Converting From One GDS to Another

This guide details the Deem settings that must be set up or copied over when you change from one GDS to another or add a second GDS to a site.

You can download the checklist above to keep track of the settings as you update them (click on the document, then click the cloud symbol in the top-right to download, save, or print).

Benefits and Need to Know

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

Important: After you convert your Deem site settings to the new GDS, users will no longer have access to bookings from the previous GDS.

If this is the first time converting from one GDS to another or adding a second GDS to a site, we recommend the following:

  • Start by cloning your site. Complete the conversion in the cloned site and test extensively.

  • Once you are satisfied with the results on your cloned site, then start configuring sites that need to be converted. You can copy and paste the information from your cloned and tested site to your active sites.

The Partner Dashboard does not support copying the settings for Agency Settings, Queues. For these areas you must re-enter the data or manually copy and paste each line of data. You can then change the output to the new GDS format.

You can leave your previous GDS configurations in Deem in case you need to revert or refer to them later.

Prerequisites

Important: To convert to another GDS or set up a new GDS, you must first open a Deem support case and carry out the steps for the new GDS described in GDS Emulation Process.

For any of the following steps in which you copy and paste settings from one Deem page to another, you must use either two different browsers, or the same browser with an additional, incognito window open. To open an incognito window:

  • In Google Chrome, click the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner and select New Incognito Window. Or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+n in Windows/Linux, or Shift+⌘+n in the macOS.

  • In Mozilla Firefox, select the Firefox menu in the upper-right corner and select New Private Window. Or use the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+p for Windows/Linus or Shift+⌘+p in the macOS.

Mandatory Deem Site Configuration Settings

The following Deem settings are the minimum site configuration settings required for a GDS conversion. The instructions in the following sections cover the minimum steps necessary to switch to a new GDS. Follow the links for more details on that area.

Custom PNR

Deem now has the option to Export/Import a Custom PNR from one site to another as well as within the same site. For the new GDS, change the output (the format in which the line is written to the GDS) as well as the GDS source. Start by creating the new Custom PNR for the new GDS and/or PCC, as you must select it later in Agency Settings.

  1. Follow steps to Export/Import Custom PNR.

  2. Change script output format to new GDS formats.

  3. When finished, click the Save button at the bottom of the page.

Queue/Delivery Options

Next, configure Queue and Delivery Options for the new GDS or PCC. You will also need to select these later for Agency Settings.

First, set up your queue options:

  1. From your Partner Dashboard, click the Services tab. Under the Travel heading, click Travel Agency.

  2. Click Queue/Delivery Options.

  3. On the next page, click Queue/Delivery Options.

  4. To the right of the queue option to copy, select the Copy link.

  5. Change the name of the copied queue option by entering a new name in the Record Name field. Tip: Add the new GDS at the front of the queue name to help identify this queue option in the list when adding to the queue set.

  6. Scroll down the page to the Actions section. Enter the new Pseudo City Code and Queue.

  7. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page.

  8. Repeat the above steps until you have set up each queue option.

Next, add the new queues to a set, which allows you to assign a set of queues to Agency Settings:

  1. On the Queue/Delivery Options page, click the Back to Queue/Delivery Options link at the top left.

  2. Select Queue/Delivery Option Sets.

  3. Select Add A New Queue/Delivery Options Set.

  4. In the Set Name field at the top, enter a name for the set.

  5. At the bottom of the page, click the Add Option button.

  6. Add queues one at a time:

    1. Click the radio button next to one queue to add to the set.

    2. Click Ok & Add Another, then add one more queue.

  7. After adding all queue options, click either the OK or Done button.

  8. Click the Save button to save the set.

Agency Settings

Deem does not support cloning the existing Agency Settings, so you must either re-enter or manually copy and paste the information from your site’s existing Agency Settings tab to the new site. Be sure to update GDS-specific details to the new GDS/PCC.

  1. Click the Services tab.

  2. Under the Travel heading, select Travel Agency.

  3. Select Agency Settings.

  4. Select Add A New Agency Setting.

  5. Complete the Agency Settings form. At a minimum, configure all of the following, copying settings from the original site as necessary; see Agency Settings for additional details:

  • In the Host Information section:

    • GDS: Select the new GDS for this site.

    • TA Group: Select a terminal address group from on the list populated after selecting a GDS.

    • Pseudo-City Code: Enter the PCC for this site.

    • Default Queue: Enter a default queue.

    • Sales Location: Enter the sales location.

  • In the PNR Configuration section:

    • Booking Configuration: Select the new PNR mapping from list.

    • PNR Synchronization Settings: Configure new PCC and queues; see PNR Synchronization/Acquisition.

  • Passive Segment Processing: Not typically configured. If you do need to configure and need instructions, open a Deem Support Case.

  • Air Pricing: Configure as needed for GDS.

  • Negotiated Rates: Configure new air negotiated rates if your client has them, if not leave this field blank.

  • Train Support: Copy as configured in the original Agency Settings.

  • Queue/Delivery Options:

    • Options Set: Select a queue set.

    • Urgent Queue for Actioning Voids/Refunds: Enter the PCC and queue for reservations in the case of PNRs that fail to change or cancel, and successful void or refunds.

  • Pre-Trip approval setting: Update only if the site has pre-trip approval set up; if so, enter the queues and PCC for the new GDS.

After completing all required fields, marked with *, click the Save button at the bottom of the page when finished.

ETSI Profile Synch

Set up profile mapping for the new GDS/PCC, whether it is your own TMC profile or a third party product. See Configure Profile Mapping in ETSI Profile Synch for details.

Web Services

For Amadeus, Galileo/Travelport+, or Sabre, you must update your Web Services for the new GDS formats, and then configure a web services set. You will need to open a Deem Support Case to have new Web Services set up.

Amadeus

Take the following steps to configure Amadeus Web Services:

  1. On the Partner Dashboard home page that lists all company sites. select the Configuration tab.

  2. Under Service/Transaction Fees, select Manage Supplier Web Service Credentials List.

  3. Select Add A New Supplier Web Service Credentials.

  4. On the Supplier Web Service Credentials page, complete all fields:

    • Name: Enter a name for these credentials.

    • Supplier: Select Amadeus Web Services

    • Web Services Access Point: Enter the information provided by Amadeus.

    • User Name: Enter the information provided by Amadeus.

    • Password: Enter the information provided by Amadeus.

  5. Click the Save button.

Next, see below to configure the web services set.

Galileo/Travelport+

Take the following steps to configure Galileo/Travelport+ Web Services:

  1. On the Partner Dashboard home page that lists all company sites. select the Configuration tab.

  2. Under Service/Transaction Fees, select Manage Supplier Web Service Credentials List.

  3. Select Add A New Supplier Web Service Credentials.

  4. On the Supplier Web Service Credentials page, complete all fields:

    1. Name: Enter a name for the credentials.

    2. Supplier: Select Travelport JSON Web Services

    3. Access Group: Enter the access group name provided by Travelport.

  5. Click the Save button.

Next, see below to configure the web services set.

Sabre

Take the following steps to configure Sabre Web Services:

  1. On the Partner Dashboard home page that lists all company sites. select the Configuration tab.

  2. Under Service/Transaction Fees, select Manage Supplier Web Service Credentials List.

  3. Select Add A New Supplier Web Service Credentials.

  4. On the Supplier Web Service Credentials page, complete all fields:

    1. Name: Enter a name for the credentials.

    2. Supplier: Select Sabre Web Services

    3. Pseudo City Code: Enter the main pseudo city code (PCC).

  5. If you have more then one PCC you must to connect each of them to this main iPCC:

    • User Name: (EPR): Enter the Sabre-provided EPR.

    • Password: Enter the Sabre-provided password.

    • Pseudo City Code: Enter the main PCC.

  6. Click the Save button.

Next, see below to configure the web services set.

Configure the Web Services Set

  1. On the Partner Dashboard home page that lists all company sites. select the Configuration tab.

  2. Under Service/Transaction Fees, select Manage Supplier Web Service Credentials Sets.

     

  3. Take one of the following steps as needed:

    • To add a new set, click Add A New Supplier Web Service Credentials Set link. Name the new set

    • To edit an existing set, click the set name.

  4. To start adding credentials, click the Add Supplier Web Services Credentials button.

  5. On the Supplier Web Services Credentials Sets page, select the radio button next to the name of the web services credentials to add to this set and click the OK button.

     

  6. Click the Save button.

  7. Select Back to Overview at the top left.
    Note: If the Web Service Set is new you will need to continue with next steps and ensure that the set has been assigned to the domain group/s

  8. Under Service/Transaction Fees, select Apply Supplier Web Service Credentials to Domain Groups.

  9. Select the name of the newly configured web services set.

  10. In the Domain Groups Not Assigned box, select All Domains and click the Add button to move it to the Assigned Domain Groups box.

  11. Click the Save button.

  12. Commit all changes (click the # changes not applied link at the top-right and click Commit).

Optional Deem Site Configuration Settings

The following Deem settings can be configured at a later time, or may be optional for your site.

Service Rules

Service Rules copy over from your cloned site. Update Service Rules as needed:

  1. At the top of your Partner Dashboard, click the Rules tab.

  2. Click the Service Rules link.

  3. Select a user group name to edit as needed.

  4. Save any changes.

Note: You can now Import Service Rules from existing rules configured on the site.

 

 

Private Rates

Configure all of the following Private Rates areas:

  • Air Private Rates: Update first in Agency Settings and ensure the private rates are loaded into your GDS. If different from the Agency Settings, also update in Air Private Rates.

  • Car Private Rates: Generally these do not change from one PCC to another.

  • Hotel Private Rates: Ensure these are updated in your Partner Dashboard and are loaded into your GDS.

Specifically, for air, car, and hotel, you need to check whether your the private rate code has changed. If so, you should create a new list/set. 

Preferred Hotels

Ensure the preferred properties are updated to the new HOD and Chain codes in the new GDS. Although you aren’t required to upload a new list, as Deem will convert it to the other GDS, but it is best practice to verify the preferred properties are accurate by updating the Preferred Hotel upload file:

  1. Extract current preferred hotels.

  2. Validate preferred hotels are current client preferred hotels.

  3. Change the HOD to match the new GDS.

  4. Upload new Preferred Hotel.

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

Test the New Configuration

Important: As with any new configurations or changes you must test the new site:

  • Ensure that everything is working as anticipated.

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

  • Re-Test to make sure that each group is functioning properly,

Create a Test Group

Configure a test group, as you should test the new GDS configuration before enabling it for all users. Be sure to apply your site’s Service Rules to the test group. See Create User Groups for details.

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

  1. In the Partner Dashboard for the site you are editing, click the Groups tab.

  2. At the upper-right, click Add A New Group.

  3. In Group Name, enter a name for the group; you may want to use a test-related name for quick reference.

  4. Make selections in the Group Use section as appropriate.

  5. Add a test user to the new test group.