MULTI DATABASE SYSTEM FOR AIRLINE RESERVATION AND TICKETING
ABSTRACT
Multi-database system for seat reservation and ticketing in a commercial airline company is a project work aimed at creating a system that will enable travelers’ book their flight by making reservations. As the is world turning into a global village with almost every aspect of human endeavour getting computerized, the aviation industries management is looking forward to making available their flight reservations online. This project research involves the design and implementation of an airline reservations aimed at overcoming the undesirable problem associated with the manual system. Here, we design a computer program that will: replace the existing manual system and enable travelers’ to make flight reservation. In this project, the implementation of the computerized system will be carried out using VISUAL BASIC (VB 6.0)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1            BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Throughout commercial airline history, the movement of aircraft, passengers and cargo has required the even more timely movement of information. This was never truer than today, where information has become not just an operational tool, but a competitive weapon. To capitalize on this information the technological revolution and the information society have brought us a dazzling set of capabilities. But, they have also brought us a bewildering array of options for services, costs, methods and products. Many managers find themselves faced with too much of a good thing, too many alternatives. But, airline today means business. Commerce and tourism are the engines of economic development in today’s world. In airline industry, airlines, airports and even other for travel related income. Staying in front means making investments in enhanced customer service tools, improved management awareness, quicker access to operational information etc.
All of the technology and service options and the need to make rapid, well informed decisions mean that many organizations are finding it increasingly difficult and expensive to find and retain staff to meet the demands. The effective use of Airline Information System can help solve this problem.
Multi-database system for seat reservation and ticketing is very powerful integrated computer-based system for managing the technical operations activities of an airline, or aircraft fleet operator. The system can be used worldwide by large and small companies operating many types of fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. The software designed will be used to collect, store and analyze information about seat reservation and ticketing within the industry.
1.2            STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
As aviation industry is expanding a lot of airlines are coming up. The passengers need to book for their flight tickets. The manual method of going to their local offices to book for their flight ticket is becoming obsolete and tasking. Flight schedule information needs to be publicized to passengers. Hence, the need for a wide range of publicity and enabling direct information passage to the centers.
1.3            OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
In developing an airline seat reservation system, we will always keep in mind to provide to the users the best:
       i.            Security in regards to their flight reservation information
     ii.            User interface and to make it very flexible and understandable
  iii.            To reduce queue and time wastage
 Moreover, since the record update is a database we need to consider security issues so that flight reservation information retrieval is not interrupted.
1.4            PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The main purpose is to design and implement an airline seat reservation system that will be free of troubles and to also provide better services to customers such as flight schedule and facilities for confirming flight tickets.
1.5       SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
In view of the rapid development of computer technology in virtually all fields of operation and its use in relation to information management, it has become important to look into the development of seat reservation system to meet up with demands of the present day society. Therefore, the reservation booking helps so that management can obtain data regarding the flight reservations at any time.
The project is aimed at designing a new and better alternative system to help the organization to: -
a)     Produce available operational reports when needed
b)    Safeguard data and information in the system
c)     Reduced workload in the present system
d)    Keep accurate record on flight reservations
e)     Reduce time wasted in data processing
1.6       LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
During the design of this work much finance was required an owing to the financial melt down globally, the research was limited by finance and hence concentrated on the available materials within the locality.
1.7       SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This project work will cover all aspect of flight reservations, confirmation of tickets, and flight schedule information. The project is a case study of Aero Airlines Nig. Ltd.
1.8       DEFINITION OF TERMS/ VARIABLES
FAAN: Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria
IATA: International Air Transport Association
ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization
Black Box: Black box in computer science is a unit whose internal structure is unknown but whose function is documented.
Black Box Testing: Black box testing is where the tester is presented with the specification of a component to be tested and uses this to derive the test cases. This has the advantage that the tester need no information about the code used in the component and need not understand its internal structure. This is also the disadvantage of the code can aid in devising tests which will thoroughly exercise the program.
MIS: Management Information System is the system that stores and retrieves information and data, process them, and present them to the management as information to be used in making decision.
MCS:  Management Control System is a form of Information System used by the management of an organization to analyze each application of information systems in terms of input, storage, processing and output.
Databases: A systematically arranged collection of computer data, structured so that it can be automatically retrieved or manipulated. It is also called databank.