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As technology is advancing, the hospitality industry must also stay on top with the latest trends. Hotels and theme parks using RFID wristbands have gone in the last few years. "RFID Systems are advancing, and more companies than ever are offering these solutions to the leisure industry. This helps drive prices down for operators looking to take the plunge into RFID." The article mentioned 8 benefits of using RFID Wristbands in the hospitality industry. The 8 benefits are: improve guest check- in and entry, go cashless, a hands-free experience, family freedom, security and control, make a social splash, one wristband to rule them all, and lastly, data and insight. As mentioned in the article, Disney World released their wristbands, MagicBand, in 2013 and they have been a hit ever since. I personally worked at the main entrance of Disney's Magic Kingdom and it was much easier and quicker for the guest to enter the theme park with their band rather than an actual ticket. Those guests with wristbands already had them out and were ready to tap the band and touch their finger on the glass. Versus other folks where the parents had the ticket cards for their whole party and once they got to the entrance they had to look for the tickets, pass them out to their kids, and then collect them from everyone once they entered the park. Not to mention, they would have to pass the tickets back out o everyone if they are going to use a FastPass for one of the rides. RFID systems are not new to the industry, as they have actually been used for hotel key cards for many years, however, now they have given them a better use. RFID wristband users may use their band to enter theme parks, hotel rooms, and music festivals, and they can use them as a credit card to pay for things on the property. It's a huge advantage to use these wristbands because it is much easier to wear a band than having to carry around a room card, ticket and a credit card, especially at theme parks o

The article focuses on trends that companies utilizing a POS system should look at deploying. Bolstered by figures supporting the success of the emergent trends, the article seeks to encourage operators to make the move sooner rather than later. The most prominent trends revolve around more efficient payment access. Customers appreciate the speed and available payment options. Companies are also able to manage customer data effectively and securely while also managing inventory and marketing. AI integration is also a forward trend that is allowing businesses to tailor their tactics to each customer individually. Perhaps the most important trend that is affecting other transaction systems as well is cloud based POS.

I decided to do further research on Biometrics software in hospitality because we use it at the Four Seasons where I work in the Residences department. Biometrics is a technology that scans your fingerprint and grants you access to areas designated by management. This is useful in residences and hotels because as an owner or guests, only you will have access to your apartment or room. The article mentioned how as technology evolves, there is a debate as to whether guests will want to give their fingerprint. Too much security could be seen as a nuisance but too little security puts guests at risk. Having a Biometrics system in place at a hotel ensures that only hotel guests are patrolling the property or floors with rooms. Another interesting aspect is using Biometrics to remember returning guest preferences such as floor height, food choices, allergies, etc. This system could be put into place at check-in so that right away the front desk knows the guest is returning and can be made aware of their past preferences. Benefits of Biometrics mentioned in the article is not having to deal with room key cards, added security on property, seamless check-ins as well as even paying for items on property. A guest might not even need to take their credit card around because they can just use their fingerprint to pay at the pool, gift shop, etc. Behind the scenes, Biometrics is important as well. A hotel can use Biometrics to track employee attendance, clocking out for meals and to ensure only employees are accessing closed off areas of the property.

Biometrics can be used by companies for employees to clock in and clock out to ensure timesheet accuracy. It can be used by companies as a security measure so that guests are where they are permitted to be. It can be used for easy check in and billing and payment verification if there are issues. Biometrics can also be used as a way to collect guest information for example their preferences.

"The way travelers communicate on the road has changed dramatically over the years, and these changes become evident when analyzing the revenue earned by U.S. hotels from their guests for use of telecommunication devices and services. In lodging industry parlance, "telecommunications revenue" includes monies received from the guest use of hotel room phones, fax machines, and internet connections."

This year, travelers are on track to pay U.S. hotels an estimated $1.95 billion in fees and surcharges - an amount that includes unpopular Internet charges. With this in mind, Hotel Check-In asked Robert Mandelbaum, the Atlanta-based director of information services for PKF Hospitality Research, to tell us about the state of the industry's telecommunications revenue stream - a stream that includes Internet fees.

Over the years, with technological and telecommunication advances the way we communication while on the road or on vacation has changed. I remember going on vacation as a child and being able to call my grandma from our hotel room once a day because we didn't want to spend too much money on calling back home or getting a voicemail from family members calling while we weren't in the hotel room. Over the years, this has changed dramatically. Now I can go on vacation and call, text, send emails, pictures, and videos to all my contacts with the use of my cell phone or with the use of my laptop in a WiFi area. This article gives insight on the revenue provided by telecommunications as told by Robert Mandelbaum a director of information services. He tells us that internet fees help with the growth of telecom revenue, as use of in room phones has decreased. This is just one way that the changes in technology have affected the industry. In this case, telecommunication advances have had a negative effect on the revenue in telecommunications but its only a matter of time until something new comes around and attempts to restore profit production. 

The article, Impact of Individual Differences and Consumers' Readiness on Likelihood of Using Self Service Technologies at Hospitality Settings states that the use of self-service technology is a rising trend across the board. Major hotel chains, resorts, casinos are implementing software that can remember customers, their information, and go beyond current human levels of service performance. However, not everyone is ready for this new age of self-service technology. In their study, the authors explored influential factors related to individual differences and customer readiness on the likelihood of using self-service technologies. Findings supported technologies such as pay-at-the-pump, online travel purchase, ATMS, and other services that have been around for years were highly accepted. On the contrary, new services such as ordering food over the phone and Internet kiosks in bars were preferred by less than thirty percent of respondents. Within the hospitality industry, customers may perceive new self-service technologies as positive but may choose not to use them if they do not understand it or see no clear benefit from it.  To summarize the results, people may just not be ready for the self-service take over. Especially in the early stages, hospitality companies would need to have an employee standing by the new self-service technology to assist customers with their needs. Although a well used self-service system could generate a new revenue stream, particularly when concerning the younger generation, it is essential that managers take into mind the overall level of consumer motivation and readiness to embrace it,

Use of property management system PMS cost money in terms of upfront investment or maintenance or fees for using a vendor's system but the money generated by the use of the system outweighed the costs. Hotel rooms are perishable and any empty room means waste of resource and therefore using PMS to fill up as many rooms as possible is wise. Likewise empty restaurant costs the owner money to cover the fixed cost including the minimum labor to keep it open.

The reason for my choice is to show that GDS is still preferred in this age. No matter what evolution takes place with direct booking, GDS would never fade away. It is proven that via GDS, the occupancy in hotels are greater than direct booking, once again due to the fact that people have used this before and are comfortable with it and will not want to change.

Hotel booking transactions have increased by 8.8% since April which is the highest year increase through GDS since August 2011 setting a new record. Previously January lead with the strongest growth at 7.9% over 2012. Bookings are primarily business travel and have helped set an increase of 4% with rates .1% ahead of last years. When reported in 2011 it was said that the hotel industry is heavily influenced by the economy verses today reporting positive economic indicators which is definitely welcoming business and leisure travelers to book their travel plans using GDS. Not only did business travel increase so did leisure travel increasing by 6.2% from April 2012. This year in April growth reached its highest growth pace thus far at 5.4% with an increase in rates by 1.2%. Seems like people can always find money in their budget to travel. For the "condition" of the economy I am happy to see that leisure travel is still increasing and people are still using GDS to book. As we discussed in our discussion board, GDS should continue to be used. It is obviously growing and people have not stopped using it. All ages are using GDS and are finding it to work for them. As far as business travel, my company requires us to use our online travel agent even when booking through Expedia or another site is cheaper. They say it's the way they track our expenses for the year. I think businesses have started hiring less people and are requiring their employees to work remotely and then travel when needed. This could be where some of the increase in business travel is coming from.

My article this week is about how GDS (Global Distribution Systems) can be compared to a seatbelt. The author opens the article discussing the main reasons we still continue to use seatbelts; even though they aren't the most comfortable or fashionable items to use, they still do their jobs in saving our lives when it comes to a collision of some sort. The author is in favor of GDS and makes the claim that like seatbelts, the GDS may not be the most up-to-date or may not appear to be as nice as other local systems to each individual airline, but they get the job done and there are no other systems out there like it that we know of (no other systems that do everything he GDS system does that is). The main topic of discussion that the article is concerned with is the recent decision made by the company Lufthansa to start charging its customers an additional surcharge for using GDS systems instead of going through its own system. The author clearly makes it know that she doesn't believe Lufthansa when they say they are charging this additional surcharge because GDS is the most expensive channel to go through. "Because there's no reason to think that an airline should expect to distribute its products without any cost, Lufthansa's recent gambit seems more of a tactic for increasing lagging direct distribution... Its strategy seems to rest in shifting distribution costs to corporate buyers" claims Rose, the author of the article. The author also points out some of the draw backs of using agency portals, the main reason being that a customer cannot compare rates of other competitors and that agency portals cannot handle high volume transactions like the GDS can. It is also made known that there are costs that come with other channels as well, like the prices you pay for building airline websites and keeping them updated. The author concludes that "Given the history of negotiations between airlines and GDSs, it's impossible to know whether Lufthansa is using DCC as

Technology has taken a huge toll on society and business now a day. If our business is keeping itself updated with technology, could mean we are at the top of our game. This article briefly  demonstrates how Beacons can help improve your business by providing how, when and where are customers behaving. For example, Beacons allow customers to order-ahead of time. It attracts a different clientele and allows us to gain others because of a shorter or no waiting time. Like an express line. But  it may become a challenge if the business doesn't know how to ensure a time-effective preparation before customers arrive. Beacons also allow customers to know exactly how much people are at that exact time at the restaurant or business, and thus waiting time, if any. Another advantage would be "push-customized notifications". I believe this is one of the most challenging for businesses. Customers (as myself) hate when we get attacked by too much notifications.  If it were useful in any way or if it called my attention every now and then, but companies apparently don't pay attention to how customers may feel.  It is very important to use the access wisely and give out information customers really want. Offer what they are looking for, by personalizing. It also helps to attract customers by promoting events or special offers and notifying via beacons. People like a place they can see as happy and fun. Also, who doesn't like discounts? A fifth advantage, and as I believe to be one of the best ways to retain and gain customers, is to reward the customer who passes by every now and then, with personalized dishes, and reward first time customers by attracting them with discounts specifically for them. And finally, another must consider, is that beacons help keep track of everything (all happening at a specific given time) to better improve employee wages and specifics of customers that are out-and-about.

Technology has taken a huge toll on society and business now a day. If our business is keeping itself updated with technology, could mean we are at the top of our game. This article briefly demonstrates how Beacons can help improve your business by providing how, when and where are customers behaving. For example, Beacons allow customers to order-ahead of time. It attracts a different clientele and allows us to gain others because of a shorter or no waiting time. Like an express line. But it may become a challenge if the business doesn't know how to ensure a time-effective preparation before customers arrive. Beacons also allow customers to know exactly how much people are at that exact time at the restaurant or business, and thus waiting time, if any. Another advantage would be "push-customized notifications". I believe this is one of the most challenging for businesses. Customers (as myself) hate when we get attacked by too much notifications. If it were useful in any way or if it called my attention every now and then, but companies apparently don't pay attention to how customers may feel. It is very important to use the access wisely and give out information customers really want. Offer what they are looking for, by personalizing. It also helps to attract customers by promoting events or special offers and notifying via beacons. People like a place they can see as happy and fun. Also, who doesn't like discounts? A fifth advantage, and as I believe to be one of the best ways to retain and gain customers, is to reward the customer who passes by every now and then, with personalized dishes, and reward first time customers by attracting them with discounts specifically for them. And finally, another must consider, is that beacons help keep track of everything (all happening at a specific given time) to better improve employee wages and specifics of customers that are out-and-about.

Creative and a bit scary application of existing technologies. Much like Facebook Messenger, when do we cross the line between convenience and forfeiture of privacy? As part of the industry, the responsibility falls to us to manage the line in favor of our guests. They will know when it has become too much, and we will know very soon after when business evaporates. Provide friendly, targeted service without being too invasive. Remembering orders and having them ready on time is fine. Sending a pop-up message every time the guest passes by in a cab may be a bit much. Consider how many Starbucks messages you could receive in any major metropolitan area. Without proper care, we could be giving a whole new meaning to the word Spam.

The POS is a great system that is used by many industries. It helps businesses run efficiently and transactions be done effectively. However, it comes with its problems. This article is in two parts so I will post the both on Diigo. This article states that POS systems are the most frequently used computing system and it is targeted by criminals. According to the article, "Today, attackers have only become more sophisticated, using advanced software techniques to avoid detection by antivirus. The attackers are attaching devices that are to collect information from the patrons who use the POS system. The solution to this issue from the article, is that managers apply the same security practices to the POS systems that are used for other sensitive IT systems. These systems should not be the same system used for internet browsing or email. Using a third party security is system is fine however, they should ensure that security controls are part of regular maintenance. The article states that businesses should look for POS systems that have design improvements rather than those who have been in the industry for a long time. There needs to be upgraded design, security, and software to minimize the threats that are posed on the POS system. This article highlights the issues that POS systems attract and also gives solutions. It is up to the businesses to give as much attention as possible to this system the same way they do for systems with sensitive information. Ultimately credit card transactions do hold sensitive information so the upgraded POS systems should be the number one choice for a business. Along with what is stated in the articles, this minimizes the risk of customer loss and a damaged reputation. This also helps minimize the possibility of revenue loss due to lawsuits because of breaches.

This article, published in 2015, covers a study performed in Turkey to analyze factors in hotels that lead management to prefer desktop-based PMS over cloud-based PMS or vice versa. The study uses qualitative research to determine the reasons for the usage of PMS and the advantages and disadvantage of either system. The study found that, among others, significant factors that contribute to the form of PMS implemented by mangement may include the size of the property, reservation channels, and prior level of IT experience.

This article describes trends in technology in the hotel industry and the applications of them in the Russian economy. The article discusses what the trends in IT are and how they may apply to the hotel sector of the hospitality industry, providing real-world examples and hypothetical scenarios. The information in this article is insightful to the relationship between hospitality and information technology and provides a perspective on this relationship from the viewpoint of the Russian hotel economy specifically.

This article is about the concept of proximity marketing that supports sales and marketing development in business operations. First, the idea of this marketing strategy is to reach out to the right consumers based on mobile techs and GPS techs. Second, the four types of proximity marketing are by components, application, geography, and key players in general. Third, the benefits of proximity marketing are enhanced experiences for the guests. Applicational utilization. Cost-effectiveness on the mobile marketing, then the guest relationship improvement will be one of them to benefiting the company's business growth.

In these days of technology advancement, proximity marketing is one of the best ways for marketing. The only disadvantage is potentially using someone's information without permission. As long as permission is granted, it would be fine.

Proximity marketing is a mode of location based marketing that uses the customers location to their advantage when distributing advertisements for their business. There are several different types of proximity marketing solutions that can and are currently being used by the most popular brands right now. There is wifi proximity marketing, radio frequency identification proximity marketing (RFID), near field communication proximity marketing (NFC), GPS based, beacon based, and QR codes. Using these methods of marketing hold benefits including enhanced customer experience, app utilization, cost effectiveness, and customer relation boost. There is an option for everyone in terms of cost and many industries are using them more and more, inclusive of the hospitality/tourism industry. In my opinion, the previous ways of advertising are becoming obsolete and the market for competition is growing and growing and growing. We all have likely encountered one or more forms of this type of marketing, and we likely will continue to in the future.

Point of Sale (POS) equipment is the computer-based order-entry technology many restaurants use to capture orders, record data and display or print tickets. Restaurant servers, bartenders and cashiers can all use POS systems to easily enter food and beverage orders.In fact,it has the ability to perform a multitude of functions, including the following: Calculate cash due for every order entered Record the method of payment Keep track of the cash in the cash drawer Create hourly and daily sales reports Allow hourly employees to clock in and out Calculate labor and payroll data Record daily check averages for each worker Keep track of menu items sold Record information on repeat customers Some of them we are familiar, some we are not. And more important, how to choose a right POS for our business is a keyEvery POS system differs based on its software, hardware and application. When looking for a POS system, do some research online and check out several different companies. You can even request a demo from a salesperson. Make sure the POS system you choose is one that fits your restaurant concept, service style and business needs. After all, this software can take a big bite out of your budget. And in this article, the author show us so many aspects should be concern when we decide to buy the POS.

The point of sale (POS) is more commonly used these days with the advancement of technology. Many restaurants use it in restaurants for many reasons. One of the reasons is to organize the orders and sales that are being processes. Not only it helps the employees to gather their information, but it is also accurate to make reports. This machine is efficient in more ways than we think. This article also point out the POS capabilities and how it works. This machine has a description of each item and the amount, it organizes the payments, creates daily financial statement, evaluate payroll, and do the calculations. Now how it works, it keeps track of the credit card payments that have entered the system, creates reports daily, and systematize the cash, etc. It is very easy for employees to access the device. First they have to enter their name, enter the order of the customer, send the order to the kitchen so it can be prepared, then wait till they ask for the check to collect the payment and register it on the POS.

This article indicates the importance of the POS system. It introduces POS system from different aspects, including POS capabilities, how employees use POS system, where to set up the POS, specific POS configurations and what to look for in a POS system. 

"The first role on the internet in the hospitality industry is online booking." With the increase in use of online booking sales of travel related goods and services in the hospitality industry has soared. "In the past, travel agents were the most common source of booking hotel rooms and travel components." The use of the internet has changed this as more and more travellers are booking online. "Another role of the internet is the use of it as a marketing tool." Hotels are able to market themselves; when the internet is used they will be able to set up their own websites where they will be able to showcase the aesthetics of the property and the services offered. This could attract a lot of online users. The customers would be able to see virtually what they are about to purchase. This type of technology also allows the business to reach customers globally. This in turn allows the business to have an idea about the kind of customers they are catering to. Since businesses would be using less of travel agents, there would be some savings and so they would be able to offer customers more competitive rates, there an increase in sales.

Here is something interesting for you Mac users. Did you knew that you are actually being charged more to use websites like Orbitz or Priceline? Don't believe me, well check it out. Over the last year or two Orbitz has been working on what they call "predictive analytics". Meaning they are able to predict where consumers will likely book their reservations based on what computer they are using. The article states that, Mac users are 40% more likely to book a four to five star hotel than PC users. Since companies like Orbitz (who took a 37 million dollar loss in 2011) are taking big hits from the lack of travelling thanks to the economy, they are trying to create any advantage they can in order to turn the market around. One thing to point out, is that Orbitz's competitors like Priceline and Expedia said that they do not base their sales on what computers the consumers are using, Apple had no comment. Orbitz said the effort to incorporate Mac vs. PC distinctions is still in its formative stages and isn't evident across the site. Other factors have more influence over results, Mr. Liew said, including a user's location and history on the site, as well as a hotel's overall popularity and promotions. Still, he said, use of a Mac can influence results.

CHECK THIS OUT MAC USERS

The best part of the article is how it states a good POS system is one that doesn't let you waste time with the POS. Instead your attention can be turned to your customers and staff. The system will do everything for you just by a touch of buttons from the screen. All you would have to do is print out the information and it will tell you everything you need to run a sucessfull establishment.

More and more retail stores are converting to iPad tablets as their POS software. Some stores are using them only for customer internet searches and product display capabilities but many are starting to use them for bigger tasks such as checking inventory and entering product orders. This takes away the need to run back and forth between the stock room and sales floor with pen and paper. As a result, customer service is increased because sales floor presence is greater. Some benefits of order management using the tablets as their POS software are increased employee productivity, reduced out-of-stocks, and more payment flexibility. Now you can use tablets as payment devices with credit cards.  DecisionPoint Systems, a leading provider of mobile and wireless systems for retailers, is now offering an application to help retailers personalize their customers' shopping experience. Aruba Networks has recently presented a new tablet-based software that allows customers to check out from anywhere in the store. Having worked in the retail industry for many years, I think this technology for back-office purposes is very useful. One of my employers had started using tablet technology during my time there and I can attest that it does increase employee productivity. It makes doing inventories, size checks, and ordering management so much easier and faster. Employees are able to stay on the sales floor longer which is especially beneficial in the case of being short-staffed or during shift changes. However, I am a bit skeptical about using these tablets as a form of check out from anywhere in the store. Unless the store has security measures in place for this, it does not seem very theft resistant. Especially in a clothing retailer in which sensors need to be removed. The cashier would have to be carrying around a sensor remover at the time of check-out to make this system really time-saving. 

The "Going Green" trend has been a true blessing since it's marketability took birth several years ago. Many industries are taking advantage of this technological and ecological trend. There has never been a better time than now to turn our business ethics into the direction of a better world. Basic utility expenses at any hotel or business can sometimes make or break their existence. Technology today has given us the tools to give back to both our beautiful Earth and our bottom dollar. Luxury brands and all the like are implementing new green policies and technologies that will cut costs and even beautiful their environments. By the end of 2015 The Intercontinental Hotels Group plans on equipping over 4,000 of their hotels with a system that monitors and assists in energy use and conservation. They have a goal of reducing their overall water use by 12% in California in part due to the severe ongoing drought. The Loews in Santa Monica Beach is investing $96,000 in a laundry-water recycling system. It will recycle nearly 70% of water use and pay for itself in less than 2 years. Apart from it's ability to cut-costs and truly give back to the environment, "going green" is highly marketable. One of the Intercontinental's General Managers was quoted saying "It's not a huge savings. I think it's about sending the right message." I have personally seen many RFPs from large corporate companies that request green-initiatives from hotels. Improving sustainability is important to the customer and the establishment. Around 60% of travelers consider green initiatives when selecting a destination and activity. Of those 60%, over half said they would even pay more to stay at an establishment that respected and helped improve the environment. In a world where we are fortunate enough to live in excess should we choose to, it's a shame it took this long for a global movement to "go green". Sustainability alone has built such a giant indu

All of the big three global distribution systems were still expanding as well as increasing productivity and revenue as of June 2014. Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport have each made significant moves in the hospitality industry, although primarily for airlines. Amadeus is by far the largest and currently most successful GDS with the highest profit, booking volume, and market share (air travel). As of 2014 Southwest Airlines was their biggest client, but they provide GDS services and access to over 100 other airlines as well. Sabre is second best to Amadeus. The company elected to go public in 2014 and since then their billable bookings, booking share and growth have all increased modestly. During the same year they gained American Airlines, newly reformed at the time, as a client. Presently, the company expects continued improvement in revenue. Travelport has made the decision not to compete directly with Amadeus or Sabre in that they have chosen not to provide "full passenger services systems to airline on a multi-host basis." However the company is still working closely with Delta Airlines and researching "add-on" features with their main focus being the continued growth of "beyond air" activities. Honestly, I was shocked that Amadeus is the largest and most successful GDS. I truly expected it to be Sabre. This belief was based on what I have personally experienced: every OTA I have used required a link to the Sabre GDS, but I can only recall one that required one to the Amadeus GDS. After reading the chapter 8 of D.V. Tesone's "Hospitality Information Systems and E-Commerce, along with the research report from our discussion forum I have changed my paradigm. Regardless, GDSs are still used widely in the hospitality industry. Different segments of the market prefer to book in different ways: via offline Travel Agents, OTAs, hotel websites or on the phone. Those that use either form of TA are using a GDS.

Leisure guests tend to book for themselves with rare exceptions including some forms of international travel and cruise travel. These guests use OTAs or intermediaries such as Travelocity (Owned by a GDS company) or TravelZoo. In the case of TravelZoo, a guest uses the TravelZoo website to access information such as availability and pricing that TravelZoo pulls from a GDS before making a selection and processing a transaction. On the other hand, business and corporate travelers are more likely to use an offline TA. An offline TA is better equipped to meet the needs of a customer whom is travelling for business. Offline TAs require less information when booking a hotel room then an OTA does, making it simple for a secretary to book the travel arrangements for the guest. In addition, offline TAs can work easily with a hotel to make special accommodations. The hotel receives contact information for the travel agency that booked the stay in case clarifications on requests are needed. In conclusion, as long as either form of TA is in the market, a GDS will be necessary to streamline bookings and ensure that each TA has the correct pertinent information when making a booking or completing a transaction. As a result, as new OTA options or hospitality enterprises enter the market GDSs are continuing to morph, merge and grow.

Over the few years, travel agents are using booking through Global distribution systems. Hotels however are having to pay a 20% booking fee when people book through GDS. Travel agents are also now using Airbnb, and alternative booking, because they aren't seeing any commissions on them. GDS is a large computer network that represents a single point of entry to travel agents and meta search sites. GDS are heavily used in the business and corporate travel accounts. GDS corporate business typically delivers more revenue for hotels because business travelers usually eat and drink in the hotel, rather than travel outside the hotel and spend money. Travel agents use commissionable and non-commissionable booking that, where commissionable bookings must add typically 8-10% agency commission on top of the GDS fees. GDS can be a good source of incremental bookings and increase margins.

Over the few years, travel agents are using booking through Global distribution systems. Hotels however are having to pay a 20% booking fee when people book through GDS. Travel agents are also now using Airbnb, and alternative booking, because they aren't seeing any commissions on them. GDS is a large computer network that represents a single point of entry to travel agents and meta search sites. GDS are heavily used in the business and corporate travel accounts. GDS corporate business typically delivers more revenue for hotels because business travelers usually eat and drink in the hotel, rather than travel outside the hotel and spend money. Travel agents use commissionable and non-commissionable booking that, where commissionable bookings must add typically 8-10% agency commission on top of the GDS fees. GDS can be a good source of incremental bookings and increase margins.