the Phone
Online booking minimises potential customers’ dropout rate, 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 depend on manual intervention, which can translate into errors, inaccuracies and duplication of efforts, all of which pressure 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 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 allows you to include additional services or products during online booking and payment. This way, you can earn additional ancillary revenue while offering your customers a wide range of choices.
The Power of Booking Engine Solutions
Booking engine solutions have revolutionized the way travel bookings are made, offering convenience, efficiency, and accessibility to travel worldwide. Whether booking flights, hotels, cruises, or tour packages, these platforms provide users with the tools and resources they need to easily plan their journeys. From hotel booking engines to airline reservation systems, the travel industry has embraced technology to enhance the booking experience for travellers across the globe.
If you’re in the market for a new internet booking engine, it’s important to choose a provider who understands the market and your business objectives. Traveltek’s flagship booking engine, iSell, allows users 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, which are just some of the numerous benefits of the platform, the system provides travel professionals with the most innovative booking solution on the market.
