DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION OF AIRLINE BOOKING SYSTEM

ABSTRACT
Airline booking and ticketing in a commercial airline company is a project work aimed at creating a system that will enable traveler’s book their flight by making bookings. As the world is 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 bookings online. This project research involves the design and implementation of an airline bookings aimed at overcoming the undesirable problem associated with the manual system. Here, we design a computer program that will   -   Replace the existing manual system. -   Enable travelers to make flight booking  

SOFTWARE DESCRIPTION
Programming Language: PHP
Programming Environment: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8
Software Requirement: Wamp Server
 
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1    Background to the Study
Throughout commercial airline history, the timely 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 governments are competing against each 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, means 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 booking and ticketing is a 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 booking 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    Aims and Objectives of the Study
In developing an airline seat booking system, we will always keep in
mind to provide to the users the best usability, flexibility and security.
Therefore, we need to make the user interface very flexible and
understandable.  Moreover, since the record updates is a database we need to consider about security issues so that flight booking information retrieval is not interrupted. The new system is designed to take care of the following:
Create an online system for customers to view all domestic flights.
Create an online system for customers to view domestic flight schedule and their flight rate.
Enable online flight bookings.
Give online access to passenger’s suggestions or complaint on flight operations.
Showcase flight maintenance information to customers
Give passengers access to send their complaint about flight operations or services.
Creates online news publication for flight operators accessible to customers.
Makes available the number of flights operated by an airline.
Maintain a robust database for flight information management
1.4   Purpose of the Study
The main purpose is to design and implement an airline seat booking system. This system will also include flight schedule system and provides 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 an seat booking system to meet up with demands of the present day society. Therefore, the booking booking helps so that management can obtain data regarding the flight bookings 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 bookings
(e)  Reduce time wasted in data processing.
1.6   Scope of the Study
This project work will cover all aspect of flight booking, confirmation of tickets, and flight schedule information. The project is a case study of Aero Airlines Nig Ltd.
1.7    Constraints and Limitations
During the design of this work, much finance was required and owing to the financial melt down globally, the research was limited by finance and hence concentrated on the available materials within the locality.
1.8     Assumptions
It is assumed that all the information gathered is correct and the design of the software was based on the data available.
1.9    Definition of Terms
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 a disadvantage in that knowledge of the code can aid in devising tests which will thoroughly exercise the program.
MIS- Management Information System is the system that stores and retrieve 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 system in terms of input, storage, processing and output.