Design and Implementation of an Online Airline Reservation Information System
Chapter One
Objective of the Study
General Objective
To automate the process of airline ticket reservation, booking and airline management hence minimize errors resulting from manual system operations
Specific Objectives
- To study the current system identifying its inefficiencies
- To determine the requirements for the new system
- To design an online airline reservation information system to facilitate online booking and flight scheduling
- To implement the developed web based airline information system
- To test and validate the developed system by use of case study
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
History of Airline Reservation Information System
In the arena of global competition, organizations all over the world are competing through the use of the most comprehensive and advanced technological features. The most common example of innovation is in the area of information technology and communication. Various industries are using technology and the advancements of software and internet to maintain and monitor their business transactions. In the application of the informative systems, the airline industry is the most commonly used system. This chapter explores the concept of reservation information system, their history, components, types and their applications in real world situation to solve problems
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. 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. The Apollo system was the foundation for many further developments, which spread from just US airlines to European airlines as well. The research and development of Airline Reservation System became a significant aspect of the industry and all its air carrier companies, and partnerships between airlines and technology gurus emerged. Winston (1995)
Other airlines soon established their own systems. Delta Air Lines launched the Delta Automated Travel Account System (DATAS) in 1968. United Airlines and Trans World Airlines followed in 1971 with the Apollo Reservation System and Programmed Airline Reservation System (PARS), respectively. Soon, travel agents began pushing for a system that could automate their side of the process by accessing the various Airline Reservation Systems directly to make reservations. Fearful this would place too much power in the hands of agents; American Airlines executive Robert Crandall proposed creating an industry-wide Computer Reservation System to be a central clearing house for United States travels; other airlines demurred, citing fear of antitrust prosecution.
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 focus. The purpose of the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act in the United States 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 GDS. Today, airline reservation systems have developed into computerized reservation systems which are of mission critical to the airline industry, about six major airline reservations systems are used by international airlines. Winston (1995)
Reservation Information Systems
The airline reservations system was one of the earliest changes to improve efficiency in the airline industry. Airline Reservation System eventually evolved into the computer reservations system (CRS). Airline Reservations System (ARS) is a computerized system used to store and retrieve information and conduct transactions related to air travel. The systems were originally designed and operated by airlines, but were later extended for the use of travel agencies. Wikipedia, May (2014).
Major airline reservation system operations that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines are known as Global Distribution Systems (GDS). Airlines have divested most of their direct holdings to dedicated GDS companies, who make their systems accessible to consumers through Internet gateways. Modern Global Distribution Systems typically allow users to book hotel rooms and rental cars as well as airline tickets. Wardell, David (1991).
Global Distribution Systems(GDS) is a worldwide computerized reservation network used as a single point of access for reserving airline seats, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel related items by travel agents, online reservation sites, and large corporations. The premier global distribution systems are Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre, and Worldspan. They are owned and operated as joint ventures by major airlines, car rental companies, and hotel groups. Global, May, (2012).
CHAPTER THREE
DESIGN METHODOLOGY
Overview
The methodology describes the procedures, tools, techniques that were employed to achieve the specific objectives of the airline reservation system for Rwenzori Airlines. The development of the System was based on the model below. It involved requirement determination, requirement analysis, system design, implementation, testing and validation. This approach below describes the sequence of steps involved.
System Study and Analysis
This was carried out on the existing system. It helped to show the weaknesses of the existing system. The researcher used various methods to collect information about the current system as shown below.
Interviews
These were carried out on Rwenzori Airlines‟ staff who are the current users of the system in use. These were about how customers book specific seats on flights, how customer data and information is stored and how flight scheduling and management is done. A set of interview guide were designed by the researcher these questions guided the researcher during the interview
This method had the following advantages;
- The researcher was exposed to firsthand information from the current administrators of the current system; this helped the researcher to get the feel of the current system
- The researcher was able to ask follow up questions and this helped him to gain more insight into the current system
Disadvantages of this method
- This method was time consuming and tiresome since it involved interviewing a big number of Rwenzori Airlines‟ staff
- Some of the interviewees didn’t show up for the interview
Because of these disadvantages the researcher used a second method in order to better understand the current system.
CHAPTER FOUR
SYSTEM DESIGN, ANALYSIS AND IMPLEMENTATION
This section describes the tools that were used to develop and implement the system. These include the context diagram, level zero, and one data flow diagram. These tools helped in designing the system and coming up with the main concept and logic of the system. Once information systems development progressed to the design activities, the researcher who was at the same time systems analyst and programmer focused his attention on the question, “How does the system do what it is supposed to do.
System Design Objectives
The Airline Reservation System (ARS) is a software application to assist an airline with transactions related to making ticket reservations, which includes blocking, reserving, canceling and rescheduling tickets.
CHAPTER FIVE
FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter summaries the researcher’s findings, conclusion and recommendations for the new developed system
Findings
The researcher’s findings are summarized in the following paragraphs below;
Today Airlines are under unprecedented pressure to produce economic results or perish as fuel, labor, and asset costs escalate and demand declines. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports that the airline industry lost more than US$9 billion in 2009. In fact, with the exception of a few years and a few airlines, much of the industry has not produced a return on investment that exceeded capital costs and this is as a result of use of traditional flight management methods still used by most airlines today
As the researcher found out with the industry poised for recovery, competition is expected to intensify as low-cost carriers continue to gain market share from full-service carriers by attracting both leisure and business segments. Reduction in business-class travel outpaces that of leisure travel by four to one and is a direct result of corporate belt-tightening and the emergence of travel substitution technologies, such as collaboration applications, high-definition video conferencing, and telepresence.
Adding to these challenges, new operating models, innovative entrants, and further airline consolidation will create new difficulties and intense competitive pressure for legacy carriers. In response, airlines are employing a narrowly focused near-term strategy including reductions in seat capacity and product unbundling (for example, paying extra for a window or aisle seat, or for more exit-row legroom) that could potentially have serious long-term consequences on customer loyalty, experience, and profitability from core products.
The researcher also found out that as global economies begin to show a sign of recovery, so, too, is the aviation industry. Industry wide opinion, however, is that business will not immediately return to pre-crisis levels. Notwithstanding anticipation of an economic rebound, some airlines are beginning to shift their strategies. Rather than fixate on saving the “sinking ship,” airlines are repositioning their organizations to compete in the age of “the new normal” by seeking innovative, new service opportunities and business models. The future success of an airline will be decided, in part, by its ability to harness emerging technologies to deliver superior customer experience and engender loyalty while empowering employees and improving operational efficiencies. The timing could not be better: new products and innovations in mobility are emerging as one of the most promising areas for airlines to transform their business models and operations.
Conclusion
Before modern computing, the reservation system was done using manual means. This meant that a person about to travel had to spend a lot of unnecessary time waiting in queues in order to book their tickets. The manual process of reservation was also prone to human errors, which lead to a lot of dissatisfaction amongst travelers. Nowadays competition is so fierce between airlines that there are lot of discounts and a lot of luxuries given to customers that will give an edge to that particular airline. The online airline reservation automates these processes of booking airline tickets online, thus reducing the time wasted as well as the errors that are involved in the manual process. People will argue that online airline reservation system are expensive, and create unfair competition between other airlines that don’t have them. From the researchers view, online airline reservation is one the best innovation that has taken place in the airline industry and those companies that have not yet embraced airline reservation system ought to lose out, they may sight, additional costs, maintenance cost and the cost of development as their drawbacks but as Henry R. Luce, put it “Business, more than any other occupation, is a continual dealing with the future; it is a continual calculation, an instinctive exercise in foresight” World Wide Web and the Internet is here and airline companies for the future will seize this opportunity develop airline reservation systems and prosper.
Conversion
The method of conversion will be parallel conversion where the developed system will be run in parallel to the current system. Those customers who can book on line can start doing so and those who can come to the airline offices can still book their ticket using the manual system. This will be done for a period of six months after which all the operation of the airline will be shifted to the online system
Recommendations
The researcher recommends the following about the system:
- The researcher recommends that the administrators and staff of Rwenzori Airlines be trained on how to use the system, thus enabling them to understand the functionality of the entire system.
- More research on this system is required to fully identify and eliminate some of the weaknesses and integrate it with banks to enable online payment
- There is need for the system upgrade as user’s requirements change. User requirements differ with time, therefore, it is of great help for the system to be flexible enough.
- Other researchers can use this project report as a basis during future study of reservation system say in train reservation systems
- Owing to the ease and comfort of Airline Reservation Systems, local flights which are not on the system should be encouraged to compensate the system.
- The system should be made affordable so as to encourage consumers and travel agents on patronizing the system
- However much system access is protected by a username and a password, the entire computer system should be protected from unauthorized people to avoid misuse and damage of the system components.
- The users should carefully choose usernames and passwords so as to avoid security breach of the system hence they shouldn’t have short passwords, using their friends or relative’s names as passwords.
- Backups should be done frequently to avoid data loss in case of hardware or software malfunction.
References
- Airline, 2012 http://www.enotes.com/topic/Airline_Reservations_System retrieved o May2012
- Alter, S. L. (1980). Decision support systems: current practice and continuing challenges. Reading, Mass., Addison-Wesley Pub.
- Aviation and Space. Retrieved on May 20, 2012 from Microsoft Encarta Premium 2009 E Encyclopedia.
- Winston, S. Morrison (1995): “The Evolution of the Airline Industry”, Brookings Institution Press, South Dakota, Cf. p. 61-62, Computer Reservation Systems.
- Computerized Reservation System. Retrieved on May 14, 2012 fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_reservations_system.htm.
- Diane (1993) Computer Reservation Systems: “Action Needed to Better Monitor the CRS Industry and Eliminate CRS Biases”, DIANE Publishing Company, ISBN1568069774
- European Parliament: “More Competition in Airline Reservation System – With
- Finley, P. N. (1994). Introducing decision support systems. Oxford, UK Cambridge, Mass. NCC Blackwell; Blackwell Publishers.
