In short, the Global Distribution System (GDS) is a travel agent’s motherboard for booking airline tickets and other sorts of travel goodies (like hotel and car). So it might seem pretty odd for me to show up here and say that many travel agents don’t necessarily need it. (Yes, I understand I’m inviting intense controversy here.)

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Golden rules to great customer service 1. A customer in need is a customer indeed. Hire people with good customer skills 3. Train your employees on store policies. Cross train your employees. Train your employees how to build rapport. Know your customers names and use them. Train your employees how to ask open ended questions. Back-To-Back Ticketing. Delta's policy as stated in tariff rule 100 specifically prohibits the practice of back-to-back ticketing, which is defined as follows: The issuance or use of coupons from two or more tickets issued at round-trip fares or the combination of two or more round-trip fares end to end on the same ticket, for the purpose of circumventing applicable tariff rules such as.

That’s right. If you are a leisure travel agent, there’s a huge whopping huge chance that you don’t need to use a GDS. Much more on this later, but before we get there . . . a brief history of the GDS!¹

Before the Dawn of the GDS

It can be easy to confuse the GDS with a Central Reservation System or Computerized Reservation System (CRS). CRSs are automated inventory-tracking systems that were (originally) owned and run by individual vendors (like airlines, car companies and hotels).

American Airlines created the first CRS system in 1946. And while this helped automate inventory for vendors, travel agents did not have direct access to that inventory. Travel agents would need to call the airline’s booking center, who would then contact one of their CRS operators, then relay the results to the travel agent over the phone (literally, like playing telephone). It took a lot of people power to book a single airline ticket. Travelers booking their own ticket? Forget about it!

Thanks to IBM, these CRS systems became progressively more sophisticated throughout the late 50s to the 70s. Simultaneously, travel agents became progressively more annoyed by all the hoops they had to jump through to book a ticket—they wanted it to be more automated on their end too.

Nowadays, GDSs function as an umbrella for many many CRS systems. It’s like a CRS motherboard. (In fact, many vendors outsource their CRS systems to a GDS.)

The GDS Today

The GDS started out as a distribution channel for many airline carriers and later expanded to carry inventory of hotels and car rentals. But for the purpose of our article, we’re focusing on the airline component of the GDS.

There are many GDS options, and each GDS system will has access to their own pool of carriers. The four largest GDSs are: Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport (which is the parent company of Apollo/Galileo and Worldspan).

Literally hundreds of airlines can be logged into a single GDS system, to which thousands upon thousands of travel agents globally have access. That’s the win win situation of the GDS . . . travel agents have access to zillions of different airline fares, and many airlines’ inventory is accessible to the zillions of travel agents who are booking flights for their many many clients.

The advantage for airlines is that they are spared some of the legwork of trying to market to individual consumers—and their product is in the hands of thousands of consumers through the collective pool of agents that book through the GDS.

The advantage to travel agents is that the GDS not only can show you many fares from multiple airlines, but it also offers a great depth of information about each flight in one place. The carrier, the times, the costs, the class of the seat, aircraft type and so much more. It’s a smorgasbord of options. So if you’re booking a high volume of tickets, it’s great to have access to every minutiae of information from multiple carriers in one go.

Simple, right? Just point and click and get your tickets. Nooooooo sireeeee. That could not be further from the truth.

Green Screen and GUI: The Evolution of the GDS

In today’s world, the GDSs have a bit of a split personality. There is the old school, traditional GDS commonly called “the green screen.” Then there’s the hip side of the GDSs, which people will call “point and click” or “GUI” (Graphical User Interface). Essentially, it’s a more intuitive and prettier looking version of the GDS.

But of course, it’s not that simple. Sigh.

1. The Green Screen: There’s No Such Thing as GDS for Dummies

Most of the time, when people are talking about the GDS, they are talking about the green screen. If an ad for a travel agency job says you need to know how to use Sabre, what they mean is you have to be able to navigate the green screen side of Sabre (not just use GUI).

Let me be blunt: unless you’re some kind of prodigy, the GDS green screens are not user friendly. Be afraid, be very afraid. It’s not like supplier portals and online travel booking sites where you can rifle through your choices, do a price comparison, and click on what you want. Viola. Using a GDS is a technical skill (think computer coding), and to use it really well is an art. Having experimented with it a few times myself, I have serious respect for travel agents who are fluent in the language of a GDS.

Take a listen (or read the transcript) to our podcast with Karen Hurlbut, of Hurlbut Travel, as she describes working within the GDS and shares what she uses the GDS for, and what she books with consolidators. The answer may surprise you!

To learn the GDS green screen takes intense training, and to become proficient takes tons of practice and constant use. That means daily use with a mentor (for at least 6 months to a year), not just booking a ticket for a client every few weeks. Even then, you still gotta keep using it on a regular basis to remain a GDS speed demon (think of being fluent in a language).

This, my friends, is why host agencies and travel agencies aren’t jumping up and down to teach you the GDS (if they even offer it). It’s hard. Here’s what a booking in an Amadeus green screen looks like:

Are you still awake? Whoa, right?! (FYI: An experienced GDS user will be able to do that at about 10,000x the speed in the video.)

2. GUI: A Brighter Future for the GDS?

The GUI is the point-and-click version of the GDS. You may have heard of options such as Sabre Red Workspace and TravelPort Smartpoint. So why doesn’t everyone use it? Here’s the problem: At its current stage of development, even GUI users need to understand the language of the green screen. As Ann Waters, president of the $40M Conference & Travel agency and Apollo user said,

“It’s not inputting the information new agents have problems with, it’s interpreting what the GDS is sending back to the agent.”

—Ann Waters, President of Travel Leaders-Conference and Travel

Essentially, the GUI interface isn’t quite there yet . . . and developing this technology is reeeeeally expensive and comes with a lot of growing pain. Sure it’s got perks (like being easier on the eyes and allowing agents to book airline ancillaries) but here’s what happens: You type in that you want a ticket from JFK to LAX on [enter date] and click search. You think, “That was so easy, just like searching online. So intuitive! I’m definitely a natural at this.”

That is, until it spits back at you the cryptic type and command lines you see on the green screen GDS. What in the world?!? Yup. That’s the problem. While new agents can partially navigate the GDS with the GUI interface, the code that comes back still has important information like fare types and rules that the agents really needs to understand. So many agents, in the end, need to learn the green screen (and find it faster) regardless.

If they don’t know exactly what they’re doing . . .

Risks of Booking with the GDS

To book in the GDS, you must have an IATA/IATAN accreditation number, in addition to an ARC accreditation number if you’re located in the United States.

As a new agent, you can’t get these accreditation numbers because they require mucho experience. So you come into the industry under a host agency (more on what a host agency is) and use their accreditation number instead.

And heck, your new host agency has a GDS! They’ll just give you that login information along with your Disney log in, right? Wrong. No freakin’ way. Because of the complexity of booking air tickets (or anything) with the GDS, there’s a huge margin for error. And these errors can cost a pretty penny. And this is to say nothing of fraud, which is another can of worms in the GDS world.

Enter travel agency debit memos. In short, debit memos are fines to travel agencies for making a mistake when booking with the GDS. Yes, even an itty bitty innocent mistake or typo. It may not seem like a biggie when you have one or two, but when you sell hundreds of tickets, these fines risk start adding up right quick. In 2015, there was a total of $530-capital-M-million-dollars issued to ticketing agencies.

This is why a host agency cannot afford to let a new agent use the GDS without rigorous training. It’s just too risky. At the end of the day, since the ARC accreditation number is assigned to the host, they will be the ones responsible to pay the big bucks to the carrier or carriers that issue the debit memos.

And the risk doesn’t even end there. When a host or travel agency uses the GDS, they must negotiate long, complicated and specialized contracts with their GDS provider. Somewhere in this contract, the agency commits to selling a certain amount of air segments. And if you miss your goals? Expect there to be financial penalties.

So even if you do have mad GDS skills, you may be better off going with a host agency's accreditation.

Do I Need the GDS?

The GDS does have a time and place! Here’s a few reasons why an agent might want/need to use the GDS:

1. Corporate Travel Agents: Corporate travel agents book a whole lot of air, so the GDS is pretty much a must for them. This can either be a travel agent who books on behalf of corporate clients, or an appointed individual at a corporation who has the capacity to book air for all their employees.
2. Agents Booking Complex Itineraries: If your specialty is around the world tickets or you have a steady stream of clients with multi-stop itineraries, the GDS will be a necessity.
3. High Volume Booking of Air-Only Travel: I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what other travel agents other than corporate agents book reeeally high volumes of air. It might be an agent who focuses on booking air to a specific international destination. Who knows! But if that’s you, let me know what your niche is!!

If you fall into one of these categories, check out this article on how to become a corporate travel agent. Even if you don't want to sell corporate, it offers strategies to learn the GDS system. Essentially if you’re not booking airline tickets multiple times each working day and you were never trained in the GDS, you probably don’t need to use it. This includes most Leisure Agents.

One of the reasons that most leisure agents don’t need the GDS is because the air will be included in a vacation package by the tour operator, or you can book it with the cruise line and you don’t need to use the GDS.

If you’re only booking a few flights here and there, there are ways to nab tickets for your clients without having to labor through the GDS.

Booking Air Without the GDS

If the GDS doesn’t seem practical for your agency, and you have a client who wants an air-only reservation that’s not already included in a package you’re selling, here’s a few strategies:

1. Use Your Host’s Consolidator: When you join a host agency you will have access to consolidators. A consolidator is a wholesaler of international airfares that works with travel agencies (not the general public). You can either book net fares, published fares (the rate available to the general public), or commissionable fares. This article is a great resource that will provide more detailed information regarding the types of airline fares.
2. Book air directly through through the airline's site and charge a service fee: Just remember to compensate yourself for your time . . . especially if the client is, errr, particular. Charging a service fee is one way to offset the cost of your valuable time.
3. Ask clients to book their own air-only reservations: If it’s not worth your time, it’s not worth your time.
4. Use your host’s online booking tools: Your host may have an online booking engine for air. ReveleX is one example of these tools . . . they are user-friendly booking engines that are linked to the host’s GDS (so agents get the advantage of a host’s airline contracts in the GDS without having to learn the process).
5. Ticketing Desk: Some hosts have a ticketing desk service that can book flights on behalf of agents. Usually there are applicable fees and certain service hours, so you'll want to ask about that . . . or if they even have a ticketing desk in the first place. If your client is flying international, first or business class, always look into a ticketing desk at your host agency or a consolidator first to see if there are any commissions (rather than booking it on your own).

But . . . I’m Losing out on Airline Commissions! (No, you’re probably not)

Yes, airlines do have commissions. No, they are not as common as you think.

The simplest way to say this: If you’re booking domestic non-premium seats, forget about commissions. If you’re booking international air, especially first and business class, commissions are a possibility. A possibility. Not a certainty.

I won’t go into things here, but you can read more on travel agent commissions here (airlines and otherwise). But at the end of the day, for most leisure agents, it’s frankly not worth their time to learn the GDS.

In Closing/ Major Thank Yous

The GDS is no walk in the park! Do you use it? Do you wish you could? Are there other places where you book air-only reservations with your consortia or host agency? Please let us know in the comments (literally, we’re begging you)!!

Last but not least, thank you to Marc Casto, CEO and President of Casto Travel, Ann Waters, President of Travel Leaders—Corporate and Events, Sandy Armstead and Christy Young, corporate agents at Safe Harbors Business Travel, a branch of Tzell Travel Group, and Jason Block, CEO & Managing Partner of Travel Equity Partners, a division of Tzell Travel Group. We would have floundered without their willingness to share their agencies' GDS experiences with us!

Footnotes

1. Sources Travel Weekly, Wikipedia, ↩

Gramin Dak Sevak Salary 2020: The Department of Posts (DoP) which comes under the Ministry Of Communications recruits candidates through the GDS Online Engagement. The India Post GDS vacancies are released for various postal circles on a regular basis. Candidates interested in India Post GDS job vacancies must go through the GDS Salary and job profile details.

The GDS salary is referred to as Time Related Continuity Allowance (TRCA) and candidates are paid for 4 or 5 hours of duty. In this article, we have provided all the details on Gramin Dak Sevak Salary Structure, Pay Scale, Job Profile, Allowances, and other benefits. Read on to know more!

Gramin Dak Sevak Salary 2020

Before getting into the details, let’s have a look at the posts under India Post GDS recruitment. The posts are listed below.

1. Branch Post Master (BPM)
2. Assistant Branch Post Master (ABPM)
3. Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS)

Now let’s go through the post-wise salary and the job profile from below:

Gramin Dak Sevak Salary (Post-Wise Payscale)

The salary for GDS posts is referred to as Time Related Continuity Allowance (TRCA). Check the new GDS salary for Gramin Dak Sevak, ABPM, and BPM posts from below:

Note that candidates recruited for GDS posts will be initially placed under the TRCA 4 hours category. Also, the above-mentioned salary is the minimum pay and other allowances and increments are applicable as per rules.

GDS BPM Salary 2020

The Gramin Dak Sevak Salary details for BPM or Branch Post Master is as below:

New Salary:

• – The minimum TRCA for 4 Hours/Level 1 in the TRCA slab is Rs. 12000/- per month and the maximumis Rs.29, 380/-.
• – The minimum TRCA for 5 Hours/Level 2 in TRCA slab is Rs. 14500/- per month and the maximum is Rs. 35,480/-.

Old Salary

The P TAX or Professional Tax is Rs.110 for all working hours.

GDS ABPM & Dak Sevak Salary

• – The minimum TRCA for 4 Hours/Level 1 in TRCA slab has been increased to Rs. 10000/- per month and the maximum to Rs.24, 470/-.
• – The minimum TRCA for 5 Hours/Level 2 in TRCA slab is Rs. 12000/- per month and the maximum to Rs. 29,480/-.

GDS BPM Job Profile/Work

Job Profile or Work Profile of Branch Post Master – BPM

The job profile of Branch Post Master (BPM) is listed below:

1. The Branch Post Maser is responsible to take care of the entire Gram Panchayat postal works.
2. Basically, the BPM will be heading the branch. That is, he/she should administrate the tasks to be performed in his/her branch.
3. The Branch Post Master is responsible to promote the Government Schemes such as Sukanya Samrudhi Yojana, Money Depositing, etc. and try to open the maximum number of accounts in his/her branch.
4. The BPM is also responsible to take care of money orders, book posts, speed posts, etc.
5. BPM is responsible to assign the task of distribution to the concerned person.

GDS ABPM Job Profile/Work

Check the job profile of the Assistant Branch Post Master post from below:

1. Assistant Branch Post Master must assist the BPM for the smooth functioning of the branch.
2. The ABPM is involved in all basic functions such as the sale of stamps and stationery, conveyance and delivery of mail, deposits/payments/other transactions under IPPB, assisting Branch Post Masters in counter duties using the handheld devices/Smartphones supplied by the Department.
3. ABPM is also involved in marketing, business procurement, and any other work assigned by the Branch Postmaster or IPO/ASPO/SPOs/SSPOs/SRM/SSRM and other Supervising authorities.
4. Assistant Branch Postmaster is also required to do Combined Duty of BPMs as and when ordered.

Dak Sevak Job Profile/Work

Check the job profile for Dak Sevak post from below:

1. Dak Sevak is involved in all functions such as the sale of stamps and stationery, conveyance and delivery of mail, and any other duties assigned by Postmaster/Sub Postmaster including IPPB work in the Departmental Post Offices/RMS.
2. Dak Sevak needs to assist the Post Masters/Sub Postmasters in managing the smooth functioning of Departmental Post Offices and do marketing, business procurement, or any other work assigned by Supervising authorities.
3. In Railway Mail Services (RMS), Gramin Dak Sevak has to involve in work such as closing/opening of bags, transport of bags from one place to another, and any other works allotted by the RMS authorities.

Gramin Dak Sevak Salary Of Mail Deliverer (MD/SV)

The Gramin Dak Sevak Salary of Mail Deliverer or MD/SV is tabulated below:

The P TAX or Professional Tax is Rs.110 for all working hours.

Job Profile Or Work Profile Of Mail Deliverer (MD/SV)

The job profile of Mail Deliverer is as below:

1. The main role of the Mail Deliverer is to distribute the mail to the end-users or public.
2. The MD will receive the mail to be delivered from the BPM and distribute it accordingly.
3. Also, the MD is responsible to create awareness regarding Govt schemes and encourage the public to participate in govt schemes.
4. The BPM will set the target for MD to reach the public and enroll themselves under govt schemes.

Gramin Dak Sevak Salary For Mail Carrier/Packer

The Gramin Dak Sevak salary of Mail Carrier and Packer is tabulated below:

Note: The Gramin Dak Sevak Salary for both Mail Collector and Packer is the same.

Mail Carrier & Packer Job Profile

Check the nature of the work allotted to these posts from below:

Job Profile or Work Profile of Mail Carrier – MC

The job profile or work profile of Mail Carrier is as below:

1. The main role of MC is to carry the mail bags from the account post to the branch post office and the mailbag from the branch post office to account office.
2. There are some cases where Mail collector also acts as a Mail Deliverer.
3. So, whenever the MC acts as an MD, it’s their responsibility to sell govt schemes to the public.

Job Profile or Work Profile of Packer:

The work profile of Packer is listed below:

1. The packer is responsible to assist the mail collector and mail deliverer.
2. The main role of the packer is to pack the mail bags and open the mail bags and distribute them to the MD and MC accordingly.

Gramin Dak Sevak Salary After 7th Pay Commission

There are several benefits after the introduction of the 7th pay commission:

1. The employers who are working under Gramin Dak Sevak can avail children education allowance up to Rs 6000/- per year.
2. The employers can avail stationery charges of Rs.25/- per month.
3. One time transfer for male candidates and 2-time transfer for female candidates is allowed.
4. BPM can avail Rs.500 for standard office rent and Rs.200 for non-standard office rent.
5. Employers can also opt for voluntary retirement benefits with a minimum service of 10 years.

Now you are provided with detailed information regarding Gramin Dak Sevak Salary 2020. Apart from GDS vacancies, candidates can also apply for other India Post Recruitment vacancies as and when released. The GDS vacancies are released on GDS Official website and it only includes the recruitment for Dak Sevak, ABPM, and BPM whereas, India Post recruitment includes GDS and other posts recruitment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Check the frequently asked questions on Gramin Dak Sevak Salary from below:

The recruitment of postmaster is through GDS online engagement and as per GDS recruitment notification the monthly salary for village postmaster is Rs. 12,000/- for 4 hours and Rs. 14,500/- for 5 hours.

The monthly salary of Gramin Dak Sevak post is Rs. 10,000/- for 4 hours and Rs. 12,000/- for 5 hours duty.

GDS BPM (Branch Post Master) Level 1 TRCA Slab refers to 4 hours service and Level 2 TRCA Slab refers to 5 hours service.

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The basic pay for the postal assistant is around Rs. 5200/- to Rs. 22000/-

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We hope this detailed article on Gramin Dak Sevak Salary is helpful. If you have any doubts or queries regarding this article, drop your comments below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

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