What’s Apollo?
Apollo is a international distribution system (GDS) vendor which permits journey brokers to entry and e book stock from motels, airways, automotive hires, and extra.
Apollo is owned and operated by Travelport, one of many three main gamers within the GDS house – Travelport additionally runs Galileo and Wordspan. When a lodge connects to the GDS through a associate like SiteMinder, it turns into bookable on Apollo by journey brokers all over the world.
Whereas airline bookings are the first focus of Apollo, it additionally permits journey brokers to e book motels, automotive rent and different journey providers.
Apollo GDS historical past
Like different main GDS manufacturers, equivalent to Sabre and Amadeus, Apollo was established by United Airways in 1971 as an early computerised airline reserving system. It slowly developed right into a extra basic journey reserving service, and by 1986 had been given a brand new identify – Covia – and was being marketed as an unbiased affiliate of United Airways.
It was ultimately absorbed into Galileo worldwide, which in flip was absorbed into Travelport. The identify was modified again to Apollo throughout this era of M&A motion, and Apollo now sits alongside Galileo and Worldspan within the Travelport secure.
On this information we’ll break down Apollo from the angle of motels that wish to capitalise on a GDS as a key lodge distribution channel.
Why have interaction a GDS associate like SiteMinder to entry Apollo?
Why ought to a lodge work with a connectivity associate, equivalent to SiteMinder GDS, to realize bookings by Apollo? There are a number of compelling causes, together with:
International attain
Via Travelport, Apollo connects motels to 1 / 4 of one million particular person journey brokers from all over the world, offering publicity to group, company and worldwide travellers that you simply wouldn’t in any other case have entry to. And once you select to associate with SiteMinder, you really acquire entry to 600,000 journey companies, by further GDS connections. It permits your lodge to faucet into markets that may be unimaginable to achieve by conventional lodge advertising efforts.
Elevated bookings
Achieve entry to journey brokers who e book on behalf of company, group and leisure travellers. The company journey market could be a notably useful one to faucet into, as it may be much less value delicate and may considerably enhance mid-week and off-season occupancy charges.
Streamlined operations
Whenever you connect with Apollo by SiteMinder GDS, you get pleasure from real-time availability and pricing updates, making certain correct data is shared with journey brokers. The easy SiteMinder GDS person expertise reduces the danger of overbooking and simplifies reservation administration for motels.
Achieve entry to each main GDS with SiteMinder
With the assistance of SiteMinder, you’ll be able to join your lodge to all main distributors on the GDS, together with Apollo, Sabre and Amadeus, to generate extra visibility, bookings and income than ever earlier than.
Apollo GDS Ceaselessly Requested Questions
Don’t know a lot about Apollo? Let’s reply some quick-fire questions to offer you a way of what this platform is all about.
Who owns Apollo GDS?
Apollo is at the moment owned by Travelport, the world’s third-largest international distribution system vendor (after Amadeus and Sabre).
Is Apollo GDS a part of Travelport?
Sure, Apollo is a definite model that operates underneath the Travelport umbrella, alongside Galileo and Worldspan. When a lodge (or some other journey service supplier) is listed on one in all these distributors, it’s mechanically listed on all of them.
Is Apollo GDS going away?
Apollo has developed lots through the years, from United Airways’ reservation system, to a standalone GDS, to a subsidiary of Galileo then Travelport. However it’s nonetheless going sturdy, with a big and constant journey agent person base, so there aren’t any plans to retire this GDS.
What does Apollo do for motels?
Apollo is finest often called an airline GDS. So what can it provide motels? Nicely, firstly, journey brokers virtually all the time have to e book lodging alongside flights, so motels are clever to have a presence wherever flights are being booked.
However on high of that, Apollo presents various alternatives to motels.
Strong enterprise journey integrations
Apollo makes your lodge accessible to company journey brokers and firms, serving to you to win useful bookings from enterprise travellers. It presents a easy strategy to goal high-value company shoppers by established journey administration networks.
Enhanced multi-channel distribution
A GDS like Apollo can sit alongside different gross sales channels, equivalent to OTAs, metasearch and direct bookings, that will help you broaden and diversify your attain to journey brokers, tour operators and on-line reserving platforms. These can all be managed in a single place on a platform like SiteMinder.
Streamlined group reserving help
Apollo permits journey brokers to safe blocks of rooms rapidly and simply. As a consequence your lodge can earn and effectively handle extra giant bookings, serving to you to extra successfully cater to occasions, conferences and group journey.
Environment friendly upselling alternatives
The GDS grants your lodge the chance to upsell. Via your channel supervisor you’ll be able to provide journey brokers and their shoppers premium rooms, spa packages or eating choices, personalising the experiences you provide whereas boosting your backside line.
API flexibility for distinctive lodge methods
SiteMinder GDS presents API integrations that will help you seamlessly connect with your present tech and instruments, equivalent to your reserving and property administration methods. This lets you replace your availability, stock, pricing and data mechanically in real-time.
The benefit of connecting with Apollo GDS
Whenever you associate with SiteMinder GDS, you seamlessly join all three GDSs – not simply Apollo/Travelport, however Sabre and Amadeus too.
SiteMinder GDS additionally permits data to stream freely between all of your channels and tech options, opening up alternatives for automation to avoid wasting you money and time.
