What is the main reason an online booking system holds a seat while a customer pays?

to prevent double booking. No one else can take the seat during that time.

Which is an advantage of online booking for a customer?

Bookings can be made at any time. There are no opening hours.

Which is an advantage of online booking for a theatre?

Fewer staff are needed to sell tickets. The website does the work of a box office.

How is a ticket booked online often delivered?

as an email or a QR code on a phone. It can be scanned at the entrance.

What does the system check first when a customer selects a seat?

whether the seat is still available in the database. Seats already held or sold cannot be chosen.

Online booking systems · Cambridge IGCSE Information & Communication Technology

In plain words

Flights, cinema seats, concert tickets and football matches are almost all booked online now. Behind each website is a database of seats, and the system's main job is to make sure no seat is sold twice.

5 things to know

Online booking systems are used by the travel industry, concerts, cinemas and sporting events.
How it works: the customer chooses an event and a seat. The system checks its database to see whether the seat is free, and holds it while the customer pays. When payment is confirmed the seat is marked as sold, and a ticket or confirmation is sent, often as an email or a QR code.
Advantages for customers: bookings can be made at any time and from anywhere, the seats available can be seen at once, there is no queueing, and confirmation is immediate.
Advantages for the business: double booking is prevented, fewer staff are needed, and it is easy to see how many tickets are sold.
Disadvantages: the customer needs a device and an internet connection, there is a risk of fraud or of data being stolen, the system is expensive to set up and maintain, and if it fails nothing can be booked.

Worked example

Two people try to book the last seat on a flight at the same moment. How does the system avoid selling it twice?

When the first customer selects the seat, the database marks it as held.
The second customer's request finds the seat unavailable.
Once the first customer pays, the seat is marked as sold. If they do not pay, it is released.

Tips and tricks

Preventing double booking is the point examiners look for. Say how: the seat is marked as unavailable as soon as it is selected.
Split advantages into two lists, for the customer and for the company, and answer from the side the question asks about.

5 questions, about 2 minutes.

It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.

Online booking systems: 5 questions and answers

These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.

What is the main reason an online booking system holds a seat while a customer pays?
- to charge more
- to prevent double booking (the answer)
- to slow down sales
- to save electricity
No one else can take the seat during that time.
Which is an advantage of online booking for a customer?
- A device is needed.
- Bookings can be made at any time. (the answer)
- The system might fail.
- Payment details could be stolen.
There are no opening hours.
Which is an advantage of online booking for a theatre?
- Fewer staff are needed to sell tickets. (the answer)
- The system is cheap to set up.
- Customers must queue.
- Seats are often sold twice.
The website does the work of a box office.
How is a ticket booked online often delivered?
- by post only
- as an email or a QR code on a phone (the answer)
- by fax
- by telephone call
It can be scanned at the entrance.
What does the system check first when a customer selects a seat?
- the customer's age
- whether the seat is still available in the database (the answer)
- the weather
- the customer's password strength
Seats already held or sold cannot be chosen.

5 questions

Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.

Worksheet

2 questions, 5 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.

Online booking systems

Cambridge IGCSE Information & Communication Technology 0417 · 5 marks · papermunch.org

Name ______________________________ Date ______________

Give three advantages to customers of booking cinema tickets online.[3]
Show answerHide answer
Tickets can be booked at any time of day. The customer can see which seats are available and choose. There is no need to queue at the cinema.
I got this one
Give two disadvantages of online booking systems.[2]
Show answerHide answer
The customer needs a device with an internet connection. If the system or the website fails, no bookings can be made. (Also: personal and payment details could be stolen.)
I got this one

Answers: Online booking systems

1. Tickets can be booked at any time of day. The customer can see which seats are available and choose. There is no need to queue at the cinema.
2. The customer needs a device with an internet connection. If the system or the website fails, no bookings can be made. (Also: personal and payment details could be stolen.)