Converting From One GDS to Another

Benefits and Need to Know

Benefits

• Limited down time for clients

  • You can leave all clients active and functioning in your current GDS until you have fully converted to the new GDS

• Ability to configure more than one GDS or PCC 

Need to Know

• Supported GDS

  • Sabre

  • Amadeus

  • Galileo (Apollo)

  • Worldspan

    • Emulation Steps for each GDS

• GDS Guides

  • Please note these are not Deem created guides

    • Global Distribution Systems (GDS) Quick Reference Guide

• Best Practice

  • If this is the first time converting from one GDS to another or adding a second GDS to a site

    • Clone your site and complete the conversion in the cloned site

      • Test extensively

    • Once you are satisfied with the results then start configuring those site which need converted

      • Note: This will save you a lot of frustration down the line, and you can copy and paste the information from your test site to the active sites with ease

• There are no options currently within the Partner Dashboard to simply copy the Agency Settings, Queues or Custom PNR from your existing site, as you can with Travel Policy or Display Policy.  You will need to manually copy and paste each line of data for each area. You can then change the output to the new GDS format.

  • Hint: You will need to use two different browser types (Such as: Google Chrome and Firefox) to copy from one site to another, or use Incognito within your browser.

    • Example: 

      • Google Chrome: 

      • Click on the Vertical Dots in the upper right hand corner

      • Click on New Incognito Window

      • Or you can use Keyboard shortcut:

        • MasOS: Press Press Ctrl + Shift + n

        • Windows/Linux: Press ⌘ + Shift + n

• Mozilla Firefox: 

• Click on the Firefox Menu in the upper right hand corner

• Click on New Private Window

• Or you can use Keyboard shortcut:

  • MasOS: Press Shift + ⌘ + P

  • Windows/Linux: Press Shift + CTRL + P

Task

Process and Helpful Hint

Custom PNR

• Area to configure new custom PNR mapping for new GDS and/or PCC

  • Note: Best practice is to work on this configuration first, as you will need to assign to the Agency Settings.

• Click link for further information around Customer PNR Mapping

Queues

• Area to configure Queues for new GDS or PCC

  • Note: Best practice is to work on this configuration next, as you will need to assign to the Agency Settings

• Click on link for further information around Queue Delivery Options.

Agency Settings

• What you will find in Agency Settings, and will need to configure

  • New GDS/PCC

  • Assign new GDS/PCC PNR mapping

  • Travelfusion and other Ancillary Sources

  • PNR Acquisition queues

  • Assign new GDS/PCC Queue set

  • Assign new PNR fail queue for voids and refunds

  • Negotiated rates for Air

  • Assign new queues for Pre-Trip Approval (PTA), if client is set up with PTA

Update Private Rates

• If client has a private rate you will need to have them updated

  • Air (ATPCO)

    • Update in Agency Settings as well as loaded properly in GDS

    • Private Rates (If different from Agency Settings)

  • Hotel

    • Private Rates

      • Insure not only updated in the Partner Dashboard but also loaded in the new GDS

Preferred Hotels

• This is the best time to insure the preferred properties are up to date and change to the HOD and Chain codes in new GDS

Travel Service Rules

• Click link for further information around updating Travel Service Rules

ETSI/WebServices

• Update programming to support user profiles in new GDS

  • ETSI Profile Synch

Benefits and Need to Know

Step

Create Test Group to test configuration before launching to all travelers within site

• Click link to see process for creating Groups

Task

Process and Helpful Hint

Steps

• Custom PNR will need to be manually copied, and then change the output (Format you would like line to write to GDS)

  • Note: Use above hints for copying from original mapping to the new mapping, using multiple browsers or Incognito

• Click link for further information - Custom PNR Mapping

• Click on Travel Agency

• Click on Custom PNR

• Click on Add a New PNR Configuration

• Name new PNR Mapping

• Click on Add PNR Line

• Line No

  • Use same line number from you original mapping

• PNR Field Type

  • Select the same field type as in your original mapping

• Custom PNR Requirement

  • Copy and past script from your original mapping

  • Change the output to the new GDS formatting

    • Example:

      • In Apollo you may move the company profile with

        • MVT\/Company Profile

      • In Sabre you enter as

        • N*-PCC-Company Profile Name#nm

      • In Apollo you may enter the TAW line as

        • C:T:TAU\/

      • In Sabre you may enter the TAW line as

        • 7TAW

• Custom PNR Requirement type

  • Script or text

• GDS

  • Select radio button for appropriate GDS

• Once you have entered each line click on Save

• Bring profile mapping back up and move to the bottom, as you will need to select PNR Mask requirements.

  • Note: Select the same options you have selected on your original mapping

Click on Save, and move on to setting up Queues

Benefits and Need to Know

Steps 1

• Configure queues for new GDS

• Click on link for further information around Queue Delivery Options

  • Note: Use above hints for copying from original mapping to the new mapping, using multiple browsers or Incognito

• Click on Services tab

• Click on Travel Agency

• Click on Queue/Delivery Options

• Click on Queue/Delivery Options

• Click on Add A New Queue/Delivery Option

• Mirror each one of you queue set ups

  • Note: Enter the PCC and queue to the new GDS under Actions

Step 2

Add Queues to Set, which gives you the ability to assign the appropriate queues to the appropriate Agency Settings

• Click on Services tab

• Click on Travel Agency

• Click on Queue/Delivery Options

• Click on Queue/Delivery Options

• Click on Add A New Queue/Delivery Options Set

• Enter Set Name

• Click on Add Option

• Click on radio button next to queue you would like to add to set

• Click on Ok & Add Another to continue to add all queues to the set.

• Once complete click on Done

• You will add the new queue set to  Agency Settings

• Continue to next section configuring Agency Settings

Benefits and Need to Know

Important Notice

• Agency Settings 

• Click on link for further information about Agency Settings

Step

• Click on Services tab

• Click on Travel Agency

• Click on Agency Settings

• Click on Add A New Agency Setting

• Fill in Agency Settings form

  • Note: You can again use copy and paste much of the information from your original GDS settings and Change the GDS as well as queues where needed

    • Examples:

      • Host Information

        • Enter appropriate GDS information related to new GDS

      • Add Ancillary Sources

        • You will enter what you have configured in or original Agency Settings

      • Agency information

        • You will enter what you have configured in or original Agency Settings

      • PNR Configuration

        • Booking Configuration

          • Select new PNR mapping from list

        • PNR Synchronization Settings

          • Please click link for further information PNR Synchronization/Acquisition

      • Passive Segment Processing

        • Not typically configured, but if you do need this configured and do now know how, please open a Deem Support Case

      • Air Pricing

        • Program as needed for GDS

      • Negotiated Rates

        • Configure new Air Negotiated rates if your client has them, if not leave blank

      • Train Support

        • You will enter what you have configured in or original Agency Settings

      • Queue/Delivery Options

        • Options Set:

          • Select appropriate Queue set from drop-down menu, you created in previous section

        • Urgent Queue for Actioning Voids/Refunds

          • Enter queue where you would like reservations to drop, if PNRs failed change/cancel and successful void or refunds

          • Note: Best is to set up under. queue under Queue//Delivery Options

          • Click on link for more information about setting up Queue/Delivery Options

      • Pre-Trip Approval (PTA) Setting

        • Update only if site has PTA set up

        • Enter queues and PCC for new GDS

• Save

• Move to the next section, and apply to Travel Service Rules when ready to test or implement

Benefits and Need to Know

Air

If Private rates are different from that of what is set up under Agency Settings you will need to configure Air Private rates. 

• Note: You will also need to make sure the private rates are loaded in the GDS

• Click on Services

• Click on Private Rates

• Click on Air Rates

• Click on Add New Air Private Rates

• Fill in private rate information, specific to the clients rate rules

• Click Save

• Click on Air Rate Set

  • Note:  Allows you to assign the specific set to your Travel Service Rules for each group

• Click on Add A New Airline Set

• Enter Private Rate Set Name

• Click on Add Rates

• Click on radio button next to private rate you would like to add to the set

• Click OK - if this is the only rate you are adding or click on OK & Add Another Rate - if there are others you would like to add to the set

• Click Save

• Your set has now been created

• Move to the next section, and apply to Travel Service Rules when ready to test or implement

Hotel

Set up Hotel Discount Codes

• Click on Services

• Click on Private Rates

• Click on Hotel Discount Codes

Benefits and Need to Know

Step

This is a great time to update preferred hotels

• Ensure private rates are loaded in the GDS

• Update Preferred Hotel upload file

  • Extract current preferred hotels

  • Validate preferred hotels are current client preferred hotels

  • Change the HOD to match the new GDS

  • Upload new Preferred Hotel

    • Click link to see process of uploading Preferred Hotels

  • Note: Keep original preferred hotel upload file until you have completed your testing of the new GDS configuration and testing

Benefits and Need to Know

Step

Create Test Group to test configuration before launching to all travelers within site

• Click link to see process to update Travel Service Rules

Benefits and Need to Know

Step

You will need to update your Web Services to accommodate the new GDS formats

• Please click link for further information - ETSI Profile Sync

Benefits and Need to Know

Important Notice

As with any new configurations or changes you will need to Test, Test,Test!!!

• Ensure that everything is working as anticipated

• Apply changes to appropriate Travel Service Rules once you are sure the configuration changes are correct, and you are ready to convert to the new GDS or PCC.