Public:2010A Projects
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Contents |
[edit] Active OpenTravel Projects
[edit] Architecture Workgroup
Details on active Architecture Projects are listed on the Architecture Workgroup Page. The following section provides a summary of each project.
[edit] Session Management
The Session Management study focuses on a “lightweight” session management solution based on WS-Addressing EPRs which is recommended for managing sessions established for point-to-point interactions between a client and a service provider. WS-Addressing is a standard that provides transport-neutral mechanisms to address Web services and messages. It provides a robust mechanism for session management – by using EPR. An EPR conveys the information associated with an endpoint and is extensible with additional information. This additional information can contain service-specific data and EPRs can be used to propagate information between a service and its clients. This ability to associate state data with an EPR provides a useful way for identifying Web services instances. An EPR representing a Web service instance will contain the Web service address (URI) and some unique identifier - the ability that will be exploited for identifying session context.
This study includes identifying use cases to address using this “lightweight” session management solution and illustrating processing flows to give OpenTravel implementers a clear understanding of the details necessary to implement the solution.
[edit] Reliable Messaging Guidance (WS-RM & TypeX)
The Reliable Messaging Guidelines study focuses on the increasing number of partners in the travel and hospitality industries that are using web services to exchange OpenTravel messages and the need for an open and interoperable solution that will guarantee end to end delivery of these critical business messages. Two related projects include specifying guidelines for both WS-RM and TypeX.
- The WS-RM Messaging Guidance project provides an overview of the solution based on WS-Reliable Messaging specification (OASIS Standard 2007), and explains how the solution addresses the reliable messaging concerns for OpenTravel message exchanges between travel systems. The goal is to provide implementers a clear understanding of the reliable message framework and knowledge to enable a reliable messaging solution from selected provider for their travel systems.
- The Type X Messaging Guidance project will show how Reliable Messaging capabilities can be used over SOAP. TypeX is a protocol enhancement designed in conjunction with IATA to enable a variety of Reliable Messaging features over a variety of different underlying protocols. These capabilities are potentially useful for systems exchanging OpenTravel messages.
[edit] The OpenTravel 2.0 Initiative
The OpenTravel 2.0 Initiative aims to facilitate greater and easier adoption of OpenTravel messages by:
- Harmonizing the specifications by resolving conflicting definitions.
- Sanitizing evolutionary dead ends in the design of messages that are either no longer useful or were never developed fully.
- Creating reusable components that can be consumed by a RESTful framework.
- Creating reusable components that can be deployed in other OpenTravel messages.
- Blending specifications across multiple platforms in new (internal) messages.
- Developing a ‘more’ tool friendly specification.
[edit] Namespace Usage In OpenTravel Schemas
The Namespace Usage Study will identify the various common practices in the industry regarding namespaces and the trends that may be emerging or have emerged since the introduction of namespaces in the OpenTravel messages. The opportunity will be taken to review the history of the namespace policy in the OpenTravel Alliance and working through the implications of all the alternative options on the consumers, providers and integrators within the travel industry.
[edit] OpenTravel Data Dictionary
The OpenTravel Data Dictionary Project will facilitate greater and easier adoption by harmonizing the specifications by resolving conflicting definitions. A Data Dictionary should also make it easier for the work groups:
- To produce new messages as it should be easier to identify and reuse existing components in new ways.
- To support the existing messages because they will be much simpler and changes will be applied consistently.
[edit] Transport
[edit] 2010B: Structured Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD) Functionality in OpenTravel Schema
Visit the Project Team Page
An Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD) tracks the sale of charges for additional airline services, like excess baggage or lounge access, in an electronic record. The EMD replaces all paper miscellaneous documents and excess baggage tickets with one standard electronic document type. There is no method in the current OpenTravel booking schema to transport an Electronic Miscellaneous Document to a reservation system. This project will incorporate EMD into the OpenTravel booking schemas in a structured through a new complex element named EMD (Electronic Miscellaneous Document).The major advantage of a new EMD element in OpenTravel booking schema is to exchange an EMD between EMD application and reservation systems in a more structured way that supports the IATA method for EMD web services.
[edit] 2010B: Vehicle Rental No Show Fees
View the Project Team Proposal
With the recent down turn in the economy, car rental companies are finding it more difficult to get new vehicles. In the past, vehicle buy back programs, volume pricing, and inexpensive credit made it easy to maintain a large fleet of new vehicles at all times. The net effect on vehicle rental companies is that they are now forced to work with smaller fleets while trying to grow their businesses. In addition, the larger booking channels are beginning to more closely watch the number of confirmed reservations where the customer simply does not show up to pickup the vehicle. Most contracts with booking channels involve paying some commission on vehicle reservations that actually turn into completed rental contracts. Because of this, it’s natural for booking channels to be concerned with reservations that never come to fruition because they don’t get paid when a customer does not show up. For the vehicle rental company, the problem is how to efficiently utilize a smaller fleet while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction. Reservations that are never picked up tie up inventory without generating any revenue and require the company to maintain a fleet that is larger than the actual rentalal requirements. For booking channels, the problem is how to get a higher percentage of reservations which actually complete and generate revenue. With commission rates as high as possible, the booking channels have no choice but to look for ways to produce higher quality reservations to generate higher sales value. For both types of companies, the current industry practice of not charging cancellation fees when a reservation is not picked up is a continuing source of many of these problems.
The core of this proposal is to enhance the existing OpenTravel vehicle messages to disclose a "no show fee" to the customer and support the collection of the fee. This involves adding content to the existing messages to indicate on which vehicles a fee applies and the rules and conditions that govern the fee. In addition, this requires some additional processing to validate that needed information is provided at booking time.
[edit] Travel Integration
[edit] Dynamic Package Enhancements
The Dynamic Package messaging currently contains XML nodes to handle air and hotel components for vacation reservations. This allows reservations made using this messaging to include only air and hotel components.
This project would add the ability to include rental cars and other package options to dynamic packages, thus allowing reservations to include a much larger scope of possibilities.
Package Options, in this instance, refer to additional options that can be added to the package as either stand-alone products or as included items to existing components. Some examples include: show tickets, event tickets, amusement park admission, club passes, travel insurance, meal plan vouchers, and transfers.
[edit] Projects on Hold
[edit] Architecture Workgroup
[edit] PCI-PII And Remediation Study
The PCI-PII Study (Payment Card Industry - Personally Identifiable Information Study) will determine the extent of usage of PCI data and PII within OpenTravel and make recommendations regarding protection, remediation, and best practices.
[edit] Content Distribution
[edit] Guidelines for Mobile Integration
[edit] Insurance Replacement Fields for Car Rental
[edit] Opt-In/Opt-Out for Air
[edit] Archives
To view our past projects, please visit our Public:Projects Archive.
