Airline reservation systems have come a long way since their emergence in the 1950s. Developments in the airline industry, technological advancements and changes in the law have shaped the way the computerized reservation systems work today.
Airline reservation systems are used to track and maintain records of flight schedules, passenger reservations and seat assignments, aircraft loading, flight inventory, ticket purchases and fare tariffs. The modern airline reservation system also serves customer needs from the beginning to the end of each customer's reserved flight, therefore laying out management tasks for each flight.
Airline reservation systems used to be standalone systems. Each airline had its own system, disconnected from other airlines or ticket agents, and usable only by a designated number of airline employees. Travel agents in the 1970s pushed for access to the airlines' systems. Today, air travel information is linked, stored, and retrieved by a network of computer reservations systems accessible by multiple airlines and travel agents. The global distribution system makes for an even larger web of airline information, not only merging the buying and selling of tickets for multiple airlines, but also making the systems accessible to consumers directly. Portals on the Web allow consumers to purchase tickets directly, select seats, and even book hotels and rental cars.
American Airlines was the first to establish an automated booking system, in 1946. Using a system to track information and improve efficiency was a highly appealing aim in the industry and drew the attention of other airlines worldwide. The system endured years of development and alterations. Trans-Canada Airlines developed a computer-based system with remote terminals that eventually took over operations in 1953. The same year, American Airlines worked closely with IBM to develop an improved system, and the Semi-Automatic Business Research System, or SABRE, launched in 1960. The network completed set-up in 1964, and it was recognized as the largest data processing system in existence.
Later, other airlines invested more in research and development to launch improved systems, and through the late 1960s and early 1970s, airlines established their own systems. United Airlines developed the Apollo Reservation System and shortly after allowed travel agents access to it. The Apollo system was the foundation for many further developments, which spread to European airlines. The research and development of a computerized reservation system became a significant aspect of the industry and all its air carrier companies, and partnerships between airlines and technology gurus emerged. Today, several major airline reservations systems are used by international airlines.
Airline deregulation occurred in 1978, magnifying the importance of computerized airline reservation systems and their accessibility. During the early 1970s, as travel agents pushed for access to reservation systems and certain airline executives made investments for the sake of accessing the systems of other airlines, antitrust laws came into the picture. The purpose of the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act in the U.S. was to eliminate government control over commercial aviation and ensure competitive behavior and fair business practices in the airline industry. Passengers could gain knowledge of market forces and new market entry in the industry. Information on specific airlines and the industry as a whole became more widely and readily accessible, evolving the airline reservation systems from standalone operations toward global operations.
Of the major types of airline reservation systems, most provide information directly to travel agents, employees of other airlines and passengers or potential customers. The major systems include SABRE, Worldspan, Galileo, Patheo and Abacus. American Airlines now uses SABRE, also used by Expedia, Lastminute.com and Travelocity. Abacus is used by more than 450 individual airlines and 80,000 hotels in dozens of Asian countries.
