Official Airline Guide
Encyclopedia
OAG, formerly Official Airline Guide, is a United Kingdom
based business providing aviation information and analytical services sourced from its proprietary airline schedules, flight status, fleet, MRO and cargo logistics databases.
OAG is best known for its airline schedules database which holds future and historical flight details for more than 1,000 airlines and over 4,000 airports. This aggregated data feeds the world’s global distribution systems and travel portals, and drives the internal systems of many airlines, air traffic control systems, aircraft manufacturers, airport planners and government agencies around the world.
The organisation operates globally and has offices in Europe
(UK and Netherlands), Asia
(Singapore, China and Japan) and the Americas
(United States and Canada). OAG is organised into three customer-facing channels: OAG Aviation, OAG Cargo and OAG Travel.
OAG is a brand of UBM Aviation, a United Business Media
business.
. The origin of the OAG brand dates back to 1929 when the "Official Aviation Guide Of The Airways" was first published in February 1929 in the United States
, listing 35 airlines offering a total of 300 flights. After the Guide was taken over by a rival publication in 1948 the September issue carried the Official Airline Guide title for the first time. The “ABC World Airways Guide” containing maps and tips for travellers was first published in the UK In 1946. The integration of the ABC and OAG brands occurred following the acquisition of Official Airline Guides Inc. in 1993 by Reed Elsevier which already owned ABC International. In August 1996 all products from the combined ABC and OAG businesses were rebranded as OAG.
In 1958 advances in computer technology enabled flight schedules to be sorted and presented by city pair, instead of under separate sections for each airline timetable. This Quick Reference Edition initially included North American flights; starting about 1962 a separate International Quick Reference Edition covered the rest of the world. The two Timetable Editions continued in the traditional format for several more years; the last Worldwide Timetable Edition was March 1969.
In 1962 OAG began providing data to the first computer reservations systems and produced its first customised timetable for airlines. In 1970 the OAG Pocket Flight Guide was published, enabling business travellers to have a pocket-sized resource of flight timetables to take with them. This is still published today, in four regional versions. OAG participated in the development of the IATA Standard Schedules Information Manual (SSIM) for the interchange of airline schedules data. This was established in 1972 and is still the primary source of protocols and formats for the global airline industry. The OAG Electronic Edition was launched in 1983. This was OAG's first online travel planning tool, containing both flight and fare information and available via more than 20 system operators including Compuserve
and Dow Jones. Additional databases (weather, arrival/departure information) were added in 1988. The company produced the industry’s first PC-based travel planning tool on CD-ROM in 1991, which was so revolutionary that it was supplied with a plug-in CD drive. OAG launched its pioneering analytical tool in 1998, and also its first browser-based travel information product. The Swedish CAA became its first internet timetable customer and the following year Cathay Pacific
became the first airline to give its Frequent Flyer Club members online access to OAG Travel Information System through its website. As an early adopter of wireless technology, OAG made its flight information available on the Palm VII wireless organizer in 1999, followed a few months later by its first WAP mobile phone application.
Following five years under private ownership, OAG was bought by United Business Media
in December 2006 to strengthen its aviation, transportation and travel business interests. Today, OAG is one of several UBM Aviation brands.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based business providing aviation information and analytical services sourced from its proprietary airline schedules, flight status, fleet, MRO and cargo logistics databases.
OAG is best known for its airline schedules database which holds future and historical flight details for more than 1,000 airlines and over 4,000 airports. This aggregated data feeds the world’s global distribution systems and travel portals, and drives the internal systems of many airlines, air traffic control systems, aircraft manufacturers, airport planners and government agencies around the world.
The organisation operates globally and has offices in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(UK and Netherlands), Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
(Singapore, China and Japan) and the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
(United States and Canada). OAG is organised into three customer-facing channels: OAG Aviation, OAG Cargo and OAG Travel.
OAG is a brand of UBM Aviation, a United Business Media
United Business Media
UBM plc is a magazine publisher, news distributor and events organiser providing business information services principally to the technology, healthcare, media, automotive and financial services industries...
business.
History
The OAG business dates back to 1853 when it first published the ABC Alphabetical Railway Guide, later to inspire Agatha Christie’s novel The ABC MurdersThe A.B.C. Murders
The A.B.C. Murders is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on January 6, 1936 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company on February 14 of the same year...
. The origin of the OAG brand dates back to 1929 when the "Official Aviation Guide Of The Airways" was first published in February 1929 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, listing 35 airlines offering a total of 300 flights. After the Guide was taken over by a rival publication in 1948 the September issue carried the Official Airline Guide title for the first time. The “ABC World Airways Guide” containing maps and tips for travellers was first published in the UK In 1946. The integration of the ABC and OAG brands occurred following the acquisition of Official Airline Guides Inc. in 1993 by Reed Elsevier which already owned ABC International. In August 1996 all products from the combined ABC and OAG businesses were rebranded as OAG.
In 1958 advances in computer technology enabled flight schedules to be sorted and presented by city pair, instead of under separate sections for each airline timetable. This Quick Reference Edition initially included North American flights; starting about 1962 a separate International Quick Reference Edition covered the rest of the world. The two Timetable Editions continued in the traditional format for several more years; the last Worldwide Timetable Edition was March 1969.
In 1962 OAG began providing data to the first computer reservations systems and produced its first customised timetable for airlines. In 1970 the OAG Pocket Flight Guide was published, enabling business travellers to have a pocket-sized resource of flight timetables to take with them. This is still published today, in four regional versions. OAG participated in the development of the IATA Standard Schedules Information Manual (SSIM) for the interchange of airline schedules data. This was established in 1972 and is still the primary source of protocols and formats for the global airline industry. The OAG Electronic Edition was launched in 1983. This was OAG's first online travel planning tool, containing both flight and fare information and available via more than 20 system operators including Compuserve
CompuServe
CompuServe was the first major commercial online service in the United States. It dominated the field during the 1980s and remained a major player through the mid-1990s, when it was sidelined by the rise of services such as AOL with monthly subscriptions rather than hourly rates...
and Dow Jones. Additional databases (weather, arrival/departure information) were added in 1988. The company produced the industry’s first PC-based travel planning tool on CD-ROM in 1991, which was so revolutionary that it was supplied with a plug-in CD drive. OAG launched its pioneering analytical tool in 1998, and also its first browser-based travel information product. The Swedish CAA became its first internet timetable customer and the following year Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport, although the airline's registered office is on the 33rd floor of One Pacific Place...
became the first airline to give its Frequent Flyer Club members online access to OAG Travel Information System through its website. As an early adopter of wireless technology, OAG made its flight information available on the Palm VII wireless organizer in 1999, followed a few months later by its first WAP mobile phone application.
Following five years under private ownership, OAG was bought by United Business Media
United Business Media
UBM plc is a magazine publisher, news distributor and events organiser providing business information services principally to the technology, healthcare, media, automotive and financial services industries...
in December 2006 to strengthen its aviation, transportation and travel business interests. Today, OAG is one of several UBM Aviation brands.
Products
OAG is organised into three customer-facing channels: OAG Aviation, OAG Cargo and OAG for the Traveler.OAG Aviation
OAG Aviation provides the air transport industry with the most accurate single source of global airline information and analytical services. Its portfolio includes airline schedules distribution; real time flight status information; timetables; codeshare synchronization and flight connection marketing. OAG utilizes its databases to provide market intelligence on aircraft fleets, capacity supply, traffic demand, financial and operating performance, and MRO (maintenance, repair & overhaul) forecasting. Its customers include airlines, airports, travel distributors, aircraft manufacturers, financial institutions, government agencies and aviation service providers.OAG Cargo
OAG Cargo delivers decision support tools that can be integrated into an organization’s workflow to optimize the planning of shipments by air. Its portfolio includes solutions for routing and shipment planning; dangerous goods regulations and compliance information; real-time access to air freight rates and schedule data; operational announcement services; cargo tracking and analysis solutions and multi-media cargo schedule products. Its customers include freight forwarders, airlines and logistics providers.OAG for the Traveler
OAG for the Traveler provides comprehensive and unbiased online, mobile and print planning tools for travel arrangers and travelers. Travel planners use OAG products for access to all scheduled flight options for efficient itinerary planning, choices and changes. Travelers use OAG products for in-trip access to flight schedules and services to make their travel more convenient.External links
- http://www.oag.com OAG
- http://www.oagaviation.com OAG Aviation
- http://www.oagcargo.com OAG Cargo
- http://www.oagtravel.com OAG for the Traveler
- http://www.ubmaviation.com] Parent company website