Amadeus GDS Tutorial: How to Search for Flights (Step-by-Step)

A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Flight Search in Amadeus GDS

If you work in the travel industry or dream of becoming a professional travel agent, mastering the Amadeus GDS tutorial steps is your first big step. In this first lesson, we’ll walk you through how to search for a flight step by step — with a full video demonstration at the end. You can also explore our training resources for additional learning.

What is Amadeus?

Amadeus is one of the world’s leading Global Distribution Systems (GDS), used by travel agencies worldwide to book flights, hotels, car rentals, and more. It’s known for its fast search capabilities and precise commands — an essential skill for anyone working in tourism and travel. You can also review our amadeus commands guide for more details.

Step 1: Understand the Basic Command

To search for a flight in Amadeus, you use the famous AN command (Available Flight). The general format is:

• AN – The search command for available flights
• 25DEC – The date of travel (day + month)
• CAI – Departure airport code (Cairo)
• DXB – Arrival airport code (Dubai)

After entering the command and pressing Enter, the system will display a list of available flights including the flight number, airline, departure and arrival times, available seats in each class (Y, C, F), flight duration, and number of stops.

Step 2: Customize Your Search

You can refine your results by adding specific criteria such as:

• Specific time: AN25DECCAIDXB/1200 (after 12:00 PM)
• Specific airline: AN25DECCAIDXB/BA (British Airways only)
• Specific class: AN25DECCAIDXB/C (Business Class)

Step 3: Reading the Results

Once the list appears, focus on:

• Direct flights vs. Connecting flights
• The (Y) symbol means seats are available in Economy Class
• The total duration of the trip
• The flight number you’ll need for the booking command

Step 4: Compare and Choose the Right Flight

Once the availability display is on screen, do not sell the first flight you see. Compare the total journey, not just the departure time. A cheaper connection with a long layover can cost the passenger more in time and missed connections than a slightly higher direct fare.

Check the number of stops, total duration, arrival time, and the fare class available. A Y class seat is economy, but the fare family may still exclude checked baggage or seat selection. Before you sell, display the fare rules and baggage allowance so the client knows what is included.

For business travelers, prioritize frequency and arrival time. For leisure travelers, price and baggage often matter more. If two options are close, compare the connection risk: a 45-minute transfer in a large airport is not the same as a 3-hour layover. Once you choose, note the flight number and class, then move to the sell command (SS) and continue with passenger names.

A good habit is to read the display from left to right: airline, flight number, departure/arrival, equipment, stops, duration, and availability by class. That sequence prevents most selection mistakes.

Common Mistakes Beginners Make

Many new agents struggle with the same few issues when learning Amadeus. First, using a city code instead of an airport code (or vice versa) can return zero results. Second, forgetting to include the date in the correct format (DDMMM) will cause an error. Third, mixing up the AN, SN, and SS commands — AN is for availability, SN is for schedules, and SS is for selling seats. Understanding the difference early saves a lot of time.

Video Lesson

Watch the practical, step-by-step walkthrough in the video below:

Beginner Practice Drill

Try these three exercises in the GDSHUB training simulator before your next live session:

1. Search AN25DECCAIDXB and identify the direct flight with the shortest duration.
2. Repeat the search with a time filter, such as AN25DECCAIDXB/1200, and compare the results.
3. Filter by one airline, then write down the flight number, class, and total journey time you would recommend.

Say the command out loud as you type it: date, origin, destination, then the filter. This builds the muscle memory you need for faster searches under pressure.

Conclusion

Searching for a flight in Amadeus relies on one simple command — AN — combined with airport codes and a date. With practice, this process becomes fast and intuitive. In the next lesson, we’ll learn how to book a flight and convert it into a PNR.