The Future of GDS Integration: Will AI Make Manual Calls Obsolete?

Global Distribution Systems (GDS) have been the backbone of the travel industry for decades, connecting travel agencies with airlines, hotels, car rental companies, and other service providers. However, despite their sophistication, GDS platforms still have significant limitations that necessitate manual phone calls for many scenarios. As AI technology advances, the question arises: Will these manual calls eventually become a thing of the past?

Currently, there are several common scenarios where GDS systems fall short, requiring travel agents and customers to pick up the phone: complex itinerary changes, special service requests, handling of irregular operations like flight cancellations, and bookings with providers who aren't GDS-connected (particularly smaller hotels and local tour operators).

AI is addressing these gaps in two parallel ways. First, solutions like Plshold are automating the manual calls themselves, handling the hold times and basic interactions to make the process more efficient. Second, and perhaps more significantly for the long term, AI is enabling better integration between previously disconnected systems.

New API frameworks powered by AI can now interpret and translate between different booking systems, even when those systems weren't designed to communicate with each other. This means that a growing number of smaller providers who previously required phone calls can now be connected to the broader digital ecosystem.

Natural language processing is also playing a crucial role in this evolution. AI can now understand and process unstructured requests that come through emails, chat, or even voice calls, converting them into structured data that can be processed by reservation systems. This eliminates many scenarios where human interpretation was previously required to translate between different formats and systems.

Looking ahead five to ten years, we can envision a travel ecosystem where the vast majority of bookings, modifications, and special requests can be handled digitally, without manual calls. AI will serve as the universal translator between systems, enabling seamless communication regardless of the underlying technology.

However, it's unlikely that manual calls will disappear entirely. There will always be edge cases, highly complex situations, and scenarios where human judgment and empathy are irreplaceable. What will change is that these calls will become the exception rather than the rule.

For travel businesses, this evolution presents both opportunities and challenges. Those who adapt to the increasingly integrated ecosystem will benefit from greater efficiency and improved customer experiences. However, this will require investments in technology and a willingness to reimagine established processes.

The transition period we're currently in—where AI is automating manual calls while the industry works toward better system integration—represents the best of both worlds. Travel providers can maintain their existing workflows while gradually moving toward a more connected future.