A GDS (global distribution system) is a shared network that lets travel agencies search, price and book airline seats, hotel rooms and car rentals from many suppliers through one connection. The three global GDSs are Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport. Bookings are stored as PNRs, and accredited agencies issue tickets through the GDS.
How does a GDS work?
A GDS sits between suppliers and sellers. Airlines load their schedules, seat availability and fares into it; hotels and car-rental companies do the same for rooms and vehicles. A travel agency connects once, through a terminal or an API, and can then shop all of that inventory side by side.
A typical flight booking in a GDS follows four steps:
- Availability and shopping. The agent searches a route and date and gets flights, booking classes and fares from many airlines.
- Pricing. The GDS applies the fare rules, taxes and surcharges to the chosen itinerary and returns a final price.
- Booking (PNR). Selling the seats creates a PNR (passenger name record): the booking file holding the itinerary, traveller names, contacts and ticketing deadline.
- Ticketing. An accredited agency issues the electronic ticket against the PNR. Ticket sales are then settled between agencies and airlines through IATA's BSP (ARC in the United States).
Most traditional GDS traffic uses EDIFACT, a messaging standard designed decades ago. Modern GDS offerings wrap it in SOAP or REST APIs, but the underlying fare and PNR model is the same.
Who are the main GDS providers?
Three companies operate the global distribution systems used by travel agencies worldwide:
| GDS | Headquarters | Systems agencies know it by |
|---|---|---|
| Amadeus | Madrid, Spain | Amadeus Selling Platform, Amadeus Enterprise APIs |
| Sabre | Southlake, Texas, USA | Sabre Red 360, Sabre APIs |
| Travelport | Langley, United Kingdom | Galileo, Apollo and Worldspan, now unified as Travelport+ |
Which one an agency uses usually depends on its market, the airlines it sells most, and the commercial terms it can negotiate. Many larger agencies and platforms connect to more than one.
GDS vs NDC vs direct airline connections
The GDS is no longer the only way to get airline content. Airlines now distribute through three channels, and most booking platforms combine them:
| GDS (EDIFACT) | NDC | Direct / LCC API | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content | Filed fares from hundreds of airlines | Airline-generated offers, bundles and ancillaries | One airline's own inventory, often low-cost carriers |
| Format | EDIFACT, wrapped in SOAP/REST | IATA NDC XML schemas | Airline-specific APIs |
| Seats, bags, bundles | Limited | Rich, priced by the airline | Usually rich |
| Integration effort | One connection, many airlines | Per airline, or via an NDC aggregator | Per airline |
IATA noted when it adopted the NDC standard in 2012 that around 60% of airline tickets by value were sold indirectly through agencies using GDSs. That indirect channel is exactly what NDC set out to modernise. For the details, read what NDC is and how it works.
Can a small travel agency get GDS access?
Yes, but the route depends on accreditation:
- IATA-accredited agencies can sign a GDS contract directly, receive their own office ID (PCC or OID) and issue tickets themselves.
- Non-IATA agencies usually book through a consolidator that holds the accreditation and issues tickets on their behalf. This is the common model in markets such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and the UAE.
- Platforms and developers can use a travel API that already aggregates GDS, NDC and low-cost content, instead of certifying each GDS separately.
GDS commercial terms (segment fees, incentives, minimum volumes) are negotiated per contract and differ by market, so compare total cost rather than headline pricing.
How Reservationhub connects to GDSs
Reservationhub has Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport pre-integrated alongside NDC channels and direct airline connections, as listed on our integrations page. Accredited agencies can plug in their own GDS credentials and queues; non-IATA agencies can sell through consolidator connections. Developers get the same content through the TripGic travel API.
Frequently asked questions
What does GDS stand for in travel?
GDS stands for global distribution system: a shared network that connects travel agencies to airline, hotel and car-rental inventory so they can search, price and book from many suppliers through one connection.
Is a GDS the same as a CRS?
Not quite. A CRS (computer reservation system) historically meant a single airline's reservation system. GDSs grew out of airline CRSs and now aggregate many airlines, hotels and car companies for agencies. The terms are still sometimes used interchangeably.
What is a PNR?
A PNR (passenger name record) is the booking file created in the GDS. It holds the itinerary, traveller names, contact details, ticketing time limit and any remarks, and is identified by a six-character record locator.
Is NDC replacing the GDS?
NDC is changing how airline content is distributed, but GDSs remain central. The major GDSs now carry NDC content themselves, and most agencies use a mix of GDS, NDC and direct low-cost carrier connections.
Do I need IATA accreditation to use a GDS?
You need accreditation to issue tickets in your own name. Non-IATA agencies usually access GDS content through a consolidator that issues tickets for them.
Get GDS, NDC and low-cost content in one platform
See how Reservationhub combines Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport and NDC for your agency.
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