The Galileo System
Galileo is a large computerised network system
commonly called a GDS.
The central purpose of a GDS such as Galileo is to
facilitate business transactions between travel industry players around the
globe.
Galileo was originally launched in 1987 through a
partnership between nine European carriers.
It is currently owned and operated by Travelport
Worldwide, a travel technology company based in Langley, Berkshire in the
United Kingdom.
The system is enormous, and is one of the largest
computer systems in the world. In this lesson, we will touch on just a fraction
of its capabilitie
The Galileo GDS has an especially strong market
presence in the UK and Europe (where it originated).
The Galileo GDS provides functions which support all
phases of the travel reservations process:
Shopping — Search and compare travel options from
different suppliers.
Booking — Book inventory from different travel
suppliers including seats on flights and trains, rooms in hotels, cars from
hire firms, etc.
Pricing — Get the best price for each traveller for
their booked itinerary.
Ticketing — Collect the traveller's payment and
issue the ticket or voucher to be redeemed on the day of travel.
The end result of the reservations process is an
electronic record known as a Booking File (BF), which contains the basic
traveller info plus an indication of the booked travel services. Separate,
linked copies of the BF are stored in the Galileo GDS system and the CRS
system(s) of the travel supplier(s) involved.
The core business of Galileo is to provide a travel
technology platform for professional travel advisors and management firms to
serve their clients.
The modern Galileo system typically gets accessed
over the Internet, using a desktop application known as "Smartpoint",
which allows travel professionals to sign into the GDS system and do work from
anywhere in the world.
In recent years, Galileo has evolved to offer a
diverse product portfolio, including web-based and mobile e-commerce services,
back office accounting, and more. The core GDS system remains the foundation
for most of these products.
Where It's Used, and Who Uses It
Galileo is used in thousands of locations, by
millions of people throughout the world.
Let's now look at the types of industries that use
Galileo, starting with travel suppliers
Travel Providers
Travel suppliers rely on Galileo as an important
sales channel. They maintain links to the GDS to advertise their services and
allow them to be booked by travel advisors and firms all over the world.
Types of travel suppliers which use Galileo to drive
sales include:
Airlines
Car hire firms
Hotels
Rail lines
Cruise lines
Tour operators
Besides the travel suppliers themselves, Galileo is
used by countless other firms that support and drive sales throughout the
global economies of travel and tourism.
Let's look at a couple of other key industries which
make extensive use of Galileo
Travel Distribution Industry
The travel distribution industry is comprised of
companies that book travel related services or assist in the booking process.
This includes travel advisory firms, online travel
agencies, travel management companies, and search engines.
The travel distribution industry uses Galileo to...
- Shop and book real-time inventory of travel products and services.
- Obtain accurate fare and pricing information.
- Store, update, and manage passenger reservation records.
- Issue tickets and vouchers for booked services.
- Communicate with airlines and other travel suppliers
Computer Software Industry
The computer software industry develops software
applications for use with Galileo. These may complement or extend Galileo's
functionality, automate tasks, or make certain Galileo processes easier.
Some of the main software product types are...
- Mobile apps.
- Web apps.
- Apps for integration with corporate IT systems.
- Services provided may include...
- Sending data to back-office accounting systems.
- Streamlining complex tasks such as ticket exchanges.
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