Booking Systems and Interfaces for Tourism

Booking Systems and Interfaces for the travel industry

znt Travel Solutions

znt Travel has set up a product line to connect the different interfaces of the systems available in the tourist industry. The base of our products is a self developed Dynamic Gateway Frame with own logic. With this Gateway Frame individual solutions can be developed within a short time at low costs.

The Gate to TOMA®, Amadeus & Co.

DynaGate®

DynaGate® DRV Request Interface

The centralized DRV Request Interface supports the search of products with the DRV GlobalTypes.

DynaGate® Router

The DynaGate® Router will be integrated between the existing VPN-Gateways of STADIS® based CRS Systems (Amadeus TOMA®, etc.) and a XML Webservice.

DynaDataGen

The DynaDataGen is developed by znt Travel for automatically generating / conversing the product specific tour operator data in EDF and/or OTDS.

Often, tour operators and service providers with in-house systems have no connection to CRS/GDS systems and therefore cannot offer their product range to the travel agency market.

So far, a connection to the single CRS/GDS systems was very time- and cost intensive. A modern and elegant alternative for this is DynaGate®, an individually adapted Gateway Frame that is connected with the in-house system and that communicates with all established CRS/GDS systems. By implementing DynaGate®, tour operators and service providers are in the position to simply realize their desired CRS/GDS connection without complex system changes.

The individual booking procedure is pre-configured in DynaGate® to ensure that all booking-relevant data is transferred in the correct way to the Mid- and Backend systems. It includes vacancy reply in real-time and an automatic data handling, without any manual data handling.

DynaGate® Performance Features

For every terminal number, a session will be established after a message receipt, in which the information during a complete process will be buffered
The necessary buffer of information for the processing of message formats is, therefore, already integrated in DynaGate®
With dynamic interface definition, DynaGate® analyses the formats of incoming messages and splits them into pre-defined single information
Afterwards the application of rules will follow, which indicates the data flow sequence of different actions in a XML configuration. The single information builds the basis for the impulse of actions here
For a TOMA®- or GDS connection, DynaGate® functions as CRS/GDS Gateways. The elements of the existing tour operator system, and the single configuration pre-settings are analysed and defined individually during a joint workshop with the customer
In case a CRS Gateway already exists, the received information will be communicated to the existing gateway during the connection of dynamic part-templates
For the reply, the procedure is analogue. The information received from the existing STADIS® Gateway will be split and presented as reply to the terminal in the desired format
Via XML configuration and based on this systematics a dialogue with internet-booking applications can be established

The booking will be even more comfortable with the dynamic part-templates in STEAL®- or XML format for the established CRS applications. They support the product consulting, optimise business processes and simplify the booking procedure. By the utilisation of DynaGate®, the applicant has several advantages, for example the optimised TOMA® booking dialogue which is immediately available.

Multi Presence in all Systems

DynaGate® provides connections which can be realised quick and straightforward. DynaGate® is the bridge between the in-house tour operator system and the reservation system. Depending on the degree of the desired data opening into the respective CRS/GDS, all relevant information is read, processed and confirmed as completed: from statistical texts up to the “acute” booking in real-time. Each CRS/GDS connection is individually adapted to the existing customer system.

Dynamic Part-Template Technology

With DynaGate® these new part-template technologies can be easily implemented. By upstreaming the adapted Gateway Frame, complex adjustments to existing gateways are unnecessary.

The technical basis is the part-template technology, which enables the user to finalise a booking without previous knowledge, since no “cryptic” abbreviations have to be entered into the CRS template. The user is led step-by-step through the complete booking process and all necessary procedure details will be changed automatically and are transferred into the CRS main template to finalise the booking.

Gateway Frame as Basis

The dynamic Gateway Frame developed by znt-Richter is a basic application, by which means an individual Gateway can be implemented quickly via configuration. On this basis DynaGate® has been developed, a gateway frame especially for touristic interfaces. New CRS/GDS connections will be adjusted to the customer's system individually.

Your Benefits

The tour operator has the possibility to guide the travel agent through single booking steps by means of selective pre-setting of the navigation line and activation of follow-up part-templates.
Dynamic part-template groups support and simplify the consulting- and booking process for touristic products.
Vacancies and alternatives are shown conveniently as selection lists from which desired services can be selected via mouse click.

Two work levels are available for the user: The expert mode for experienced users or the beginner mode to guide the user through the complete booking process without the need for further trainings.

DynaGate® DRV Request Interface

The centralized DRV Request Interface supports the search of products with the DRV GlobalTypes. Whithin the given response information it is possible to compare different products and tour operator specific quality features.

DynaGate® DRV query interface, interface

DRV GlobalTypes are standardised and code based features of touristic services. For some categories one GlobalType is sufficient to describe a product feature, other extend the product with a “SubType” and/or an “AdditionalType”.

DynaGate®, which is developed by znt Travel is the basis for the integration of the DRV Request Interface and supports the usage of the new search logic form Amadeus TOMA®. All fitting data structures of each category for “Request” and “Response” are defined in the interface and the delivered products have all relevant data to book the products via the STADIS® format in Amadeus TOMA®.

DynaGate® Router

The DynaGate® Router will be integrated between the existing VPN-Gateways of STADIS® based CRS Systems (Amadeus TOMA®, Sabre Merlin, etc.) and an XML Webservice.

Receiving and transmitting of various STADIS® and STEAL® data formats with the DynaGate® Router.

The basis for the DynaGate® Router is the usage of DynaGate®, which is developed by znt Travel.

For the transmission of the incoming STADIS® data from the single CRS Systems the protocol TCP/IP is used. The routing of the data is done through an XML-Webservice. The webservice can receive the original STADIS® data in packed or unpacked format.

Generating EDF and OTDS

DynaDataGen

The DynaDataGen is developed by znt Travel for generating / converting the product specific tour operator data into EDF and/or OTDS automatically. During the conversion / generation all properties, conditions, possible combinations, price details and price regulations of the product are displayed in the DynaDataGen and made available to the tour operator for further use.

Generating a journey out of multiple touristic services

Dynamic Packaging®

Dynamic Packaging® The Original DynaPack® combines touristic services of different suppliers. The offer will then be booked online as a complete travel package.

DynaPack® Product Comparison System for car rental

Different interfaces of the car rental suppliers are connected to DynaPack®. Within DynaPack® the offers are analysed and unified as to the defined criteria.

DynaPack®

Dynamic Packaging® — The Original

DynaPack® combines touristic services of different suppliers. The offer will then be booked online as a complete travel package. This process is called Dynamic Packaging® and has been developed by znt Travel.

Using this technical innovation the graphical presentation of bookings - both in the Internet and in the CRS system – is very user friendly and on the other hand it is combined more complex than before. A further advantage is the real-time process. In order to achieve this, DynaPack® operates as a bridge with its own logic between the Frontend and the touristic provider systems. Therefore different systems with different interface definitions can communicate via DynaPack®.

Flexible Systematics

DynaPack® enables the combination of several different and/or equal services online in one booking step. The service information will be collected and evaluated in the session memory during the booking process.

Calculation tables stored in the database will calculate rates for the services and offer them to the user either as a complete quote and/or as a single service. The offer is then saved in the shopping basket and they can be changed anytime before booking acceptance. No maintenance of product information (e. g. external tour operators) is needed.

Intelligent Technology

The data traffic is processed via DynaPack® in real-time instead of communication with the Frontend.
DynaPack® can communicate with all established systems. Numerous direct connections to well-known providers are already set up.
The users of DynaPack® are independent of CRS providers, flight-, hotel-, rental car- and other touristic systems.
Work level for the user is an Internet Frontend or a CRS application for all services. The services will be requested directly from DynaPack® via a configurable interface to the system of the service providers and then can be combined and booked.
DynaPack® evaluates the offers from systems such as CRS, IBE, organiser systems, Mid- and Back-Office, payment systems or account departments and presents them to the user as a complete quote and/or as a single service using the calculation tables stored in the database.
The session memory buffers information which is necessary during the complete booking procedure.
For invoicing, the summarized services will be transmitted to a Mid- or Back-Office System.
For the operation of DynaPack® no special hardware or software platforms are necessary.

Successful Dynamic Packaging® has to meet some criteria: The access to a big number of comparable offers, for example in the field flight, hotel and rental cars. A search function by personal selection criteria with price comparison. And a booking tool offering an online access to all service provider data and bundling all selected services as a package. The product solution for this is called DynaPack®. Single services, such as flight, hotel and rental cars are combined in real-time in one booking step and stored online in the shopping basket.

Innovative Technology

The necessary information of the service providers will be picked up from the respective reservation systems and are presented to the user as a complete package at one price and / or as single services on the basis of the stored online calculation rules in DynaPack®.

All rules and conditions of the service providers are already considered during the booking process. So the big advantage is that the provider does not have to enter any external data and can always access actual prices and availabilities. The product range can be completed by further modules at any time.

Actual Direct Connections

DynaPack® is in a continuous improvement process. Many big service providers and established scheduled flight-IBE’s are integrated respectively pre-configured as interface:

A2B Transfers, AutoEurope, CarTrawler, Condor, Deutsche Bahn, Elvia (Global Allianz Assistance), Europäische Reiseversicherung, Eurotours, GTA, HitchHiker, Tourico Holidays, TravelTainment, TUI Fly, etc. Individual direct connections can be realised any time without delay.

Product comparison for car rental – not only a price comparison

Product Comparison System for car rental

Different interfaces of the car rental suppliers are connected to DynaPack^®. Within DynaPack^®the offers are analysed and unified due to defined criteria. The rating of the offers is based on the car rental terms / conditions and the price.