introduction to the opentravel alliance -...

© 2013 OpenTravel Alliance | www.opentravel.org 1

Introduction to the

OpenTravel Alliance

2 © 2013 OpenTravel Alliance | www.opentravel.org

XML Standards for the Travel Industry

OpenTravel formed as a member funded,

not-for-profit organization.

1999

OpenTravel produces the first open standards for the travel industry.

2001

OpenTravel creates a second open standard-based schema product.

2011

OpenTravel provides the preferred open source XML standard for the travel and leisure industry.

By using the OpenTravel specification, you’ll join a worldwide network of travel industry suppliers, resellers, global distributors and integrators dedicated to

meeting their customer and trading partner XML distribution demands.


Why Use Standards?

The standards body has made the effort to create messages that incorporate variations in supplier implementations •  So you don’t have to Abstract Suppliers •  Easier to Add, Change, Replace Reusability from trading partner to trading partner •  Less implementation support Shorter implementation times •  Lower IT Costs Widespread adoption and industry support •  Wide body of implementation knowledge


How to Use Standards?

•  Standardise your content internally (do not just use the format of the first supplier you connect to)

•  Abstract suppliers behind internal standards - much easier to change them or swap in/out

•  Use standards where they exist (OpenTravel), even if the suppliers do not support them. Will save you in long term

•  Where standards don't exist (or do not match exactly what you want) then use the core data blocks from OpenTravel to build your own messages


Open Standard Specification Philosophy

–  Support both mature and emerging travel industry segments

–  Promote message and object re-use when possible –  Support emerging travel industry trends & business

processes –  Specification is free and openly available to any

implementer –  Specification downloaded from OpenTravel website

•  http://www.opentravel.org/Specifications/Default.aspx


•  OpenTravel maintains the common information exchange model (CIEM) created by and for the travel industry

•  Represents travel industry data at rest (implementer stored) and in motion (exchanged)

•  The foundation of all OpenTravel specifications

•  Travel segment contextual

standard schema

mapping

application schema

mapping

service interface schema

mapping

trading partner 1

standard schema

mapping

application schema

mapping

service interface schema

mapping

trading partner 2

OpenTravel Common

Information Exchange Model

(CIEM)

Travel Industry Information Exchange Model


OpenTravel Body of Work

The OpenTravel specification supports business functionality for all travel segments.


Functionality: All Travel Segments Supported

Air

Ground

Rail

Car Rental

Parking

Hotel

Hostel

Vacation Rental

Extended Stay

Event RFP

Packaged Tour

Day Tour

Golf

Activity

Cruise

Offers

Travel Insurance

Travel Packages Merchant Services

Online Maps

Loyalty Program

Subscriptions

Information Validation

Profiles

Location-Based Offers

2.0 provides distribution functionality for all travel

segments.


Functionality: Comprehensive Distribution Functionality

•  Search, Availability, Make Booking/ Modify Booking, Cancel Booking, Notification…

•  Actors (person, company, system…) •  Agreements (trading partner, property rental, status,

details…) •  Aircraft (equipment, cabin class, seat map, services &

amenities…) •  Authority (name, type, status, location…) •  Company (name, location, departments, divisions…) •  Contact (email, phone, address…) •  Coupon (ticket, air pass, loyalty award…) •  Customer Authentication (user name/ password, PIN,

challenge q&a…) •  Data Verification (frequency, method, status…) •  Document (passport, birth certificate, drivers license…) •  Facility (airport, lounge, property, rental unit, restaurant,

store, rental location…) •  Feature (amenity, service, architectural…) •  Identifier (code, alternate codes…) •  Information (description, formatted text, category…) •  Locale (local currency, local language, local time…) •  Location (address, geocoding, map, neighborhood,

island…) •  Loyalty (account credentials/ status/ tier/ balance,

alliance, program, award…)

•  Media (multimedia, image, video, file attachment…) •  Offer (targeted, merchandising, bundle, rules…) •  Payment (accepted forms, payment card, bank

account, award, commission…) •  Period (applicable, effective/ expire, blackout date,

check in/ out…) •  Person (demographics, birthdate, related, group…) •  Policy (pets, check-in, cancellation, no show…) •  Position (relative, radius, directions, index point…) •  Price (fare, rate, charge unit, fee, tax…) •  Product (bundle, package, quote, encoding,…) •  Profile (agency, company, customer, supplier,

consolidator…) •  Program (marketing, social media, subscription…) •  Rating (customer rating, industry award…) •  Reservation (sale information, ticketing location,

booking model, PNR…) •  Rules (booking, packaging, terms & conditions…) •  Schedule (operation times, location, after hours…) •  Season (weather, temperature, precipitation…) •  Seat (premium, location, amenities, price, upgrade…) •  Systems (status, website, mobile device, application,

capabilities…) •  Trip (sector, segment, characteristics, mode, segment,

status…)


The OpenTravel functional model supports emerging business model and distribution challenges.

Travel Distribution Demands

Multi-Participant Sales & Distribution

Channels

Travel Product

Differentiation

Travel Product Bundling, Up-sell

& Cross-sell

Travel Product Pricing & Bundling

Transparency

Personalized Shopping &

Targeted Offers

Packaged Trip Shopping &

Management

Partner & Customer Subscriptions &

Notifications

Loyalty Program with Customer Recognition

Functionality: Designed for Modern Distribution Channels


Schema Products


1.0 XML Message Suite

Mature specification • Implemented since 2003 • Message-based structure


How Implementers Use the 1.0 XML Message Suite


Object-based architecture supports rapidly evolving xml tooling…

2.0 XML Object Suite

•  Reusable, extensible and substitutable XML objects

•  Rapid deployment of new or enhanced functionality

•  Implementer proprietary functionality

•  Thin client applications


Your OpenTravel-enabled API’s can function standalone or exchange information with OpenTravel-enabled applications.

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2.0 XML Objects

Web Services

API

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App

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ions

Application

Web Services

2.0 XML Objects

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How Implementers Use the 2.0 XML Object Suite


Membership Benefits

The OpenTravel specification supports business functionality for all travel segments.


•  Influence the structure of the standard •  Initiate, lead and/or participate in projects •  Network with potential partners/ customers •  Marketplace credibility •  Access to technical staff •  24 hour turn-around from OpenTravel Forum •  Members only documentation and websites •  Preferred pricing to OpenTravel events

OpenTravel Membership Benefits


OpenTravel Governance Structure

Board of Directors

Responsible for strategic direction and organization oversight

Interoperability Committee (IO)

Member-controlled internal governance structure

Transport

Travel Integration

Architecture

Hospitality

Workgroups

Reviews comments; proposes new work

Project Teams

Creates requirements and develops schema


Travel distribution just got cool. OpenTravel 2.0 XML Object Suite

Questions?

Valyn Perini, CEO [email protected]

www.OpenTravel.org

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