Global Distribution Systems:
Facing up to revolution — August 2019

Distribution of airline and travel products is in the process of a major revolution, which could be highly disruptive to existing players. There are three companies that dominate as global distribution systems to the industry — Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport — with some 90% of the market. Some have described them as outdated dinosaurs, who charge too much, unfairly make huge profits, and whose time has come.

The three GDSs emerged from individual airline computer reservation systems in the 1970s and 1980s with a role of combining schedules, prices and availability of airline seats from different sources and provide this information to travel agents in real time.