Architecture Workgroup Projects

OpenTravel 2.0 XML Objects

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OpenTravel 2.0 is a common set of “standard vocabulary-based” components for the travel industry from which XML messages are constructed. OpenTravel 2.0 reflects the changing way XML is used in the travel marketplace by providing: A common vocabulary; Improved modularity; Distinct version and library namespaces; Faster specification enhancements; Reduced file size; and Application and partner tool friendliness.

Rail Common Services Model Definition

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Led by the OpenTravel Architecture workgroup, this project will define and document a reference set of common core reservation services using OpenTravel best practices that could be implemented by any implementer of the OpenTravel Specification Rail messages. In some cases this would be used by solution providers creating an industry offering, in other cases this may be used by a member to prepare their current legacy solution for modernization by organizing appropriate functions around the OpenTravel model.

Transport Workgroup Projects

Air Merchandising Schema

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The purpose of this project is to create a new set of OpenTravel schemas and/or enhance existing OpenTravel Air schema messages and common elements to support air merchandising functionality for the air sector and covers the scope of web services required to implement air merchandising functionality required by modern air reservation systems. This project is additionally focusing on including travel insurance as an ancillary product in an air booking path.

Air Operations Schema

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OpenTravel Air schema has historically been focused on the functionality required for XML distribution between trading partners to enable booking path functionality. As OpenTravel looks towards the future, several of our members have identified key “operational” messages that would enhance our schema suite and this project proposal addresses a set of preliminary operational messages.

Air Virtual Seat Maps

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As ancillary merchandising flourishes in the airline sector, OpenTravel Air schema needs to accommodate virtual seat maps, which is an emerging method to address airline equipment changes when premium seats have been sold. The functionality created in this OpenTravel project will allow implementers to create a virtual seat map between different types of aircraft's that identify premium seats should seat re-assignment be required.

Enhanced Rail Schema

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This project continues the definition of a set of generic OpenTravel rail schemas that are focused on rail trading partner system interoperability and are closely aligned with common business functionality in rail reservation systems—hence covering the scope of web services required to implement a modern rail reservation system. The 2011A predecessor project enhanced three existing message sets (OTA_RailAvailRQ/RS, OTA_RailBookRQ/RS, OTA_RailScheduleRQ/RS) and added five new rail messages (OTA_RailReadRQ, OTA_RailResRetrieveSummaryRS, OTA_RailResRetrieveDetailRS, OTA_RailPriceRQ/RS, OTA_RailFareQuoteRQ/RS). This project will focus on additional functionality for existing rail messages (including multi-ride, direction indicators, negotiated pricing and married segments) and the creation of two new message pairs (OTA_RailShopRQ/RS and OTA_RailModifyRQ/RS.)

Ground Transportation Schema

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A 2009 LeSage publication poll found that 41 percent of 400 car service ground transport operators were taking reservations through online tools, compared with 22 percent in 2005. About half of the 400 were users of software specifically designed for the limo business, which various sources described as an $8 billion to $14 billion industry. In lieu of technology adoption by this travel industry sector, this project focuses on creating a set of OpenTravel schema to support XML distribution for the personal ground transportation sector (that includes limousine, black car and personal shuttle service) and covers the scope of web services required to implement a modern personal ground transportation reservation system.

Semantic Search Support in OpenTravel Car Rental Schema

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A key emerging opportunity for travel industry suppliers is to embrace richer cross-domain searching and decision technologies that provide consumers with new and better methods that complement their online travel search. At the 2011 Advisory Forum in Las Vegas, it was evident that the travel industry itself is reacting by focusing on a variety of emerging meta-data architectures for travel domain-specific search models and OpenTravel is embracing the opportunity to work with our members at the onset of this initiative.

Hospitality Workgroup Projects

None

Travel Integration Projects

Enhanced Golf Schema

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Golfing is quickly catching up to “baseball games” as a favored pastime. According to the Golf Research Group— the world’s leading golf research organization—there are 32,000 courses in 119 countries, with 59% of them located in the US that cater to approximately 56 million golfers annually. Golf Research further predicts an additional 7,000 new golf courses to be built over the next 10 years. Due to this emerging market, a number of different types of golf operation businesses have arisen to provide both the golf course supplier/operators and consumers with a broader spectrum of management and distribution systems that suit the various types of golf businesses. This project focuses on enhancing existing OpenTravel golf and other messages and creating new OpenTravel golf messages to support IT business functionality for golf course suppliers and online golf distributers.

Tours & Activities Schema

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The Enhanced OpenTravel Tours schema project started with industry-leading tour suppliers expressing a need for additional messages in the OpenTravel Tours schema message suite. In addition to the existing search, availability and descriptive information (exchange) messages, an emerging need was identified for booking and ticketing messages. During the course of the project—which included converting business requirements into schema functional requirements—it was determined that a standardized tours vocabulary, improved tours schema modularity and reduced schema size was required to create a tool-friendly specification that reflects the changing way XML is designed, managed and consumed in today’s global internet-ready tours marketplace. To address this need, the OpenTravel Enhanced Tours project team is now focused on identifying a common set of tour business objects that will comprise a 2011 specification that contains tour-specific search, availability, booking, ticketing and information exchange messages.