SAA RESERVATIONS POLICY FOR GDS USERS
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RESERVATIONS POLICY
FOR
GDS USERS
Version 2.00
Date: 01/11/12
Compiled by: M. Cavaliere
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SAA RESERVATIONS POLICY FOR GDS USERS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ITEM
PAGE NUMBER
1. INTRODUCTION
3
2. DEPARTMENTAL INFORMATION
4
3. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
5
4. BOOKING
6
5. CANCELLATION
7
6. WAITLIST
8
7. TICKET TIME LIMITS
9
8. NON REVENUE BOOKINGS
10
9. GROUP BOOKINGS
10
10. DUPLICATE BOOKINGS
11
11. INTERLINE BOOKINGS
11
12. GENERAL BEST PRACTICES
12
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1.
INTRODUCTION
In order to structure reservation processes, it is necessary to establish a guideline that will contribute to good
corporate governance. Mutual trust and respect will always be important elements in conducting our business and
the written word will further strengthen this relationship with our clients regardless of changes to our systems or
the sophistication of our business practices.
This manual has been prepared with the intention of providing a clear understanding of reservation procedures to
be followed to ensure compliance to SAA best booking practices. The target audience for this manual is the travel
trade worldwide as well as our internal departments liaising with the travel trade. The information provided herein
is based on IATA Reservation Interline Message Procedures, SAA operational practices and SAA reservation
standards.
We trust that this manual will assist you in performing best booking practices that will contribute to the monetary
success of your company and SAA. It will strengthen and enhance the valued relationship that we have with our
clients by clearing misunderstandings and uncertainties that exists around our reservation procedures. It will
furthermore prevent ADM’s raised due to non-compliance if adhered to.
Your valuable contribution to grow our business and reduce distribution cost by adhering to the guidelines
contained within this manual is held in high esteem.
____________________________________________
Theunis Potgieter
General Manager: Commercial
South African Airways
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CONTACT INFORMATION
2.
COMMERCIAL
NAME
Theunis Potgieter
TITLE
GM Commercial
CONTACT TEL.
+27 11 978 1732
E-MAIL
[email protected]
CONTACT TEL.
+ 27 11 978 6258
E-MAIL
[email protected]
GLOBAL SALES DEVELOPMENT & ALLIANCES
NAME
Marc Cavaliere
TITLE
HOD Global Sales
Development &
Alliances
REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGERS
NAME
Todd Neuman
Nelson De Oliveira
Michael Bentele
Aaron Munetsi
Manoj Papa
Gcobani Mangcotywa
Gary Kershaw
TITLE
Head: North America
Head: South America
Head: Europe
Head: Africa
Head: South Africa
Head: Asia Pacific
Head: United Kingdom &
Ireland
CONTACT TEL
+09 54-769-5111
+ 55 11 3065 5110
+ 49 69 2998 0349
+ 27 11 978 5120
+ 27 11 978 5800
+ 08 52 2167 0217
+ 44 (0) 208 576
5536
E-MAIL
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
MARKETING
NAME
Kim Thipe
TITLE
Head: Marketing
CONTACT TEL.
+ 27 11 978 5597
E-MAIL
[email protected]
TITLE
Acting Manager:
Distribution Channels
CONTACT TEL.
+ 27 11 978 9277
E-MAIL
[email protected]
DISTRIBUTION
NAME
Yateen Dhaya
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
3
Throughout the text of this Manual acronyms and abbreviations are used to describe system responses,
reservation designators, action codes, advice codes, status codes and message identifiers. A list of items used in
distribution, revenue accounting, revenue management & integrity operations is shown hereunder.
ADM
:
Agency Debit Memo
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“Churning”
CRS
GDS
IATA
PNR
:
:
:
:
:
Excessive book/cancel of the same flights
Computer Reservation System
Global Distribution System
International Air Transport Association
Passenger Name Record
Business Class Category:
Business Class Category:
Business Class Category:
Economy Class Category:
Economy Class Category:
Economy Class Category:
Economy Class Category:
Voyager:
Rebates:
Discounted:
Voyager:
Rebates:
C, J, Z, D
E, I
R
Y, B, M, K, H, S
Q, T, V, L, W, G
X
N
LK
HK
LL
HL
-
System generated action/advice code to report a sale action
Holding a confirmed segment
System generated action/advice code to request a waitlist
Segment is waitlisted
KK
KL
RR
HX
-
Confirming a segment not previously waitlisted
Confirming a segment from a waitlist
Reconfirming a segment that was confirmed
Segment was cancelled and the reason shall be stated in an SSR
NO
-
UC
UN
US
-
No action taken of which the reason may be stated in a
supplementary element
Unable to confirm – waitlist is closed
Unable to confirm - flight does not operate
Unable to confirm/sell - flight, class, date, segment is closed for sale, have waitlisted
AK/BK/GK/MK/PK – Passive status codes segments confirmed outside the CRS.
SSR
TTL
TKNE
TKNA
TKNM
-
Special Service Requirement
Ticket Time Limit
System generated advisory – Electronic Ticket
System generated advisory – Paper Ticket
Manual entered ticket number
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BOOKING
4.
4.1
Description:
A booking is a direct flight segment that was requested via the GDS and has the filled status code of HK
or HL in the host reservation system for which a message has been transmitted back to the GDS.
4.2
Abusive behaviour:
4.2.1
Bookings are made for other purposes than travel e.g. to obtain fares, target volumes.
4.2.2
Bookings are made using incorrect entries/procedures e.g. revalidations.
4.2.3
Bookings are made using initials in lieu of first or last names in the name field.
4.2.4
Name changes are made to bookings for purposes other than correcting misspelled names.
4.3
Corrective action:
4.3.1
Bookings should never be created for purposes other than confirmed travel requests/plans.
Applicable entries should be used to obtain fare quotes without using the end transaction if flights were
booked for the purpose of obtaining a fare quote.
4.3.2
Agents must be trained adequately to use their respective GDS’s in a manner that is consistent with
booking objectives.
4.3.3
Initials in lieu of first or last names are not permitted. A valid first and last name as published in the
passenger’s travel document is required for all reservations.
4.3.4
Name changes are only permitted for the purpose of correcting a misspelling of the passenger’s name, if
the GDS has been authorized. Any name changes are prohibited after ticket issuance.
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5.
5.1
CANCELLATION
Description:
A cancellation is an entry made by a GDS user that causes a direct flight segment that was requested via
the GDS and has the filled status code of HK, HL in the host reservation system for which a message has
been transmitted back to the GDS, to be deleted from the booking file. Cancellations generated by SAA
will be transmitted with a HX action code. Cancels shall be counted on as per passenger, per direct flight
basis.
5.2
Abusive behaviour:
5.2.1
Bookings are cancelled and rebooked by agents to try and circumvent ticket time limits.
5.2.2
Agents are not adhering to ticket time limits resulting into system automated cancellation.
5.2.3
Agents are inserting fictitious ticket numbers to try and circumvent ticket time limits.
5.2.4
Incorrect entries/procedures are used to book and cancel segments.
5.2.5
Inactive segments are not cleared from bookings.
5.3
Corrective action
5.3.1
Bookings should never be created for purposes other than confirmed travel plans. Circumventing ticket
time limits results into unnecessary GDS cost due to booking and cancel actions (“Churning” effect).
5.3.2
Agents must adhere to ticket time limits at all times within market behaviour limitations. If clients are not
submitting payment, agents must refrain from rebooking the same itinerary repetitively and continuously
following system automated cancellations (“Churning” effect).
5.3.3
Inserting fictitious ticket number/s by using the TKNM entry must never take place.
5.3.4
Agents must be trained adequately to use their respective GDS’s in a manner that is consistent with
booking objectives.
5.3.5
Inactive segments with status codes UC/UN/HX/NO must be deleted from bookings without delay.
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6.
6.1
WAITLIST
Description:
A waitlist booking is a direct flight segment that was requested via the GDS and has the filled status code
of HL in the host reservation system for which a message has been transmitted back to the GDS. The
status code HL is present due to the flight or class of service being currently unavailable.
6.2
Abusive behaviour:
6.2.1
More than one waitlist segment is booked when a confirmed segment is already held in a booking.
6.2.2
More than two waitlisted segments are booked in the same booking held.
6.2.3
Waitlisted segments are not cancelled at least 24 hours before departure of the flights.
6.3
Corrective action
6.3.1
If a booking has a confirmed segment for a specific route, only one (1) waitlist segment may be
requested and held for the same confirmed routing.
6.3.2
Only two (2) waitlisted segments may be requested and held per route in a booking.
6.3.3 Segments with status codes HL must be deleted from bookings at least 24 hours before departure of the
flight/s.
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7.
7.1
TICKET TIME LIMITS
Description:
The ticket time limit is an automated system response that is assigned and inserted into each booking
request received in the Airline’s host system via the GDS and that has the filled status code of HK or HL.
It governs the realisation of sales from bookings made and ensures those flight inventories are managed
efficiently.
7.2
Abusive behaviour:
7.2.1
Agents are not adhering to automated system TTL advisories to ticket within deadlines given.
7.2.2
Agents reinstate bookings that were cancelled by the automated TTL system.
7.2.3
Agents deliberately changes booking information to circumvent assigned TTL’s.
7.2.4
Agents create new bookings in similarity to automated TTL system cancelled bookings in order to receive
newly assigned TTL’s.
7.2.5
Agents must not advise ticket numbers using the SSR TKMN entry, especially after flight changes.
7.3
Corrective action:
7.3.1
Agents must adhere to ticket time limits deadlines.
7.3.2
Agents must not reinstate cancelled bookings, unless payment is received that will allow the booking to
be ticketed with the TTL deadlines given.
7.3.3
Agents must not deliberately change booking information to circumvent assigned TTL’s.
7.3.4
Agents must not create new bookings based on a cancelled booking in order to receive a new ticket time
limit, unless payment is received that will allow the booking to be ticketed with the newly assigned TTL
deadlines.
7.3.5.
Agents must revalidate or reissue tickets after itinerary changes done on a previously issued ticket.
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8.
8.1
NON REVENUE BOOKINGS
Description:
A non revenue booking is a direct flight segment that was requested via the GDS and has the filled status
code of HK or HL in the host reservation system for which a message has been transmitted back to the
GDS. The difference from an ordinary booking is that the agent is creating the booking for purposes other
than intended travel.
8.2
Abusive behaviour:
8.2.1
A booking is created using fictitious names and/or fictitious ticket numbers.
8.2.2
A booking is created in the live system for training purposes.
8.3
Corrective action:
8.3.1
Agents must refrain at all times from creating bookings using fictitious names and/or fictitious ticket
numbers.
8.3.2
Agents must not use live systems for training purposes and should make use of training systems to
create these types of bookings.
9.
9.1
GROUP BOOKINGS
Description:
A group booking is a party of more than nine (9) passengers travelling together over one or more
segments for which space has to be requested. A unique name is assigned by the agent or individual
names of all the passengers using the CRS supplier’s system. The booking could contain SSR items.
9.2
Abusive behaviour:
9.2.1
Individual bookings are created for a group booking.
9.3
Corrective action
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9.3.1
Agents must refrain from creating individual bookings for a group of passengers exceeding nine (9).
These passengers must be booked as a group using group booking procedures.
10.
10.1
DUPLICATE BOOKINGS
Description:
A duplicate booking is an ordinary booking with the difference that the agent is already holding a
confirmed booking, but proceeds to create another booking request of which the booking criteria is
duplicating the existing booking.
10.2
Abusive behaviour:
10.2.1
Agents are creating a duplicate booking by using the same name items in a new booking when another
booking already exist with the same name items and exact itinerary.
10.2.2 Agents are creating a duplicate booking by using the same routing with different dates of departure
and/or flight numbers and/or classes in an existing booking and/or multiple bookings.
10.3
Corrective action:
10.3.1 Duplicate bookings should never be created. If a customer requests a booking, the agent should verify
that the customer is not already holding a similar booking with another consultant/agency.
10.3.2 Action must be taken on any warning messages relating to duplicate bookings within 24 hours after
receiving such message. Appropriate action is to cancel all duplicated items or the complete itinerary.
11.
11.1
INTERLINE BOOKINGS
Description:
An interline booking is a direct flight segment that was requested on another carrier other than SAA via
the GDS and has the filled status code of HK or HL in the host reservation system for which a message
has been transmitted back to the GDS.
11.2
Abusive behaviour:
11.2.1 Agents create a SA carrier code booking and then proceed to book on the same booking a segment of a
carrier that has no Interline Agreement with SAA.
11.3
Corrective action:
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11.3.1 Agents should display the SA Interline Table in their GDS and verify that an Interline Agreement exist
between SAA and a carrier that they intend to book sectors on before they proceed to book these in
conjunction with the SA carrier code sectors.
12.
12.1
GENERAL BEST PRACTICES
No Shows
The agent must advise their clients of the confirmed travel arrangements and the importance of notifying
the airline or travel agent should the passenger not be able to make use of their confirmed travel
commitments.
12.1.1 SAA Action after a no-show accord:
The departure control status of a customer’s flight is incorporated in the Reservation system PNR where
SAA will analyse these statuses. All no-show bookings will be processed by cancelling the remaining
SAA flight segments in the PNR. No exceptions will be entertained.
12.2
Low Fare Finder Entries
When creating a new booking and using a low fare pricing search entry, all changes needed should
whenever possible be completed before end transaction. The changing of class of service after end
transaction results in unnecessary GDS transaction fees.
12.3
Passive Bookings
An acceptable passive segment is a segment entered into a GDS against an existing, identical booking in
SAA’s reservations system. Passive segments are also known as “information segments and have status
codes of e.g. AK/BK/GK/MK/PK etc.
12.3.1 Passive Bookings Best Practices
GDS subscribers must use the “Claim PNR” functionality where available. Subscribers that use a GDS
which charge SAA for non-ticketed passive segments must use non-billable codes when entering
segments for purposes other than ticketing.
All GDS are required to inform airlines of passive segments i.e. to send a message to the relevant airline
as soon as a passive segment is entered into a GDS and therefore give the airline a chance to process
these bookings. If a passive segment has been created for no valid reason it can thus be rejected by the
airline system. In this case the system will change the status code of the passive segment to “NO” and
the segment will be returned to the GDS together with a SSR message stating the reason for the
rejection, e.g.:
 .. retrieved segment in airline system shows waitlist and passive segment is confirmed
 .. no corresponding PNR found in airline system
 .. invalid board or off point in passive segment
 .. class shown with passive segment is different from the one held in airline PNR
 .. not 1st message advising these passive segments
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12.3.2 Dual Automation
Where an agent uses more than one GDS in its business it must book and ticket each specific passenger
itinerary within the same GDS.
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