Table of Contents E-TARIFF AIRTICKETS NET FARES SYSTEM..........................................................2 ABOUT E- TARIFF.......................................................................... ...................2 USER INSTRUCTION..................................................................... .......................6 NEWSLETTER...................................................................... ............................6 E-TARIFF QUERY SCREEN.......................................................................... ......8 E-TARIFF IN MULTIPLE CURRENCIES................................................................14 FOREIGN CURRENCIES' EXCHANGE RATES......................................................16 ON-LINE AVAILABILITY.................................................................... ...............19 NET FARES' PRINTOUTS....................................................................... ..........21 FARE DETAILS......................................................................... ......................23 CRS INTERACTIVE..................................................................... .....................25 ON-LINE BOOKING......................................................................... ................27 BOOKING ENGINE.......................................................................... ................32 UPDATE PROCEDURE....................................................................... ................34 SABRE UPDATE SCHEDULER....................................................................... ...34 INTERNET UPDATE SCHEDULER......................................................................3 5 Zenon NDC Ltd 2 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 e-TARIFF AIRTICKETS NET FARES SYSTEM ABOUT e-TARIFF e-TARIFF is a software package, which aims to provide the travel agent's counter with correct and reliable information about the air tickets. That is, the tickets' net purchase prices, for any kind of fare basis, for any routing, for all airlines which have been included in the system, as well as all necessary details concerning the booking. The above information can be obtained within seconds, and can be summarised as follows: ?? carrier (airline) ?? booking class ?? face value or retail price (market fares) ?? net purchase price ?? commission and over commission, wherever applicable ?? fare basis and ?? net remittance code Furthermore one may see the city and airport codes, the rules (notes) which apply to every fare, i.e. Sunday rule, children discount, stopovers, etc., each airline's pricing policy, i.e. fare rules (advance purchase), instructions for tickets' issuance, etc., plus each fare's seasonality along with the participating carriers in each sector. Fares, as handled by e-TARIFF, may be expressed in one of the following methods: ?? commission and over commission, based on the published face values ?? commission and over commission on market fares ?? net-net price Zenon NDC Ltd 3 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 TRAVEL AGENTS e-TARIFF is an extremely powerful tool for the travel agent industry, since it optimises the productivity of the ticket counter. The reasons being: ?? Prior to this innovative software, the counter would have to search through all airlines' price lists, offers, faxes for special prices, etc., in order to locate the best possible fare that would fit the customers' needs. Now, the optimum fare is obtained within seconds. ?? The chief counter had to do the cumbersome and time consuming job of classifying all the daily incoming airlines' offers, make one copy for each counter, distribute them and inform them separately about the new offers. Now, all the chief counter will have to do is to turn on the PC, load e-TARIFF and let all new fares be displayed and electronically distributed to all other counters. ?? All possible mistakes can be kept to a minimum. Zenon NDC Ltd 4 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 AIRLINES e-TARIFF is an extremely useful tool for the airlines too, since it diminishes all the paper work and improves their customers' (agents) effectiveness and efficiency, while simultaneously it improves their image. The reasons being: ?? Paper-less world, both for the airlines and the agents. ?? The airline may have a modem connected to its PC or network of PCs, and communicate daily with B&A data base, therefore having the competition's prices, amendments and modifications every day. ?? It helps their agents to increase their sales faster and more efficiently ?? Without e-TARIFF the airline would have to send to their agents all price modifications, offers, market fares, etc., either by fax, or by mail, which could not guarantee that the message would reach their final destination on time. Now, the above procedure can be carried out electronically, knowing in advance that the message will be presented to each and every counter as fast and safe as possible. ?? The airline has the option to produce different pricing policy per agent. ?? Using innovative high tech products it improves the airline's image. ?? The load of inputting the fare modifications or updating the database by the agents is diminished by the airlines' contribution. ?? Uniform presentation of the airlines' price lists, and therefore increased readability by the agents ?? Last but not least, e- TARIFF gives the airline the option to send promotional messages to the agents, which are displayed on the counters' screen periodically when the system is idle. Zenon NDC Ltd 5 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 GDS and e-TARIFF e-TARIFF is neither a competitive nor a substitute product to any GDS. On the contrary, it is a complementary product, in the sense that although most airlines' published fares have been entered into the GDS s, the agents very rarely sell tickets based on those prices. Therefore it is vital for every agent to get to know the airlines' special offers and actual net prices fast and reliably. Furthermore e-TARIFF sorts all the known fares and displays them from the cheapest to the most expensive one. Last but not least, it is known that most travel agents do not have all four GDS s in their offices. Therefore the information they could get, concerning the net fares, via the GDS s would be insufficient as opposed to e-TARIFF, which, not being a competitive solution to any GDS, could well be distributed to every single agent. One of e- TARIFF' s major advantages is that while installed on SABRE, it shows the availability for each and every fare that the client is interested in, through which the counter can proceed with the booking. e-TARIFF DISTRIBUTION By the time each airline decides upon its pricing policy, somehow it will have to distribute it to Travel Agents, so that they will be able to sell its products. The above is a tedious and expensive activity that takes place minimum twice a year. For all the airlines that have e-TARIFF, the above mentioned task is now an easy procedure. Therefore, Travel Agents have all the airlines' pricing policy updated daily, on time without any delay. The above procedure can be done over SABRE's network (SITA), which implies lower cost to agents and safer data transfer or through internet. USER INSTRUCTIONS NEWSLETTER (1). Newsletter (6). Tip Of The Day (2). Exit (3). Print (4). Recent News (5). Previous News Zenon NDC Ltd 6 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Zenon NDC Ltd 7 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Double click on the e-TARIFF icon that resides on the Desktop. The system will automatically take you to the ELECTRONIC TARIFF QUERY-NEWSLETTER (1) screen. Through this screen you can be informed on e-TARIFF' s latest, news, promotions, etc. You may click on the s (4) symbol to go up or t (5) symbol to go down the newsletter screen, for more recent or previous news. You can achieve the same result by using the (?) and (?) arrows respectively, from the keyboard. You may produce a hard copy of the newsletter by clicking once on the Print (3) (Print NewsLetter) icon. You may return to the Tip Of The Day (6) by clicking once on the icon. This screen informs you about the latest updates of the software. You may exit the newsletter and proceed with e-TARIFF Query Screen, simply clicking once on the Escape = Exit (2) (Exit NewsLetter) button, or pressing once the Escape button from the keyboard. e-TARIFF QUERY SCREEN (1). Electronic TARIFF Tab (5). Trip Type (4). Departure date (6). Airline (3). Destination (7). Fetch Fares(2). Origin Zenon NDC Ltd 8 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Zenon NDC Ltd 9 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 To use the query screen, primarily you have to ensure that you reside on the Electronic TARIFF (1) Tab. Let us assume that a passenger seeks to travel from Larnaca to London on October the 25th, 2002 on a round trip flight. The user will have to fill the following fields: ?? Origin (2) : the originating city's three character code (e.g. LCA for Larnaca) ?? Destination (3) : the destination city's three character code (e.g. LON for London) or the airport's code (e.g. LHR or LGW for London) ?? Departure (4) : the departure date (in dd/mm/yyyy format), regardless of when (or if) the passenger wishes to return. If you omit the yyyy part the system will automatically fill it for you, resulting to a future date. ?? Trip Type (5) : indication as to whether the passenger wishes to fly one way or round trip. Simply click on the t button, which is displayed next to the Trip Type text, and choose among the two available options, i.e. 1. One Way or 2. Round Trip. ?? Airline (6) : this is an optional field, and it can be either filled in with the airline's two character code, if the passenger wishes to fly with a particular airline, or can be left blank in which case the system will present all airlines that fly to the specific destination. Note: If one does not know the airports' or the airlines' codes, simply click on the F4 button or press the F4 key, which is displayed next to the corresponding screen field, and search for the airport or the airlines using their names or descriptions. Same rule applies for all codes, which are accompanied by the F4 button. To proceed with the query, either press the End button from the keyboard or click on the Query Database-Fetch Fares (7) icon and the system will start searching for the desired fares. An indication of Processing appears. Within few seconds it will display the first ten fares, starting from the cheapest to the most expensive one, with the following details: Zenon NDC Ltd 10 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 (1). Airline code (3). Currency (5). Net Value (7). Over commission (2). Booking class (4). Face Value (6). Basic commission Zenon td e-TARIFF Course September 2002 NDC L 11 (8). Fare basis (9). NR Code (10). Next/Previous fare (line) (12). Full routing (11). Next/Previous set of fares (page) ?? The airline code that flies to the requested destination (1) ?? B/C booking class that refers to the specific price (2) ?? The currency that the fares are expressed (3) ?? The fare's Face value (4) ?? The fare's Net price (5) ?? The agent's basic commission (6) ?? The agent's over commission (7), if any ?? The Fare basis (8) and ?? The NR (BSP) code (9), wherever applicable Zenon NDC Ltd 12 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Zenon NDC Ltd 13 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Also, right above the NET column, one may see the time needed for the system to search and present all requested fares. In case there are more than ten fares referring to the specific routing, one may see the next or the previous page (ten fares), simply pressing the PageDown or PageUp buttons from the keyboard, respectively, or click on the Show Previous Page/Show Next Page (11) symbol. To move up or down to the next or previous fare, simply press the Up (?) or Down (?) arrow from the keyboard respectively or click on the Show Previous Line/Show Next Line (10) symbol. At the left side of the screen one may see the full routing, the carrier and the booking class, per sector, under the header ROUTE, CARR & BC (12) respectively. Further down there is an indication of the Results with the total fares found. e-TARIFF in MULTIPLE CURRENCIES (2). Select currency (1). Available currencies Zenon NDC Ltd 14 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Zenon NDC Ltd 15 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Some airlines express their fares in various currencies different to the local one. The following example illustrates how the e-TARIFF may handle such a situation, correct and easy. ?? Click on the Default Currency (1) (Select Desired Fare Currency) field and the system will automatically present you with all the available currencies. ?? Select currency (2) from the displayed icon and click once to pick up the desired one, e.g. EUR-Euro. The system will then automatically present the requested fares in the newly selected currency, that is EUR. In order to avoid any confusion that may be caused due to the way the actual values or percentages are presented, please keep a note of the following. Depending on each country's rules, the separator for the "thousands" and the "decimals" may be defined per case. In our example, the thousands are separated by ".", whereas the decimals by ",". The same concept applies to the number of decimals that each currency may have. The system may handle up to three (3) decimals and up to ten (10) integer digits. The following screen gives detailed instructions on how the currencies' exchange rates can be updated either manually or automatically. FOREIGN CURRENCIES' EXCHANGE RATES (1). CURRENCY RATES by Date Zenon NDC Ltd 16 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 (2). Rate Date (3). Modify (5). DownLoad (4). RATE (7). Exit (6). Save Zenon NDC Ltd 17 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Click on the $ (Currency Conversion Rates) button once and the system will take you to the CURRENCY RATES By Date (1) screen. Choose the date that the rates will be valid upon. To do that you will have to click on the Rate Date (2) field, where you may enter the desired date, or you may, if you wish, click on the (?) button (which resides next to the Rate Date field) and pick up the date from the displayed calendar. The Effective Date field, which is a display only field, indicates the last update that took place in the e-TARIFF. It implies that all fares expressed in various currencies, other than the default one, are based on the rates that were valid on that particular date. The update procedure can be carried out in one of the following ways: Manual update Click on the Modify (3) button once. The system will take you under the first currency's RATE (4) column. Simply type in the specific currency's exchange rate, and move onto the next currency either pressing Tab from the keyboard or clicking onto the next currency's RATE field. Carry on with the same procedure until you update all the currencies that are of some interest to you. Automatic update Instead of updating the exchange rates manually, you may, if you wish, download them directly from your Sabre. To do that, just click on the DownLoad (5) button once, and the e-TARIFF will automatically update all the currency's rates, based on the date that was assigned to the Rate Date (2) field. When you are through with updating the currency rates, click on the Save (6) and then Exit (7) buttons consecutively. (1). Fares in EURO Having updated the exchange rates, you may, for example, wish to see the fares for the LON (London) LCA (Larnaca) routing expressed in EURO (1). All fares are transformed and displayed in their equivalent amount in EURO, automatically. The same rule applies for any currency that may be requested by the user. Zenon NDC Ltd 18 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 ON-LINE AVAILABILITY (1). Availability (2). Book Zenon NDC Ltd 19 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Zenon NDC Ltd 20 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 At the bottom of the screen one may see and take advantage of e-TARIFF' s on- line Availability (1) feature. In our example, while the user has chosen CY to fly from London (LON) to Larnaca (LCA), on November 28th, 2002, with flight number 327, on which it shows to have available seats in X class. Which means that the counter may proceed immediately with the booking either via e-TARIFF' s BOOK (2) facility (which will be discussed in later chapter) or shifting onto the CRS and operate it accordingly. The availability information displayed on the screen, has been extracted directly from the Sabre, without any user interference. The system simply transmitted the request for availability command, and within few seconds, 0.45'' in our example, it responded accordingly. This way users feel more confident to commit themselves on the fare's price, as long as they are aware of the following three tips: ?? There is a flight on the requested date ?? There are available seats on the requested flight/date ?? In case of no seats on a specific booking class, the user may check and propose the client with some other fares on a different booking class. More information on how a user can proceed with e-TARIFF' s booking engine will be described at a later stage (ON-LINE BOOKING Screen). NET FARES' PRINTOUTS (2). CONFIRM PRINTING (3). Select Printer (1). Print (4). Confirm (5). View Only (6). Cancel Zenon NDC Ltd 21 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Zenon NDC Ltd 22 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 It is common that users need to have the fares of a specific destination presented on a hard copy. The reasons being: ?? Discuss the fares over a meeting ?? Comment on the competition ?? Send a fax to a business associate ?? Keep history of fares, etc. As described further below one may see detailed instructions on how the e-TARIFF handles this need. Initially you will have to display the fares of a specific routing, the way that it has been described in previous chapter. You then have to click on the Print (1) button once, and the system will prompt the CONFIRM PRINTING (2) Screen. You will then have to choose a printer, among the ones that have been previously installed on your windows. To do that you will have to select printer (3) clicking once on the t symbol of the CONFIRM PRINTING screen. To pick up the correct device just click once on one printer out of the displayed available ones. Following that you may either click on the Confirm (4) button to produce the print out, or click on the View Only (5) button to view the outcome on the screen. To abort the print feature click on Cancel (6) button or on the X symbol of the CONFIRM PRINTING Screen. FARE DETAILS (1). Fare Details (2). Financial Details (3). Full routing (4). Seasonality (5). Rules / Notes Zenon NDC Ltd 23 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Zenon NDC Ltd 24 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Having requested a routing, say LCA-SIN one-way trip, the user needs to know more information about the specific fare, apart from the pure financial details provided by the e-TARIFF. To extract this information one will have to click on the Fare Details (1) Tab once or press F10 key from the keyboard, and the system will display a screen with the following data. ?? Financial Details (2) Where the fare's Face Value, Net Value, Commission, Over commission, Supplier's Net and Gross Profit, can be seen, all expressed in the selected currency. The last two fields refer only to the case of consolidation. ?? Full routing (3) One may see the fare's full routing, according to the airline's request i.e. LCA-SIN, and the participating carriers along with the booking class assigned per sector, that is GF on V class for the whole itinerary. ?? Seasonality (4) Each fare may be valid on certain date limits, which are displayed in the form of Valid From - To dates. Each fare may have up to five (5) different valid date limits. However, there are cases where one fare is Valid From a specific date, until further notice by the airline or the GSA, in which case the To part is left blank. ?? Rules / Notes (5) Each fare is accompanied by a set of rules, which have to be strictly followed in order to provide the customer with correct and reliable answers. The kind of information provided by e-TARIFF is, Sunday rule, children discount, stopovers, advance purchase, instructions for tickets' issuance, etc., CRS INTERACTIVE (2). CRS command (1). CRS Interactive 3). CRS User Query Zenon NDC Ltd 25 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 AA (4). Sabre response Zenon NDC Ltd 26 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 While at the e-TARIFF, one may access directly the Sabre, without having to shift (using Alt + Tab) from one program to the other. Instead, you may simply click on the CRS Interactive (1) Tab once and the system will take you directly into Sabre. From there and on you may, if you wish, access the Sabre typing any command(2). In actual fact what the user sees at that particular moment, is the Sabre itself and only that. If for example there is a request for availability on a Larnaca (LCA) to London (LON) flight, on June the 15th, the user will simply have to type in the Sabre command, i.e.115JUNLCALON. The system will then respond within several seconds, with the appropriate answer, Sabre Response (4). There is no limit to the number of commands that can be given to the CRS, while the system keeps track of all past commands. This can be obtained by clicking once on the t, CRS User Query (3) symbol, where you can select any previously entered command and proceed with them. ON-LINE BOOKING (1). Flight (2). Name (4). ADD (6). REMOVE (9). Verify Execution (8). CANCEL (3). Pax (5). Passenger names (7). ITINERARY Zenon NDC Ltd 27 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 One of e-TARIFF 's major advantages and unique features is the ability to proceed directly with booking a seat, without having to shift (using Alt + Tab) to the main CRS program. The user will initially have to request for a specific routing, say one-way trip, from LCA to ATH, on November the 28th, 2002. The system will search and display all possible fares, and the user will have to click on the e-TARIFF Query Screen's BOOK button. As long as there are available seats on the CY336 flight, the user will pick it up by clicking on the flight's button (1). Next step will be to insert the passengers' names. To do that, simply click on the Name (2) field, and type in the name in block capitals, e.g. GEORGIOU/K MR. Following that simply click on the ADD (3) button, and the Pax (4) field will be increased by one. Type in the second name, following exactly the same steps, while the Pax (4) field will be increased once more. You may follow the above described procedure as many times as the number of passengers who wish to fly on that particular flight. If you wish to remove a passenger, simply click on the passenger's name (5) and following that the Remove (6) button. The name will automatically be removed and the number of Pax will in turn be reduced by one. You may cancel the process of booking clicking once on the CANCEL (8) button, and the itinerary will not be created. You may proceed with the itinerary clicking once on the ITINERARY (7) button. The system will automatically take you to the Execute Booking window (the Verify Execution (9) must be marked). Zenon NDC Ltd 28 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Here you can see the entries that the program is going to execute. If you agree click on Proceed, if you disagree click on Cancel and it will take you back to the booking process to select flights and insert names again. Execute Booking Proceed Cancel Zenon NDC Ltd 29 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 As a result of pressing the Proceed button you get to the next screen as shows below. It does execute the entries. Now you have to click on Finish. Finish Zenon NDC Ltd 30 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 If you click on CRS Interactive you will see you reservation. Here you can add other details like phone number of your client, Frequent Flyer number etc. and finally you complete your reservation by pressing E to end transaction. At any time, you are able to click on Sabre tab on the taskbar and continue working in your reservation. CRS Interactive Zenon NDC Ltd 31 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Booking Engine To set up the Booking Engine: 1. Click on Configuration Details, which is at the e-tariff tab above the Cost. 2. Click on Booking Engine. 3. Click on Configure. 4. Here you can put the Phone number of your office in Phone, 7TAW/ in Ticket Info and at the Remarks you can add an OSI message like in the following example. We suggest not making any changes in Segment, Name and End Transaction fields. 5. Finally, when you make all changes click on Save and then Exit. 6. Click on Exit to return to e-tariff screen. Save Exit Zenon NDC Ltd 32 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Zenon NDC Ltd 33 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Please note that, if the system remains idle for a few seconds, several promotional messages may appear on the screen. Moving the mouse or pressing any key the messages will disappear. If you wish to deactivate this permanently, simply press Ctrl & F1 simultaneously. The same combination of keys must be applied in order to reactivate the promotional messages. If you wish to exit the e-TARIFF, make sure that you reside on the Electronic TARIFF Tab, and then press Esc from the keyboard or click on the X which is located on the up right position of your e-TARIFF' s Query Screen or click on the Terminate Program symbol once. UPDATE PROCEDURE Sabre Update Scheduler The Sabre Update Scheduler is minimized, and the communication mechanism is on. This way the system will be uploading e- TARIFF' s database on a daily basis, while this screen will automatically and continuously be loaded each time you start up your PC. You can run the update procedure (optionally) simply clicking once on the CALL NOW button. It is recommended that you save all the work that is being carried out by other software, since the update procedure may take up to 3 hours, depending on your hardware's technical specifications and resources. Zenon NDC Ltd 34 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Internet Update Scheduler (2). Minimize (1). CALL NOW You may, if you wish, click once on the status bar to display the INTERNET UPDATE SCHEDULER full screen. You can run the update procedure (optionally) simply clicking once on the CALL NOW (1) button. It is recommended that you save all the work that is being carried out by other software, since the update procedure may take up to tewnty (20) minutes, depending on your hardware's technical specifications and resources. If your server is not already connected to the Internet, the INTERNET UPDATE SCHEDULER will automatically connect, without any user intervention. Once the update procedure is complete, the system will automatically get disconnected. You may then Minimize (2) this screen, and let it reside on the WINDOWS bar. Zenon NDC Ltd 35 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 e-Tariff Course Address: 24 Alkeou St, Engomi P.O.Box 25326, 1308 Nicosia – Cyprus Tel: 357-22664515, Fax: 357-22664502, SITA:NICXZCY e- mail:zenon@cyprusair.com.cy ©Copyright 2002 ZENON National Distribution Centre Ltd. All rights reserved. All trademarked product and company names are the property of their respective trademark holders. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or translated into any language, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Copying software used in this course is prohibited without the express permission of ZENON National Distribution Centre Ltd. Making unauthorised copies of such software violates copyright law, which includes both civil and criminal penalties. Zenon NDC Ltd 36 e-TARIFF Course September 2002 Page 1 Section 5.2 How to Complete a Manual Ticket Description of Manual Ticket The Interline Passenger Ticket, officially know as the "Passenger Ticket and Baggage Check", provides documentation for passengers using air transportation. The ticket booklet consists of the following: Front Cover - The presence of the front cover is required during travel. Auditor's Coupon - Green (Sent in with your weekly sales report) Agent's Coupon - Pink (Maintain in your agency files) One, Two, Three or Four Flight Coupons - Required for boarding authority Passenger’s Coupon - The presence of the Passenger’s Coupon is required during travel. The ticket booklet is designed so that appropriate entries will copy onto each coupon. The flight coupons are shaded to highlight information applicable to the individual coupon. 4-Flight Manual Ticket - Auditor’s Coupon How to Complete Each Box of the Manual Ticket Each box of the Manual Ticket is explained, illustrated, and completed with an example. The examples, while adequate to demonstrate the basic principles of completing a manual ticket, do not cover every possibility. The boxes are shown larger than normal for illustration purposes. Each box is addressed separately, and the information entered in one box on a page is not necessarily related to any other information entered in other boxes - all information entered in the boxes is for illustration purposes only. Page 2 Section 5.2 “DATE OF ISSUE” “PLACE OF ISSUE” and “PASSENGER TICKET AND BAGGAGE CHECK ISSUED BY” BOXES Select the proper airline identification plate according to the instructions listed in the introduction of this section under the title “SELECTION OF THE TICKETING CARRIER.” Then follow these steps: • Ensure that your agency identification plate is in the imprinter. • Ensure that the date wheel has been set to reflect the current date. • Imprint the ticket using the airline identification plate - once imprinted, the ticket becomes the carrier’s property. • Simultaneously, the date and your agency identification will imprint along with the airline identification. • Remember, a ticket is not valid for transportation unless it has been properly validated. "NAME OF PASSENGER" BOX Enter the passenger's surname (last name), followed by a slash, the given (first) name and optionally the title. When the given (first) name is not available or there is insufficient space on the ticket, the given (first) name may be replaced by the initial. The name field shall be truncated (shortened) if necessary to include any required special purpose codes. If the passenger is holding a reservation at the time of ticketing, the name entered on the ticket shall be written identically to the way the name appears in the reservations record. When hyphenated surname or double surname is involved, omit the hyphen or space. SPECIAL PURPOSE CODES EXAMPLE 1. CBBG (Cabin Baggage) - When a passenger requires the use of a seat for baggage, a separate ticket must be issued. Leave a space after the passenger’s name and enter the special code “CBBG” NAME OF PASSENGER NOT TRANSFERABLE SMITH/JOAN MS. CBBG 05 JAN 02 Page 3 Section 5.2 "NAME OF PASSENGER" BOX - Continued 2. EXST (Extra Seat) - When a passenger requires an extra seat for himself, and you issue a separate ticket for the extra seat, leave a space after the passenger’s name and enter the special code “EXST” on the separate ticket. If you choose not to issue a separate ticket, but include the additional charge on the passenger’s ticket, leave a space after the passenger’s name and enter the special code “PLUS EXST.” NAME OF PASSENGER NOT TRANSFERABLE NAME OF PASSENGER NOT TRANSFERABLE 3. UM (Unaccompanied Minor) - The passenger’s name shall be followed by at least one space or an asterisk and in parentheses the notation “UM” followed by age. NAME OF PASSENGER NOT TRANSFERABLE 4. INF or INFANT - The infant’s name shall be followed by at least one space or an asterisk and in parentheses the notation “INF” or the word “INFANT.” If a passenger is traveling with an infant carried free of charge and not occupying a seat, the infant may be included on the ticket of the accompanying adult. Following the passenger name, leave at least one space or an asterisk and the code "INF" or "PLUS INF." NAME OF PASSENGER NOT TRANSFERABLE NAME OF PASSENGER NOT TRANSFERABLE 5. CHD or CHILD - To discourage fraudulent use of tickets issued at children’s discounts/fares, the passenger’s name shall be followed by at least one space or an asterisk and the code “CHD” or the word “CHILD.” NAME OF PASSENGER NOT TRANSFERABLE "FROM/TO" BOXES This section of the ticket shows the passenger's itinerary. Enter in sequence the full name of each city in the itinerary, including origin city, enroute cities, or stopover cities where the passenger will change carriers, and the destination city. When more than one booklet is required (Conjunction Ticket), the last “TO” city on each booklet becomes the first “FROM” city on the next booklet. X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO GORMAN / JOE MR. PLUS EXST GORMAN / JOE MR. EXST JOHNSON / RANDY (UM) 8 JOHNSON / PATTI PLUS INF JOHNSON / RANDY (INF) JOHNSON / RANDY CHD DALLAS MIAMI LOS ANGELES SYDNEY MELBOURNE MELBOURNE AUCKLAND Page 4 Section 5.2 When a ticket booklet provides a greater number of coupons than required, enter “VOID” in the unused boxes and remove the voided coupons from the ticket booklet. X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO Voided coupons within a valid ticket set should be destroyed unless the ticket set was validated on one of the carriers listed below. For these carriers, the voided coupons are attached behind the Auditor’s Coupon and sent to the area bank. Aerolineas Argentinas (AR/044) Finnair OY (AY/105) Sabena (SN/082) Aero Peru (PL/210) Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (LB/051) Singapore Airlines (SQ/618) Air India (AI/098) LOT Polish Airlines (LO/080) Southwest Airlines Co. (WN/526) Bahamasair (UP/111) Malaysian Airline System (MH/232) Thai Airways Int’l (TG/217) British Airways (BA/125) Olympic Airways (OA/050) Tower Air (FF/305) Pakistan Int’l Airlines (PK/214) Varig Airlines (RG/042) When listing city names, spell out the name of the city. Do not use codes or abbreviations. When duplicate place names exist such as Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine, include the state or province (Canada) abbreviation. X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO CINCINNATI MIAMI ATLANTA CINCINNATI VOID PORTLAND, ME BOSTON SAN FRANCISCO PORTLAND, OR SEATTLE Page 5 Section 5.2 When a city is served by two or more airports, the city name shall be followed by the airport name. X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO When the itinerary involves arrival at one airport and departure from another airport in the same city, you may: A. Enter the city name, followed by both airport names in the same box in order of use, separated by a slash. X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO OR B. Enter the city name followed by the airport name in consecutive boxes by order of use, marking the intermediate coupon “VOID” in the Reservation Information Area. X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO NEW YORK-LA GUARDIA WASHINGTON-NATIONAL NEW YORK-KENNEDY LONDON-GATWICK NEW YORK-NEWARK BOSTON NEW YORK KENNEDY MIAMI CHICAGO-MIDWAY BOSTON LA GUARDIA O’HARE BOSTON NEW YORK - KENNEDY NEW YORK - LA GUARDIA CHICAGO-MIDWAY BOSTON V O I D Page 6 Section 5.2 When the itinerary involves surface transportation between a deplaning point and the next boarding point, enter the city names in itinerary sequence, and to allow for a flight coupon at the next boarding point, provide a coupon over the surface segment, marking such coupon “VOID” in the Reservation Information Area. Do not use the terms “SURFACE” or “ARUNK.” X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO “STOPOVER/NO STOPOVER" BOXES When the fare does not permit a stopover at a particular city, enter an "X" opposite the applicable city. At cities where stopovers are permitted, the entry of an "O" is optional by carrier. X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO CARRIER Enter the official airline designator (two-letter or numeric alpha code). X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO PORTLAND, ME BOSTON NEW YORK - KENNEDY TAMPA MIAMI V O I D NEW YORK - KENNEDY AA 989 H 19OCT 730A OK HAP3 PC X MIAMI AA 695 H 19OCT 1120A OK HAP3 PC ST. CROIX AA 694 H 25OCT 306P OK HAP3 PC X MIAMI AA 954 H 25OCT 726P OK HAP3 PC NEWYORK - KENNEDY DL TW BA CO Page 7 Section 5.2 FLIGHT/CLASS Enter the flight number followed directly by the appropriate reservations booking designator, based upon reservations records. X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO DATE Enter the two-digit scheduled boarding date followed by the three-letter abbreviation for month. X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO TIME Enter the scheduled departure time designating “A” for a.m., “P ” for p.m., “N” for noon and “M” for midnight. Time may also be entered in 24-hour clock format. X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO 1741 V 700 Q 172 L 25 B 01NOV 18NOV 08DEC 28DEC 800A 1110A 115P 2000 Page 8 Section 5.2 STATUS Enter status of passenger’s reservations, as follows: OK Space Confirmed RQ Space requested but not confirmed. Space Waitlisted. SA Fare or rule prohibits advance reservations. Subject to space being available. NS Infant, NO Seat. (In the case of infants not occupying seats as provided in applicable tariff rules, this code shall be shown in the "STATUS" box of each flight coupon for a flight so affected.) In addition: When reservations have not been confirmed, the word "OPEN" shall be printed across the “Flight/Class,” “Date,” “Time,” and “Status” boxes. X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO When reservations have been waitlisted without confirmation of other space, the applicable carrier, flight/class, date and time will be completed and "RQ" shall be shown as the status. X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO BOSTON US 600 U 15DEC 730A OK U PC NEW YORK-LA GUARDIA US U PC NASHVILLE AA 594 Y 20DEC 815A OK Y26 PC BOSTON US 6001 U 28DEC 800A OK U PC NEWYORK - LA GUARDIA BOSTON US 600 U 15DEC 730A OK U PC NEW YORK-LA GUARDIA AA 277 Y 18DEC 602P RQ Y26 PC NASHVILLE AA 594 Y 20DEC 815A OK Y26 PC BOSTON US 6001 U 28DEC 800A OK U PC NEWYORK - LA GUARDIA O P E N Page 9 Section 5.2 When a passenger holds a confirmed reservation, but has requested or is waitlisted on another flight or in a different class of service, enter the confirmed reservation in the "Reservation Information Area" of the ticket. X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO In the "Endorsements/Restrictions” box of the applicable flight coupon(s) enter "RQ", carrier, flight number, class, date, city codes (when other than cities shown in From/To) of requested flight or class. “FARE BASIS” BOX Enter in the “FARE BASIS” box, opposite the segment to which it applies, the primary, secondary and/or discount code, or combination of codes, that describe the applicable fare. In the example below, the fare basis of U is a Primary Fare Code that indicates “Shuttle Service - No Reservation Needed - Seat Guaranteed.” In the second fare basis, QLNR breaks down as follows: Q is the Primary Fare Code indicating Economy/Coach Discounted. Letters L, N, and R are all Restrictive Qualifier Codes; L indicates the Lowest level of a Fare having more than one level; N indicates Night/Off Peak; R indicates Round Trip/Circle Trip. X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO The following pages provide Fare Basis Codes as they appear in the ATA Standard Interline Passenger Procedures manual. These codes are used when constructing a fare basis manually. ENDORSEMENTS/RESTRICTIONS (CARBON) BOSTON US 600 U 15DEC 730A OK U PC NEW YORK-LA GUARDIA AA 277 Y 18DEC 602P OK Y26 PC NASHVILLE AA 594 Y 20DEC 815A OK Y26 PC BOSTON US 6001 U 28DEC 800A OK U PC NEWYORK - LA GUARDIA RQ AA 277Y 18DEC LGA BNA BOSTON US 6001 U 15DEC 800A OK U PC NEW YORK-LA GUARDIA NEW YORK - KENNEDY DL 235 Q 20DEC 520P OK QLNR PC TAMPA DL 156 Q 28DEC 128P OK QLNR PC NEWYORK - KENNEDY V O I D Page 10 Section 5.2 "FARE BASIS" BOXES Enter in the "Fare Basis" box opposite the segment to which it applies, the Primary Fare Code, followed by the Restrictive Qualifier Codes, Discount Codes, or combination of codes, which describe the applicable fare. A Numeric may be added immediately following a Primary Fare Code or Restrictive Qualifier Code to denote different levels of a fare applicable within the same compartment. (Numbers shall not be duplicated except for fare types governed by the same rule or provision.) 1. PRIMARY FARE CODES - Enter one of the Primary Fare Codes shown below in the "FARE BASIS" box of the ticket opposite the segment to which it applies. The Primary Fare Code entered on the ticket shall be the same as the Reservations Booking Designator used to denote the compartment in which the reservation is confirmed or desired. This rule does not apply to codes "X" and "75" which shall be used only as Primary Fare Codes not as Reservations Booking Designators. First Class Category R Supersonic P First Class Premium F First Class A First Class Discounted Business Class Category J Business Class Premium C Business Class D Business Class Discounted Z Business Class Discounted Economy/Coach Class Category W Economy/Coach Premium S Economy/Coach Y Economy/Coach B Economy/Coach Discounted H Economy/Coach Discounted K Economy/Coach Discounted L Economy/Coach Discounted M Economy/Coach Discounted N Economy/Coach Discounted Q Economy/Coach Discounted T Economy/Coach Discounted V Economy/Coach Discounted Miscellaneous U Shuttle Service-No reservation needed- Seat Guaranteed E Shuttle Service-No reservation allowed- Seat to be confirmed at check-in. G For individual Airline Use I Not to be assigned O Not to be assigned 75 Involuntary rerouting which results in higher fare X Joint Fare Only (Shall only be used when Reservations Booking Designators vary between Carriers) 2. RESTRICTIVE QUALIFIER CODES- Enter immediately following the Primary Code when applicable. (Not applicable when numeric fare code on special fares identifies the restriction.) * EXAMPLES Fare having two levels H - L Fare having three levels H - O - L Fare having four levels H - O - J - L ** OPTIONAL AF** Area Fare AO Hawaiian Add On Fare AP** Advance Reservation and/or Purchase Requirement C Cancellation Penalty/Processing Fees (follows all other fare basis codes) F** Directional Fare From the Origin City-- may be followed by a three-letter city code indicating origin city. (Shall not exceed seven characters.) H** Highest Level of a Fare Having More Than One Level (not combined with fare type codes when numeric code indicates fare level). J* Third Level of a Fare Having More Than Three Levels (not combined with fare type codes when numeric code indicates fare level). L* Lowest Level of a Fare Having More Than One Level (not combined with fare type codes when numeric code indicates high or low level). N Night/Off Peak O* Second Level of a Fare Having More Than Two Levels (not combined with fare type codes when numeric code indicates fare level). P Family Fare or Spouse Fare. (When the family fare requires the group to travel together, enter code "FTT" in the "ENDORSEMENTS" box of the tickets of all the family members. If travel together is not required for the entire itinerary, fill "FTT" by the codes of the cities between which the family members travel together. The routing may be condensed.) Q Surcharge R Round Trip/Circle Trip S** Specific Flight(s) Page 11 Section 5.2 T** Directional Fare to the Destination City - may be followed by a three letter city code indicating the destination city. (Shall not exceed seven characters.) U No Advance Reservations Permitted W Weekend - Applicable for Fares Established for Weekend Travel Only X Weekday - Applicable for Fares Established for Weekday Travel Only. 3. PASSENGER TYPE - ALPHA CODES - Enter in the "Fare Basis" box following the Primary Fare Code (and Restrictive Qualifier Code(s) if any). These codes shall be used in connection with published fares to identify a specific type of passenger. * When calculated as a percentage of a full published fare enter the Passenger Type code in the "TICKET DESIGNATOR" box instead of the "FARE BASIS" box, and follow with the percentage discount. CA* Cargo Attendant (international only) CD Senior Citizen CH* Child CL* Clergy/Missionary CP* Companion Passenger Traveling with a Fare paying Passenger DG* Government, Diplomatic, or specified category of Persons/Nationals traveling at a Government ordered fare; to be followed by the applicable percentage of discount or by any other applicable discount code. e.g. DG/EM, DG/SD. DR* Red Cross Disaster Relief. EM* Emigrant (international only) IE* Escort to accompany an Inadmissible Passenger IG Inaugural Guests IN Infant JC* Job Corps LA Labor Discount (international only) M Military Reserved Fare MA Military Category A MR Military Recruit MU Military Standby Fare (when a military passenger on emergency leave, and traveling at military standby fares, is entitled to make an advance reservation, enter "Emergency Leave" in the "ENDORSEMENTS" box on each applicable flight coupon.) MZ* Military Category Z PG* Pilgrim Fare (International only) RF* Refugee SC* Ship Crew Individual SD* Student Fare (international only) TD Teacher Discount (international only) Z Youth Reservation Fare ZU Youth Standby Fare 4. PERCENTAGE DISCOUNT FARES - Enter in the "TICKET DESIGNATOR" box the Passenger Type alpha code or one of the following Ticket Designator codes to indicate the type of discount and follow with the percentage of discount when applicable. EXAMPLES: 75% discount to be shown as "75" AD Agent AT Attendant Traveling at Discount Fare Accompanying a Disabled Passenger DH Reduced Fare Transportation for person officially traveling to Travel Agent Arbiter hearings EG Group Education Trip for Travel Agents IB ATA Employee Traveling on Industry Business ID Air Industry Employee RG General Sales Agent TG Tour Guide (Conductor) VUSA Visit USA. When different discount levels apply to different coupons of the ticket, the ticket designator code and percentage of discount may be entered in the fare basis box of each coupon following the Primary Fare Code (and restrictive qualifier codes if any). 5. FARE TYPE CODES (SPECIAL CATEGORY FARES) Fare Type Codes identify special fares having varying restrictions or purchase requirements as a condition of use. Precede the Fare Type Code by a Primary Fare Code (and Restrictive Qualifier Code and/or Passenger Type Code if applicable). CB Contract Bulk Fare E Individual Excursion G Group Fare IT Individual Tour Basing Fare V Group Inclusive Tour Fare For group travel - enter in the "TICKET DESIGNATOR" box the code "G" or "V" as appropriate, followed by the minimum number of passengers required by tariff, and optionally follow with a diagonal and reference number established for the group, if any. When the group fare or individual Tour Basing Fare requires the group to travel together, enter code "GTT" in the "ENDORSEMENTS" box of the tickets of all group members. If travel together is not required for the entire itinerary follow "GTT" by the codes of the cities between which the group members must travel together. The routing may be condensed. Page 12 Section 5.2 6. CONSTRUCTION OF FARE BASIS CODE Applicable codes shall be combined in descending order: Primary Fare Code A-B-C-D-F-H-J-K-L-M-P-Q-R-S-T-VW- X-Y-75 Qualifier Code H-O-J-L Qualifier Code AO-N Qualifier Code W-X Qualifier Code AF-AP Qualifier Code U Qualifier Code F-T Qualifier Code P-Q-R Qualifier Code S Passenger Type Alpha Code CA-CD-CH-CL-CP-DG-DR-EM-IGIN- JC-LA-M-MA-MR-MU-MZ-PGRF- SC-SD-TD-Z-ZU Fare Type Code CB-E-G-IT-V Numeric Fare Code See applicable table Qualifier Code C “TICKET DESIGNATOR” BOX Enter the Passenger Type Alpha Code (see section on fare construction) or one of the following Ticket Designator Codes to indicate the type of discount and follow with the percentage of discount, when applicable. For example, a 75% discount is shown as “75” and a 100% discount is shown as “00.” For group travel, enter code “G” or “V” as appropriate, followed by the minimum number of passengers required by tariff. Ticket Designator Codes AD Agent Discount AT Attendant Traveling at Discount Fare Accompanying a Disabled Passenger DH Reduced Fare Transportation for person officially traveling to Travel Agent Arbiter hearings EG Group Education Trip for Travel Agents IB ATA Employee Traveling on Industry Business ID Air Industry Employee RG General Sales Agent TG Tour Guide VUSA Visit USA “TOUR CODE” BOX Enter the official tour code number in case of an Inclusive Tour or a Bulk Inclusive Tour. TICKET DESIGNATOR ID ”50” TOUR CODE IT 5LH20K42 Page 13 Section 5.2 “NOT VALID BEFORE” and “NOT VALID AFTER” BOXES A. The earliest return date (day and month), only when applicable, shall be entered in the appropriate box on each flight coupon. The box shall not be completed until a confirmed reservation is entered on the ticket. EXCEPTION: Where tariff rules prohibit voluntary reservation changes, or where such changes are only permissible against additional payment, the date to be entered in this box shall be the same as the reservation date entered on the same coupon. B. When a ticket has a normal one-year validity and is not issued in conjunction or exchange, no entry need be made. In all other cases, enter the expiry date (day and month only) in the appropriate box(es). NOTE: When date entries in the “NOT VALID BEFORE” and “NOT VALID AFTER” boxes apply to two or more consecutive flight coupons, they may be printed across the applicable boxes and shall include the date, 3- letter month abbreviation, and the first two digits of the year, e.g., 10 JUN 98. When a change in reservation information affects the validity period of short-term special fare tickets, change entries in the “NOT VALID BEFORE” and “NOT VALID AFTER” boxes on the applicable flight coupons. Strike out the original entries and enter the new dates immediately above or below, as space permits, or in the “ENDORSEMENTS/RESTRICTIONS” box. "ALLOW" BOX This box can be left blank, or enter the applicable amount of free baggage weight allowance in kilograms or pounds using the letter "KG" or "K," "LB" or "L;" when the free allowance is based on pieces, enter "PC." X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO When the fare used does not permit any free baggage allowance (e.g., Infant's tickets) invalidate the "ALLOW" box by entering "NO," "NIL," or "XX." X/O NOT GOOD FOR PASSAGE CARRIER FLIGHT/CLASS DATE TIME STATUS FARE BASIS ALLOW FROM TO TO TO TO COUPONS NOT VALID BEFORE 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 COUPONS NOT VALID AFTER 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 10 JUN 02 11 JUL 02 KG PC LB K NIL NO XX Page 14 Section 5.2 “FROM/TO,” “CARRIER,” “FARE CALCULATION” BOXES Complete this portion of the ticket when: Tickets are issued in conjunction with one another; and/or The ticket is issued in exchange for a portion of another ticket except when the reticketed portion represents passage solely between fare break points on the original ticket; or A city not shown in the passenger's itinerary is used for purposes of fare construction; or A surcharge, differential, stopover charge or mileage charge is applicable. Any of the special fare construction principles set forth in the following pages apply; or Any of the following situations apply: • Sale of the ticket is in the country of commencement of transportation; ticket is issued outside. • Sale of the ticket is outside the country of commencement of travel; ticket is issued outside. • Sale of the ticket is outside the country of commencement of travel; ticket is issued inside. When the itinerary includes an open segment show the official airline designator of the carrier used. Enter the applicable fare opposite the segment to which is applies. All amounts shall be in the same currency or Neutral Units of Construction (NUCs). In the "FARE" box at the bottom of the "FARE CALCULATION" column, enter the sum of amounts in the column. If the fare calculation entries are in Neutral Units of Construction (NUCs), strike out the word "FARE” and enter "NUC" preceding the total. FROM/TO CARRIER FARE CALCULATION FARE COMM. RATE In the last box at the bottom of the Fare Calculation column, enter the IATA Rate of Exchange used to convert the total of the NUCs into the local currency of the country of commencement of transportation preceded by "ROE." Fuel Surcharges (Q’s) must be shown in the fare calculation area. They are part of the fare, and should be included with the base fare. Fuel Surcharges ARE NOT separate taxes. NYC ORL CO 90.00 NYC CO 90.00 ORL Q 21.00 XF JFK4.50 MCO4.50 ZP JFK3 MCO3 201.00 Page 15 Section 5.2 When it is necessary to complete the "FROM/TO - CARRIER - FARE CALCULATION - FARE" section of the ticket, also complete the Origin/Destination boxes (See page 25). Examples: FROM/TO CARRIER FARE CALCULATION FARE COMM. RATE FROM/TO CARRIER FARE CALCULATION FARE COMM. RATE When a Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) is collected, the airport to which the PFC applies and the amount indicator for the dollar amount collected (1=USD 1.00, 2=USD 2.00, 3=USD 3.00), must be shown at the end of the Fare Calculation area. Precede the PFC entry with a heavy line. Show the code "XF" in the "FROM/TO" box. Leave the "CARRIER" box blank. List each PFC collected in the "FARE CALCULATION" box, in itinerary order, the airport code followed by the PFC amount indicator. FROM/TO CARRIER FARE CALCULATION FARE COMM. RATE FROM/TO CARRIER FARE CALCULATION FARE COMM. RATE DIFFERENTIAL SURCHARGE STOPOVER AS ALLOWED BY FARE STOPOVER IN EXCESS OF THE FARE YVR YYZ ZZ YUL ZZ 315.00 YYZ X YUL D 50.00 365.00 CHI LON BB THR CC 673.00 PAR CC CHI BB 673.00 CHI X LON Q 15.00 1361.00 HOU DEN CC 200.00 LAS FF SNA FF 204.00 LAS S 5.00 409.00 FLL ATL XX STL XX PDX 468.00 2S 10.00 478.00 Page 16 Section 5.2 FROM/TO CARRIER FARE CALCULATION FARE COMM. RATE The domestic segment to which the Flight Segment Tax applies and the amount collected must be shown in US dollars at the end of the Fare Calculation on the ticket. The code “ZP” shall be followed by the “origin airport” code, in itinerary order, for each domestic segment. Precede the Flight Segment entry with a heavy line. Show the code "ZP" in the "FROM/TO" box. Leave the "CARRIER" box blank. List each ZP tax collected in the "FARE CALCULATION" box, in itinerary order, with the airport code followed by the ZP amount indicator. Domestic flight segments that qualify for the “Rural Airport Tax Provision” are exempt from the Flight Segment Tax. FROM/TO CARRIER FARE CALCULATION FARE COMM. RATE *VEL is a rural airport. FLIGHT SEGMENT TAX(ES) PASSENGER FACILITY CHARGE(S) PHX CHI DL LAX DL PHX DL 1600.00 ZP PHX3 ORD0 VEL0 LAX3 XF ORD4 LAX4 1600.00 TPA CHI TW 120.00 STL UA 90.00 PHX DL 160.00 XF TPA3 ORD3 STL3 370.00 Page 17 Section 5.2 FARE CONSTRUCTION PRINCIPLE FROM/TO COLUMN CARRIER COLUMN FARE CALCULATION COLUMN Accompanied infant's international fare which includes free fare sector(s) Enter fare calculation point(s) Enter carrier Enter fare. Enter '0.00" against last fare calculation point covering free sector(s). Around the world Specified Discount Leave blank Enter "LESS" Enter point(s) determining Minimum Fare on line following end of itinerary. On succeeding line enter amount. Circle or around the world trip minimum Leave blank Enter "P" on the same line as amount Enter point(s) determining Minimum Fare on line following end of itinerary. On succeeding line enter amount. Circle trip minimum (lowest combination) Leave blank Enter "P" on same line as amount Enter C/ and ticketed point used for calculation above the city pair creating the CTM. On the succeeding line enter the amount. Direct fare undercut Leave blank Enter "H" on same line as amount Enter points determining minimum fare on line following end of itinerary. On the succeeding line enter applicable amount. Directional minimum on one-way journeys for each fare component. Draw horizontal line at end of itinerary. On succeeding lines enter cities to which the directional fare applies for that fare/component. Enter "P" against the last city of the city pair. Cross out the unused box. Enter the amount against "P". Directional minimum on one-way journeys for total itinerary. Draw horizontal line at end of fare construction for lowest class of fare used. Enter "P" on same line as amount Enter the points determining the minimum fare for the whole itinerary. On the succeeding line enter the amount. Extra Mileage Routing Not applicable Not applicable Enter "E/" followed by the mandatory routing point(s) in the first vacant space above the fare to which it applies. If there is no mandatory routing point enter "E/XXX" in the first vacant space above the fare to which the extra mileage allowance is applied. PFC Draw a horizontal line at end of Fare Calculation entries. On the succeeding line enter XF. Not applicable For each PFC collected, show the airport code (in itinerary order) to which the PFC applies, followed by the amount indicator (1=USD 1.00, 2=USD 2.00, 3=USD 3.00) Page 18 Section 5.2 FARE CONSTRUCTION PRINCIPLE FROM/TO COLUMN CARRIER COLUMN FARE CALCULATION COLUMN Higher class differential Draw horizontal line at end of itinerary. On succeeding lines enter cities to which differential applies in the same direction as the fare used. When differential is calculated on through fare for more than two consecutive cities, enter only first and last cities; when differential is calculated on principles such as mileage, higher intermediate point, etc., enter all cities involved in the calculation. Enter "D" against last city of the sector(s) to which differential applies, cross out unused box(es) Enter the amount against the "D". When fare calculation principles, such as mileage, higher intermediate point, etc., apply to the differential, make appropriate entries above amount. Higher intermediate points Not applicable Not applicable Enter the pair of points between which the fare applies on the line above such higher fare. Enter "M" preceded by any applicable percentage of increase, e.g., "25M" on the line above the city pair. Intermediate points in itinerary Enter an "X/" preceding the city where no stopover is permitted Lowest combination principle When used for fare construction checks To/From the USA and Canada, when the point used for calculation is not a ticketed point, the following procedure applies. Enter fare calculation points Enter fare calculation points Enter fare calculation points Enter carrier Enter carrier Enter carrier Enter fare Enter "C/" and ticketed points used for calculation in first vacant space above fare to which it applies. Enter "C/" and non-ticketed point(s) used for calculation in first vacant space above fare to which it applies. Mileage deviation system Not applicable Not applicable Enter "M" on line above fare to which it applies. If applicable, precede by percentage of increase, i.e., Mileage used with additional charge = M 5% deviation charge = 5M 10% deviation charge = 10M 15% deviation charge = 15M 20% deviation charge = 20M 25% deviation charge = 25M Page 19 Section 5.2 FARE CONSTRUCTION PRINCIPLE FROM/TO COLUMN CARRIER COLUMN FARE CALCULATION COLUMN Mileage equalization Not applicable Not applicable Enter "B/" followed by the point determining the maximum permitted mileage in the first vacant space above the fare to which it applies. More than one fare involved If number of fare entries does not permit fare entry against applicable city void above such city as many “FROM/TO" and "CARRIER" boxes as necessary; i.e., Enter cities Enter cities Enter carrier Enter fares One way minimum involving backhaul Leave blank Enter "P" on same line as amount Enter the two pairs of points determining the minimum fare, beginning on line following all other fare entries. On succeeding line, enter applicable amount. One way normal fare minimum for total of special fare Leave blank Enter Fare Basis code of normal fare. Enter "P" on succeeding line. Enter points determining minimum fare on line following end of itinerary. Enter amount on succeeding line. Open Jaw Common Point Minimum Check Draw horizontal line at end of itinerary Enter "P" on same line as amount. Enter "R/" and the city code of the common point on one line and, when there are two common points, "R" and city code of the second common point on the next line. On following line, enter amount. Reduced Mileage Routing Not applicable Not applicable Enter "L/" followed by the routing point causing the mileage reduction in the first vacant space above the fare to which it applies. Routing Sequence Enter cities, one per line, in same sequence as in "GOOD FOR PASSAGE" section Enter carrier against second city of that leg to which it applies. Enter fare against city used as fare calculation point. Side Trip (fare interrupting through fare) Enter cities of side trip. Show side trip within side trip in the same manner. Enter carrier(s) Enter bracket on left, extending from first to last point of side trip. Enter fare against city to which it applies. Page 20 Section 5.2 FARE CONSTRUCTION PRINCIPLE FROM/TO COLUMN CARRIER COLUMN FARE CALCULATION COLUMN Stopover and/or Transfer charge: a. Applicable to specific points. b. Applicable to stopovers and/or transfers in excess of those allowed by fare. c. Applicable to Hawaiian Common Fare d. Applicable when Hawaiian Common Fare stopover charge applies in addition to a fare Draw horizontal line at end of itinerary. On succeeding line(s), enter city(ies) to which the charge applies. Draw horizontal line at end of itinerary. Leave succeeding line blank. Enter city code in line of flight Repeat city code in line of flight Enter "S" Enter number of excess stopovers and/or transfers and "S" Enter carrier code Enter "S." Enter amount Enter amount Enter amount of stopover charge Enter amount of stopover charge Specified point minimum Not applicable Enter "P" on the same line as amount Enter transited city causing minimum fare on line following end of itinerary. Enter amount on succeeding line. Surcharge (other than stopover and/or transfer charge and sleeper surcharge). Sleeper surcharge to be collected on a MCO. Draw horizontal line at end of itinerary. On succeeding lines, enter cities to which surcharge applies. Enter "Q" opposite last city of surcharge sector; cross out unused box/boxes. Enter amount opposite the "Q". Applicable to ticketed point not included in mileage. Not applicable Not applicable Enter "T/" followed by ticketed point which is allowed to be omitted from the mileage calculation in the first vacant space above the fare to which it applies. Unflown sector (a gap in the routing): a. Not included in fare calculation and/or mileage computation - no flight coupon issued. b. Included in fare calculation and/or mileage computation, but no flight coupon issued. Enter "X" between cities where unflown sector occurs. Not applicable Leave blank Draw a diagonal line through unused box Leave blank Enter fare if city used as fare calculation point Otherwise leave blank. Page 21 Section 5.2 CONDENSED ROUTING When there is insufficient space on the ticket for all entries, a condensed routing may be used. Show in detail on each individual ticket the exact routing and fare construction covered by that ticket and enter a condensed description of the balance of routing and fare construction before or after the detailed portion. For example, you issue a conjunction ticket with the following routing: NYC - RIC - JAX - PBI - MIA - MSY - DFW - SFO - LAX - SEA - CHI - IND - SDF - WAS - NYC - BOS - CHI - IND - NYC FROM/TO CARRIER FARE CALCULATION FARE COMM. RATE EXTENSION STICKER When there is insufficient space on the ticket for all entries, a Fare Calculation Extension Ladder may be used and a copy of the sticker shall be affixed to each flight coupon, passenger coupon and auditor's coupon of the ticket. The Extension Sticker eliminates the need to condense the routing in the Fare Calculation Ladder of the ticket when all the "TO" and "FROM" boxes in the Fare Calculation Ladder of the ticket have been used. Apply the appropriate sticker to the right of the Fare Calculation Ladder of the corresponding coupon in the ticket booklet after the ticket has been validated. The Extension Sticker is completed according to standard procedures, with the entries beginning on the sticker and ending on the ticket. The Extension Sticker Set may be ordered as part of your ticket stock requisition. FROM/TO CARRIER FARE CALCULATION SUB TOTAL FROM/TO CARRIER FARE CALCULATION FARE COMM. RATE TICKET STICKER NYC LAX 453.78 SEA UA 62.96 CHI NW 94.44 IND TW 42.59 SDF AA 88.89 WAS US 49.07 IND AA 35.08 NYC DL 69.44 NYC TW 78.70 BOS AA 47.22 CHI TW 104.63 1126.80 CHI IND TW 42.59 SDF AA 88.89 WAS US 49.07 NYC DL 69.44 BOS AA 47.22 CHI TW 104.63 IND AA 35.08 NYC TW 78.70 1126.80 NYC RIC US 38.60 JAX DL 120.08 PBT DL 38.20 MIA US 42.60 MSY UA 63.20 DFW 42.90 SFO 85.60 LAX 22.60 SEA UA 62.96 CHI NW 94.44 611.18 Page 22 Section 5.2 “FARE” BOX Enter the fare (excluding tax) for the complete itinerary covered by the ticket or conjunction tickets. Enter the fare in the currency of the country of commencement of transportation, unless otherwise provided by applicable currency regulations. Precede the amount with the applicable three-character currency code. NOTE: The currency code is not required when transportation is entirely within the country of sale or wholly between the US and Canada. Within the US/Canada (JFK - MIA) Outside the US (JFK - LHR) Country of Commencement is Germany (FRA - JFK) “EQUIVALENT FARE PAID” BOX The amount of fare, and the type of currency in which it is collected, shall be entered in this box under the following circumstances: a. When payment is made in a currency other than that shown in the “FARE” box b. When payment is in a currency other than the currency of the country of payment Fare was DEM 2249.00 “TAX” BOX Enter amount of tax/fee/charge, if any (identifying currency code is not necessary). If the tax/fee/charge is for a country other than the one in which the ticket is issued, precede or follow the amount by the two-character ISO country code or the applicable Special Fees and Charges code which identifies the tax/fee/charge. Taxes applicable to a single country may be combined into one amount using XT-Combined Tax. If there are insufficient tax boxes to list all taxes separately, then combine them into XT taxes. You must explain all taxes included in the XT(s) - use the Fare Calculation area to list the taxes. EXCEPTIONS: The following taxes/fees/charges must always be identified separately on a ticket by the applicable Special Fees and Charges Code: XA - US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) EQUIV. FARE PD. FARE FARE FARE 448.18 USD 448.18 DEM 2249.00 USD 1454.00 Page 23 Section 5.2 XF - US Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) - ALWAYS INCLUDE IN XT (IF USED) XY - US Immigration/Naturalization User Fee YC - US Customs User Fee XD - Mexico International Airport Departure Tax XG - Canadian Goods and Services Tax XI - Insurance Surcharge XN - Norwegian Value Added Tax (VAT) XS - Swedish Value Added Tax (VAT) XT - Combined Taxes/User Fees - MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE XF CHARGES IN THE XT If a tax/fee/charge for more than one country applies, show each tax/fee/charge separately in the tax boxes. If a passenger is exempt from a normally applicable tax/fee/charge, “EXEMPT,” preceded or followed by the applicable ISO country code or Special Fees and Charges Code, may be entered. “TOTAL” BOX Enter the applicable currency code and the sum of the amounts shown in “FARE” and “TAX” boxes, provided that when there is an entry in the “EQUIVALENT FARE PAID” box, then the total shall be the sum of the equivalent fare paid plus tax, if any. Use the appropriate ISO country code and currency code from the following table: ISO ISO Country Currency Country Name Code Code Afghanistan AF AFA Albania AL ALL Algeria DZ DZD Andorra AD ADP Angola AO AON Anguilla AI XCD Antarctica AQ - Antigua and Barbuda AG XCD Argentina AR ARS Armenia AM AMD Aruba AW AWG Australia AU AUD Austria AT ATS Azerbaijan AZ AZM Bahamas BS BSD ISO ISO Country Currency Country Name Code Code Bahrain BH BHD Bangladesh BD BDT Barbados BB BBD Belarus BY BYB Belgium BE BEF Belize BZ BZD Benin BJ XOF Bermuda BM BMD Bhutan BT BTN Bolivia BO BOB Bosnia Hercegovina BA BAD Botswana BW BWP Brazil BR BRL British Indian Ocean Territory IO USD Brunei Darussalam BN BND TOTAL TAX TAX TAX TAX YC 5.00 XA 3.05 XY 6.00 DE 4.30 USD 1472.25 Page 24 Section 5.2 ISO ISO Country Currency Country Name Code Code Bulgaria BG BGL Burkina Faso BF XOF Burundi BI BIF Cambodia KH KHR Cameroon, Republic of CM XAF Canada CA CAD Cape Verde, Republic of CV CVE Cayman lslands KY KYD Central African Republic CF XAF Chad TD XAF Chile CL CLP China CN CNY Christmas lsland (Indian Ocean) CX AUD Cocos (Keeling) lslands CC AUD Colombia CO COP Comoros KM KMF Congo CG XAF Congo, Democratic Republic of ZR ZRN Cook lslands CK NZD Costa Rica CR CRC Côte d'Ivoire CI XOF Croatia HR HRK Cuba CU CUP Cyprus CY CYP Czech Republic CZ CZK Denmark DK DKK Djibouti DJ DJF Dominica DM XCD Dominican Republic DO DOP Ecuador EC ECS Egypt EG EGP El Salvador SV SVC Equatorial Guinea GQ XAF Eritrea ER ETB Estonia EE EEK Ethiopia ET ETB European Monetary Cooperation Fund - XEU Falkland lslands FK FKP Faeroe lslands FO DKK Fiji FJ FJD Finland FI FIM France FR FRF French Guiana GF FRF French Polynesia PF XPF Gabon GA XAF Gambia GM GMD Georgia GE GEL Germany DE DEM Ghana GH GHC Gibraltar GI GIP Greece GR GR ISO ISO Country Currency Country Name Code Code Greenland GL DKK Grenada GD XCD Guadeloupe, incl. St. Barthelmy and French St. Martin GP FRF Guam GU USD Guatemala GT GTQ Guinea GN GNF Guinea Bissau GW GWP Guyana GY GYD Haiti HT HTG Honduras HN HNL Hong Kong HK HKD Hungary HU HUF Iceland IS ISK India, incl. Andaman Islands IN INR Indonesia ID IDR Iran, Islamic Republic of IR IRR Iraq IQ IQD Ireland, Republic of IE IEP Israel IL ILS Italy IT ITL Jamaica JM JMD Japan JP JPY Jordan JO JOD Kazakhstan KZ KZT Kenya KE KES Kiribati (Canton and Enderbury Is.) KI AUD Korea, Democratic People's Rep. KP KPW Korea, Republic of KR KRW Kuwait KW KWD Kyrgyzstan KG KGS Lao People's Dem. Rep. LA LAK Latvia LV LVL Lebanon LB LBP Lesotho LS LSL Liberia LR LRD Libyan Arab Jamahiriya LY LYD Liechtenstein LI CHF Lithuania LT LTL Luxembourg LU LUF Macau MO MOP Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of MK MKD Madagascar MG MGF Malawi MW MWK Malaysia MY MYR Maldives MV MVR Mali ML XOF Malta MT MTL Marshall Islands MH USD Martinique MQ FRF Mauritania MR MRO Page 25 Section 5.2 ISO ISO Country Currency Country Name Code Code Mauritius MU MUR Mayotte YT FRF Mexico MX MXN Micronesia, incl. Carolina Is./ Ponape/Kosrae FM USD Moldova, Republic of MD MDL Monaco MC FRF Mongolia MN MNT Montserrat MS XCD Morocco MA MAD Mozambique MZ MZM Myanmar BU MMK Namibia NA NAD Nauru NR AUD Nepal NP NPR Netherlands NL NLG Netherlands Antilles AN ANG New Caledonia, incl. Loyalty Is. NC XPF New Zealand NZ NZD Nicaragua NI NIO Niger NE XOF Nigeria NG NGN Niue NU NZD Norfolk Island NF AUD Northern Mariana Is., incl. Mariana Is. except Guam MP USD Norway NO NOK Oman OM OMR Pakistan PK PKR Palau PW USD Panama PA PAB Papua New Guinea PG PGK Paraguay PY PYG Peru PE PES Philippines PH PHP Poland PL PLN Portugal PT PTE Puerto Rico PR USD Qatar QA QAR Reunion RE FRF Romania RO ROL Russian Federation RU RUR Rwanda RW RWF St. Helena SH SHP St. Kitts and Nevis KN XCD Saint Lucia LC XCD St. Pierre and Miquelon PM FRF Saint Vincent and the Grenadines VC XCD Samoa, American AS USD Samoa, Independent State of WS WST San Marino SM ITL Sao Tome and Principe ST STD Saudi Arabia SA SAR ISO ISO Country Currency Country Name Code Code Senegal SN XOF Seychelles Islands SC SCR Sierra Leone SL SLL Singapore SG SGD Slovakia SK SKK Slovenia SI SIT Solomon Islands SB SBD Somalia SO SOS South Africa ZA ZAR Spain, Canary lslands ES ESP Sri Lanka LK LKR Sudan SD SDD Suriname SR SRG Swaziland SZ SZL Sweden SE SEK Switzerland CH CHF Syrian Arab Rep. SY SYP Taiwan, Province of China TW TWD Tajikistan TJ TJR Tanzania, United Republic of TZ TZS Thailand TH THB Togo TG XOF Tonga TO TOP Trinidad and Tobago TT TTD Tunisia TN TND Turkey TR TRL Turkmenistan TM TMM Turks and Caicos Islands TC USD Tuvalu TV AUD Uganda UG UGX Ukraine UA UAH United Arab Emirates (comprising Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Umm Al Qaiwain) AE AED United Kingdom GB GBP United States of America US USD United States Minor Outline Is. incl. Johnston Atoll, Midway Is., Wake Is. UM USD Uruguay UY UYU Uzbekistan UZ UZS Vanuatu VU VUV Vatican City State VA ITL Venezuela VE VEB Vietnam VN VND Virgin Islands (British) VG USD Virgin Islands (US) VI USD Wallis and Futuna lslands WF XPF Yemen, Republic of YE YER Yugoslavia YU YUM Zambia ZM ZMK Zimbabwe ZW ZWD Page 26 Section 5.2 “FORM OF PAYMENT” BOX If payment is by Cash or Travelers Checks, no entry is required. If payment is by Check, other than a traveler’s check, enter the word “Check” in the Form of Payment box. The word “check” may be followed by the account number of the check. If payment is by Credit Card, enter or imprint the two-letter alpha credit card designator and the complete credit card number, followed by an “A” and the approval code. For extended payments, enter the letter “E” and circle it in the lower left-hand corner of the “Issued By” carrier validation box. When payment is other than Cash, Check, or Credit Card, enter one of the following codes in the Form of Payment (FOP) box: GR - Government Transportation Request (follow with form and serial number of the document) - used only when GTR is payable to the carrier; if the GTR is payable to your agency, leave FOP blank (See Section 5.4, p.1). PT - Prepaid Ticket Advice (to be used only on a ticket issued in exchange for a prepaid ticket advice), followed with the form of payment code from the PTA message. If the form of payment on the PTA message was credit card, enter only the alpha code of the credit card, followed by the code “AGT” when the PTA sale was originated by a travel agent. For example: “PT/AX/AGT” (See Section 5.8, p.1, Incoming International PTAs) When a document is being exchanged for another document, enter the form of payment indicated on the original document. If the exchange transaction results in an additional collection to cash, enter the original Form of Payment code, plus A/C for “Additional Collection,” followed by the Form of Payment code appropriate to the additional collection, and the amount. If the exchange results in an additional collection to credit, enter “A/C” for Additional Collection, followed by the two letter alpha credit card designator and the complete credit card number, followed by the additional collection amount, followed by an “A” and the approval code. Original Issue Exchange With Cash Add/Collect Exchange With Credit Add/Collect Extended Payments “ORIGIN/DESTINATION” BOXES When the routing requires the issuance of more than one ticket booklet issued in conjunction with other tickets, on each ticket enter the three-letter city code for original place of departure covered by the first ticket, followed by the three-letter city code of the final destination covered by the last ticket respectively. ISSUED BY ARC AIRLINES 890-1 E ORIGIN/DESTINATION DFW NYC FORM OF PAYMENT AX 3712345678 90888 A123456 FORM OF PAYMENT CA 5312345678908888 A/C CASH $25.00 FORM OF PAYMENT A/C CA 5312345678908888 $25.00 A123456 Page 27 Section 5.2 “INTERNATIONAL SALES INDICATOR” When any of the following situations apply, enter the applicable code on the right hand side of the “Origin/Destination” box and carry forward on reissues. SITI1 - Sale of the ticket is in the country of commencement of transportation; ticket is issued inside. SITO - Sale of ticket is in the country of commencement of travel; ticket is issued outside. SOTO - Sale of ticket is outside the country of commencement of travel; ticket is issued outside. SOTI - Sale of ticket is outside the country of commencement of travel; ticket is issued inside. NOTES 1 “Country of commencement of transportation” means the country from which travel on the first international sector takes place. Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway and Sweden) and USA/Canada shall each be treated as a single country. BOOKING REFERENCE” BOX Enter the booking reference. The Passenger Name Record (PNR) address may be optionally entered. “ISSUED IN EXCHANGE FOR” BOX When a ticket is being issued in exchange for another ticket or document (e.g., MCO), enter the airline form and serial number of the ticket/document that is being exchanged. “CONJUNCTION TICKET(S)” BOX You MUST complete this box when more than one ticket booklet is issued to cover a passenger itinerary. When issuing tickets in conjunction: All ticket booklets must be of the same form number and be in numeric sequence. On EACH ticket, enter the last two digits of all tickets being issued to provide flight coupons covering the passenger’s itinerary; e.g., ticket numbers 98/99/00/01. If you have made an error on one of the tickets, void out the entire ticket and use the next ticket in sequence; e.g., 41/43/44. You DO NOT have to void out the entire transaction and start over. ISSUED IN EXCHANGE FOR 001 8470187545 CONJUNCTION TICKET(S) 98/99/00/01 CONJUNCTION TICKET(S) 41/43/44 BOOKING REFERENCE SQ3PXY ORIGIN/DESTINATION SITI DFW NYC Page 28 Section 5.2 DFW/SYD 53/54 Shepard / Marie Ms. 12 DEC 01 Melbourne UA 842 Y 20 JAN 110P OK YHAPD PC Aukland UA 842 Y 20 JAN 815P OK YHAPD PC Los Angeles VOID VOID VOID ------- VOID ------- VOID VOID VOID DFW MIA AA 624.77 LAX UA 851.38 SYD QF MEL QF 1867.00 AKL UA LAX UA 1185.00 XT= 20.37 AU +2.45 QK 3.00 XA + 6.00 ZP + 8.00 XF ZP DFW 3 MIA 3 XF = DFW 4 MIA 4 4528.00 AX371234567890123 DFW/SYD 53/54 Shepard / Marie Ms. 12 DEC 01 Dallas AA 668 Y 04JAN810A OK Y26 PC Miami UA 762 B 07JAN700A OK BUA PC Los Angeles QF 12 Y 09JAN1030POK YOX PC Sydney QF 415 Y 19JAN800A OK YOX PC Melbourne 362.24 185.08 USD US 135.51 XT 38.57 4528.00 YC5.00 4713.08 XY6.00 DFW MIA AA 624.77 LAX UA 851.38 SYD QF MEL QF 1867.00 AKL UA LAX UA 1185.00 XT= 20.37 AU +2.45 QK 3.00 XA + 6.00 ZP + 8.00 XF ZPDFW 3 MIA 3 XF = DFW 4 MIA 4 4528.00 AX371234567890123 DFW/SYD 53/54 Shepard / Marie Ms. 12 DEC 01 Melbourne UA 842 Y 20JAN 110P OK YHAPD PC Auckland UA 842 Y 20JAN 815P OK YHAPD PC Los Angeles VOID VOID VOID ------- VOID ------- VOID VOID VOID ------- VOID -------- CONJ CONJ USD US 135.51 XT 38.57 4528.00 YC5.00 4713.08 XY6.00 DFW MIA AA 624.77 LAX UA 851.38 SYD QF MEL QF 1867.00 AKL UA LAX UA 1185.00 XT= 20.37 AU +2.45 QK 3.00 XA + 6.00 ZP + 8.00 XF ZP DFW 3 MIA 3 XF = DFW 4 MIA 4 4528.00 AX371234567890123 Page 29 Section 5.2 “ORIGINAL ISSUE CARRIER FORM AND SERIAL NUMBER PLACE DATE AGENTS NUMERIC CODE” BOX Enter the airline, form and serial number of the ticket or document being exchanged, the place (code) and date of original issue, plus the agent’s “numeric code.” If consecutively numbered conjunction tickets are involved, enter the ticket number of the first document. If the document being exchanged is not the original, bring forward all information shown in the “ORIGINAL ISSUE CARRIER FORM AND SERIAL NUMBER PLACE DATE AGENTS NUMERIC CODE” box of the document being exchanged. “ENDORSEMENTS/RESTRICTIONS” BOX The “ENDORSEMENTS/RESTRICTIONS” box is used to record special information relating to the use of either the complete ticket or any coupon thereof. For example: a. Ticket endorsement - transferring coupon(s) to another carrier. When required, endorsement form shall be “Endorsed to (Carrier) by (Carrier)” and shall be validated by a stamp identifying the airline and office making the endorsement. b. Reason for involuntary rerouting in accordance with the appropriate Resolutions. c. Tariff or travel restrictions such as “Subject to Government Approval,” “Family Travel Together,” “Non- Refundable,” etc. “COMMISSION” BOX The “COMMISSION” box appears only on the Agent’s and Auditor’s coupons of a manual ticket. The rate of commission to be applied to a ticketing transaction is determined and authorized by the carrier named as the “ticketing carrier.” Only the “ticketing carrier’s” commission rules and rate can apply to the total value of the ticket, even though other carriers may participate in the routing. The following commission codes can be entered in the COMMISSION box when authorized by a carrier - these are the only valid codes acceptable: 0 7 11.5 16 21 30 39 3 7.5 12 16.5 22 31 40 3.5 8 12.5 17 23 32 4 8.5 13 17.5 24 33 4.5 9 13.5 18 25 34 5 9.5 14 18.5 26 35 5.5 10 14.5 19 27 36 6 10.5 15 19.5 28 37 6.5 11 15.5 20 29 38 ENDORSEMENTS/RESTRICTIONS (CARBON) NON-REFUNDABLE CARRIER FORM & SERIAL NUMBER PLACE DATE AGENTS NUMERIC CODE ORIGINAL ISSUE 037 8465705449 WAS 22DEC02 11234567 Page 30 Section 5.2 The appropriate code should be written in the shaded portion of the COMMISSION box. For example, 10.5% is: When a code with a decimal is used, show only one decimal place (tenths - 10.5) NOT two decimal places (10.50); otherwise, you may receive a $10.50 commission instead of the correct 10.5%. In certain instances, commission cannot be entered as a straight percentage and an actual dollar amount must be calculated and entered in the COMMISSION box. COMMISSION in Excess of 40% MUST BE SHOWN AS A DOLLAR AMOUNT. DOLLAR amounts must appear in the un-shaded portion of the box and CENTS must appear in the shaded portion. For example: NOTE: COMMISSION GREATER THAN $9,999.99 CANNOT BE PROCESSED ON A SINGLE TRANSACTION. “TAX” BOX The “TAX” box appears only on the Agent’s and Auditor’s coupons of a manual ticket. There are only two acceptable tax codes: zero “0” or “7.5.” Enter “7.5” for domestic travel that is taxable at 7.5%. Enter “0” in the tax box if tax is not applicable. When tax cannot be calculated as a straight 7.5 percent, enter the actual DOLLAR AMOUNT of the tax(es) collected. DOLLAR amounts must appear in the un-shaded portion of the box and CENTS must appear in the shaded portion. With the new tax tables and varying effective dates for domestic travel taxes, ARC recommends using actual dollar amounts. Examples: 7.5% Tax No Tax YC 5.00 XY 6.00 DE 4.30 XA 2.00 “COMM. RATE” BOX If you entered a commission code (percentage) in the “Commission” box, enter the same code in this box. If no commission code applies, leave the box blank. Commission Amount of $10.50 Commission Amount of $32.78 COMMISSION COMMISSION COMMISSION TAX COMM. RATE TAX TAX 1 0. 5 3 2 7 8 1 0 5 0 7 . 5 0 1 7 3 0 8 Page 31 Section 5.2 INTERNATIONAL CODE - X An International Code “X” is required to identify international sales. The term “domestic air passenger transportation” means air transportation furnished by one or more carriers between points within the United States and/or between the United States and Canada and between points in Canada, only when air transportation is via a point in the United States or on a flight which takes off from and returns to a point in the United States. For this purpose, travel to the United States territories and possessions such as Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Midway and Wake Islands, IS NOT considered domestic. All sales not considered domestic are to be considered International and must be identified by placing an “X” on the document. On manual documents, the international “X” is placed to t he right of the carrier name in the Carrier Validation box. SELF SALES CODE - S A Self Sales Code is required anytime an industry agent issues a traffic document on behalf of itself in accordance with the provisions of Section VII of the Agent Reporting Agreement. For this purpose, the agent will place the self-sales code “S” on the documents. The “S” will be placed to the right of the carrier name in the Carrier Validation box. For example: When both an International “X” and a Self Sales “S” code are required, they should be shown next to each other. For example: PASSENGER TICKET & BAGGAGE CHECK - ISSUED BY PASSENGER TICKET & BAGGAGE CHECK - ISSUED BY PASSENGER TICKET & BAGGAGE CHECK - ISSUED BY X S X/S Page 32 Section 5.2 Quick Reference Guide to Completion of Manually Issued Tickets BOX ENTRY REQUIRED 1 Validate with a validator, stamp, or machine imprinter. 2 This box is completed when an imprinter with a date wheel is used. 3 Validate with plate of ticketing carrier. 4 Enter the passenger’s surname (last name) followed by a slash, the given (first) name, and optionally the title of each passenger. When the given (first) name is not available or there is insufficient space on the ticket, the given (first) name may be replaced by the initials. 5 Enter the passenger’s itinerary. If the ticket includes more coupons than required, enter “VOID” in the unused boxes. 6 If no stopover is allowed, enter an “X” in the “X/O” column preceding the city name. 7 Enter official two-character carrier designator. 8 Enter flight number followed by the applicable class of service code. 9 Enter scheduled date of departure in numerics followed by the first three letters of the month. 10 Enter local departure time. 11 Enter reservation status code. 12 Enter codes representing the fare paid against the applicable segment. The primary code is followed, if necessary, by seasonal and/or fare type codes. Include fare type codes when applicable to individual coupons. 10 11 12 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 13 14 6 5 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 15 Page 33 Section 5.2 BOX ENTRY REQUIRED 13 Enter passenger type code, e.g. CH, AD if applicable to the entire ticket. 14 Enter the official tour code number in case of an Inclusive Tour or Bulk Inclusive Tour. 15 Enter the earliest return date, if any, in the applicable box for each segment of the itinerary. Do not complete until a confirmed reservation has been entered on the ticket. Enter date by which travel must be commenced/completed for each segment of the itinerary. 16 Enter free baggage allowance as applicable to each segment of the itinerary. 17 Complete fare calculation when required. Complete PFC and ZP breakdowns, if applicable. Complete Fare box (32). 18 Enter applicable fare preceded by the currency code when necessary. 19 Enter the total fare (excluding tax) in the currency collected when payment is in a currency other than that shown in the Fare box or the national currency of the country of sale. 20 Enter amount(s) of tax(es). 21 Enter sum of fare and tax(es), fee(s) or charge(s) in the currency collected. 22 Enter appropriate form of payment code. When issuing a ticket in exchange, even exchange or exchange with refund, show form of payment code identical to that of the original document. For credit card sale or additional collection, follow the instructions on page 26 of this section. 23 Enter the city codes when tickets are issued in conjunction or in exchange. Enter the International Sale Indicator (optional) - SITI, SITO, SOTI, SOTO - following the city codes. 24 Enter the Record Locator Number for the Passenger Name Record (PNR). 10 11 12 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 13 14 6 5 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 15 Page 34 Section 5.2 BOX ENTRY REQUIRED 25 Enter document number(s) of all tickets issued to cover passenger’s complete itinerary. 26 Enter form and serial number of document being exchanged. 27 Enter number of the original document and place and date (including year) of issue. Enter agent’s numeric code (if any) of the original document. 28 Use for endorsing ticket, recording special ticket restrictions/information showing requested flight when necessary. 29 Enter either the dollar amount or the commission code (percent) of commission earned. See below for valid codes. 30 Enter the applicable code or the actual DOLLAR AMOUNT of the tax(es) you have collected. Enter the DOLLAR AMOUNT whenever taxes other than the US Domestic Transportation Tax are included. 31 Complete this box only if you entered an acceptable commission code in the commission box (29). Do not enter a code if you entered a dollar amount in the commission box (29). 32 Add the fare(s) in the Fare Calculation Ladder (17) and enter the total. 10 11 12 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 13 14 6 5 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 0 7 11.5 16 21 30 39 3 7.5 12 16.5 22 31 40 3.5 8 12.5 17 23 32 4 8.5 13 17.5 24 33 4.5 9 13.5 18 25 34 5 9.5 14 18.5 26 35 5.5 10 14.5 19 27 36 6 10.5 15 19.5 28 37 6.5 11 15.5 20 29 38 These are the ONLY valid commission codes. 15 FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 1 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM Part1 - Part2 - Part3 - Part4 - MultiPage FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] There are reader questions on this topic! Help others by sharing your knowledge From: mkant+@cs.cmu.edu (Mark Kantrowitz) Newsgroups: rec.travel.air, rec.travel.marketplace Subject: FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] Date: 13 Aug 1997 07:48:27 GMT Message-ID: Reply-To: mkant@cs.cmu.edu Summary: Tips about traveling by air, with an emphasis on saving money Archive-name: travel/air/handbook/part1 Last-Modified: Tue Mar 19 14:26:32 1996 by Mark Kantrowitz Version: 1.22 Size: 90743 bytes, 1794 lines URL: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/user/mkant/Public/Travel/airfare.html ;;; **************************************************************** ;;; Airfare FAQ, Part 1 ******************************************** ;;; **************************************************************** ;;; Written by Mark Kantrowitz This post is a summary of useful information for air travelers. The focus is on obtaining inexpensive air fares, although other topics are also covered. It was previously posted under the title "FAQ: How to Get Cheap Airtickets". The information in this FAQ applies primarily to US domestic flights, though some information may also apply to international flights. Please mail comments, corrections, additions, suggestions, criticisms and other information to mkant@cs.cmu.edu. *** Copyright: Copyright (c) 1989-94 by Mark Kantrowitz. All rights reserved. This FAQ may be freely redistributed in its entirety without modification provided that this copyright notice is not removed. It may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents (e.g., published for sale on CD-ROM, floppy disks, books, magazines, or other print form) without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Permission is expressly granted for this document to be made available for file transfer from installations offering unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet. If this FAQ is reproduced in offline media (e.g., CD-ROM, print form, etc.), a complimentary copy should be sent to Mark Kantrowitz, School PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 2 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3891 USA. This article is provided AS IS without any express or implied warranty. *** Recent Changes: ;;; 1.20: ;;; 31-MAY-95 mk Replaced all the URLs in [4-12] with a pointer to the FAQ's ;;; home page, which now includes a substantially greater ;;; number of links. ;;; 1.21: ;;; 20-DEC-95 mk Corrected several London numbers, thanks to Richard Relf. ;;; 19-MAR-96 mk Info about Jet Train provided by Srivathsan Narasimhan *** Topics Covered: Part 1: [1-0] Obtaining the FAQ [1-1a] Standard Tricks: Advance Booking Discounts [1-1b] Advance Purchase Fares [1-2] Nested/Overlapping Tickets Strategy [1-x] Stopovers and Circle Trips [1-3] Fare Classes [1-4] Classes of Service [1-5] Fare Types [1-6] Special Fare Categories [1-7] Children's Fares [1-8] Clergy Fares [1-9] Military Fares [1-10] Senior Citizen Fares [1-11] Student/Youth Fares [1-12] Family Fares [1-13] Conference Fares [1-14] Sympathy Fares, Emergency Fares [1-15] Refunds [1-16] Flying Standby [1-17] Getting Bumped [1-18] Special Travel Dates/Fare Sales/Fare Wars [1-19] Moving Up the Return Flight [1-20] Hidden City Fares [1-21] Buying Someone Else's Nonrefundable Ticket [1-22] Discount Airlines [1-23] Tour Desks Part 2 (Travel Agents, Connections, Airports, Baggage): Travel Agents: [2-1] Travel Agents [2-2] Unusual Travel Agents: Commission Rebaters [2-3] Consolidators [2-4] Couriers [2-5] Travel Agencies that Specialize in Students [2-6] Visit USA [2-7] Free Upgrades to First Class [2-8] Companion Tickets [2-9] Avoiding Travel Scams [2-10] Missed Connections [2-11] Getting There Faster PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 3 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM [2-12] Airports Monopolized by One Carrier [2-13] Hub Cities Baggage: [2-14] Lost Baggage [2-15] Baggage Limits [2-16] Pets [2-17] Bicycles [2-18] Restrictions on Electronics [2-19] X-ray Machines/Metal Detectors [2-20] Packing Tips/Checklist Part 3 (Safety & Comfort, Frequent Flyers): Travel Safety, Comfort, and Convenience: [3-1] Travel Advisories/Health Information [3-2] Travel Safety [3-3] Air Quality [3-4] Smoke-Free Flights [3-4a] Air Pressure Problems (Colds) [3-5] Special Meals [3-6] Jetlag [3-7] Pregnant Passengers [3-8] Tips for Families Flying with Children [3-9] Tips for Business Travelers [3-9b] Best Seats [3-10] Exchanging Currency Frequent Flyers: [3-11] Frequent Flyer Programs [3-12] Premier FF Membership [3-13] Hotel Frequent Flyer Plans [3-14] Credit Card Voucher Offers [3-15] Telephone Companies [3-16] Discount Coupon Offers Part 4 (Appendices, Miscellaneous): Appendices: [4-1] Airline Reservation Phone Numbers [4-2] Flight Information [4-3] On-line reservation services [4-4] Complaints and Compliments [4-5] Glossary [4-6] Other Sources of Information [4-7] Further Reading [4-8] Phone Numbers Included in this FAQ Miscellaneous: [4-9] IRS Rules Change [4-10] Airline Antitrust Litigation [4-11] Miscellaneous Notes [4-12] World-Wide Web (WWW) Resources Search for [#] to get to question number # quickly. *** Notes: All dollar ($) amounts in this FAQ are in US dollars. Subject: [1-0] Obtaining the FAQ PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 4 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM Certain questions and topics come up frequently in the rec.travel.air newsgroup. This FAQ is intended to gather these questions and their answers into a convenient and comprehensive reference. The hope is that this will cut down on the user time and network bandwidth used to post, read and respond to the same questions over and over, as well as answering questions some readers may not even have thought to ask. Posts of a commercial nature, such as the buying and selling of airplane tickets, should be posted to rec.travel.marketplace and not this newsgroup. An updated version of this file is posted once a month on the 13th of the month to the newsgroups rec.travel.air and news.answers. The version date for the file is located in the header near the top of the file. In between postings, the latest version of this FAQ is available by anonymous FTP from ftp://ftp.cs.cmu.edu/user/mkant/Travel/ [128.2.206.173] using username "anonymous" and password "name@host" (substitute your email address) or via AFS in the Andrew File System directory /afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mkant/Public/Travel/ as the files airfare1.faq, airfare2.faq, airfare3.faq, and airfare4.faq. Other files available from this directory include: bucket.faq Edward Hasbrouck's FAQ on Bucket Shops and Consolidators classes.txt List of fare classes discounts.txt Table of Airline Special Fare Discounts (29-JUL-92) em_intrfrnc.txt Summary of EM Interference by Laurie Bechtler ff.faq Joel Chan's Frequent Flyer FAQ flt_attdnt.txt Description of the Job of a Flight Attendant iata.tgz List of worldwide airport IATA codes by Peter Loibl and Paulo Santos jetlag.txt The ANL jet lag diet. online.faq John Levine's FAQ on Online Computer Reservation Systems tourism.faq Where to get tourist/travel information The FAQ postings are also archived in the periodic posting archive on ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/travel/air/handbook/ [18.181.0.24] If you do not have anonymous ftp access, you can access the archive by mail server as well. Send an E-mail message to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with "help" and "index" in the body on separate lines for more information. A HTML version of the FAQ is available as http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/travel/air/handbook/top.html If you need to cite the FAQ for some reason, use the following format: Mark Kantrowitz, "Air Traveler's Handbook", rec.travel.air, , , ftp://ftp.cs.cmu.edu/user/mkant/Travel/, mkant+@cs.cmu.edu. Subject: [1-1a] Standard Tricks: Advance Booking Discounts Airlines give better fares to people who advance book because they are trying to encourage people to book as early as possible. If the airline were to lower fares just before flight time there would be a flood of people (on random flights) at the last minute. Airlines need an accurate estimate of the number of people and amount of baggage on a flight so that they can load the proper amount of fuel. (Meals and beverages also have to be loaded.) PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 5 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM Moreover, people who book at the last minute are usually flying on business, and therefore the business is paying for it. People flying for pleasure usually know weeks or months in advance, and can't afford the prices that a business would pay. Thus it is to an airline's advantage to set rates according to the major differences between business and leisure travelers: o Business travelers fly mostly between 9 and 5, whereas leisure travelers can fly offpeak hours. o Business travelers buy tickets on very short notice, whereas leisure travelers plan trips well in advance. o Business travelers do not stay over a weekend (= Saturday night), whereas leisure travelers do. So airlines typically give discounts for people who stay over a weekend, flying offpeak hours, and purchasing tickets 7 days, 14 days, 21 days or 30 days in advance. Such fares are known as excursion, discount, or supersaver fares. For example, US domestic excursion fares require that you buy your roundtrip ticket 7 days, 14 days, or 30 days in advance, and that you stay over a weekend (usually Saturday night, though sometimes Sunday night as well). Some may also restrict the travel to a 30-day maximum stay. Stopovers aren't allowed, except for the purpose of connection (if you want a stopover, you'll have to pay extra). Some fares may be limited to a particular routing (e.g., routes with connections cost less than nonstop flights). You may also be limited to flying during offpeak hours, with flights during the busiest times of the day costing more. Tickets are usually non-refundable and non-transferable, and may either be non-changeable or have a $35 change fee. The price is usually the average of the two one-way tickets. (E.g., a 2-week advance PGH/BOS advance ticket is around $200 this way.) Tickets must be purchased within 24 hours of the reservation. For international excursion fares, also known as apex fares, you must book at least 21 days in advance of the flight, and you may have to purchase the tickets at the time of the reservation. Minimum stay is usually 7-10 days, and maximum stay can range from 3 months to a year. Midweek travel (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday) is usually cheaper. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Fares often depend on the seasons. Since a regular 1-way ticket is so much worse than a round-trip excursion fare, it sometimes pays to buy a round-trip ticket and throw away the other half (if you're only going one way). If you buy a round trip ticket and throw away the other half, make the first leg of the trip the destination, since some airlines will cancel the return trip if you don't show up for the first leg. If you intend to skip ONE leg of a multi-leg flight, tell this to your reservation agent in advance, so that they can annotated your PNR to prevent subsequent legs from being cancelled. (Note: You can't use this technique to exploit a "hidden city" fare. You'll have to have a very good reason for skipping a leg for the travel agent to allow it, and you may have to pay a different fare to do so.) For example, a round-trip to San Francisco from Pittsburgh with a one-night stayover is $1,333. However, the cost of a Saturday night stayover is only $479 if you order the ticket a week or two in advance. Purchasing two round trip tickets, one originating from Pgh and one from SF, and then using one half of each round trip ticket saves you $375. Note that for many airlines the discount fares depend solely on the date of the first leg of the trip. The price does not vary no matter when the return flight is (so long as you stay over a Saturday night). PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 6 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM You could buy a flight with one leg in March and the return in November, and it would cost the same as if the return was in March. For some of the lowest fares, however, there is now a 30-day maximum stay. Staying more than 30 days often increases the fare by about 25%. If you travel on offpeak hours and low volume days, the rates are cheaper. Thus to guarrantee a low cost flight, you have to be very flexible about where you are going, what time and day you are leaving, and how long you want to stay. Offpeak hours typically include before 7am, between 10am and 2pm, and after 7pm, depending on the day of the week. Also important is when you make the reservation. If you make the reservation for an offpeak flight during the peak season (say, make a reservation for February just before Thanksgiving), you may be charged the peak rates. After the holidays some airlines lower their discount fares to attract customers. So you may be able to get a better fare by making your reservation right after the holidays. If you notice that the fare for your flight has been lowered after you bought the ticket, try calling the airline. Sometimes they will refund the difference between the price you paid and the lower fare. (You may have to go to the airport to get the ticket rewritten at the lower fare.) You may have to pay a $35 to $50 reticketing fee to get the refund, but some airlines have been known to waive the fee if you get the money back in the form of a voucher (to be applied to future travel) instead of cash. For example, USAir will refund the difference less a service charge, or give a travel voucher (credit) for the difference with no service charge. According to a Wall Street Journal article by James S. Hirsch, (July 30, 1993) many airlines now test fare increases by raising prices on the weekend (Friday night through Sunday night). If other airlines don't match the increases, the fares return to normal on Monday. So you should be careful when purchasing tickets on the weekend. (This works around the Justice Department consent decree that prevents airlines from signalling proposed fare increases in the computer reservation systems. When the competitors didn't match the increase, the airlines would cancel the increase before it took effect. With the new method, since it affects current prices, it technically isn't price-fixing.) Hirsch also reported that many airlines have increased the $25 charge for changing advanced purchase tickets to $30 or $35. Note that this is often a minimum fee -- you'll probably have to pay the full difference in price if the new ticket price is much higher. Airlines are using these measures to discourage passengers from buying tickets during a fare war and later changing the time of flight or destination. If you go to one of the airline's ticket agents (not a travel agent), some airlines will reissue a ticket at the lower fare without fee if the difference is refunded in the form of a voucher for future travel. In addition to the Saturday night stay requirement, many airlines now give additional discounts for travel midweek (usually Tuesday and Wednesday, sometimes Thursday) when a Saturday night stay is involved. Some also provide discounts for travel on Saturdays. Flights usually aren't fully booked on these days. For example, Northwest discount coupons recently had this restriction. Most leisure travelers like to travel Sunday-Sunday, or at least not miss a large part of the week. Business travelers, of course, don't like to stay over the weekend. When making your reservation through an airline ticket agent or through a travel agent, always ask for the lowest possible fare. Don't just give them specific dates/times and ask them for a low fare -- tell them that your plans are flexible, and you'd like to know what PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 7 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM the low fare is. If you're too specific on the flight details, and don't say that you're looking for the cheapest possible fare, you might not get the best price. Sometimes by departing on a different day, you can get a much cheaper fare. Subject: [1-1b] Advance Purchase Fares [Note: This section to be merged into preceding section.] Typically, tickets must be purchased 4, 7, 14, 21, or 30 days in advance of the departure date. All require confirmed reservations. Seats are always limited. Most do not permit changes/cancellations, and those that do will usually charge you. Some require a roundtrip ticket, though there are some that give lower rates for one-way tickets. Most do not permit open-jaw travel (most require circle-trip for excursion fares). Some permit stopovers, and may or may not charge you for the privilege (typically $15-30 per stopover). Fares are often seasonal. For those that have a minimum and maximum stay period (e.g., stay over the weekend, must return 150 days after departure), the day of departure is not included as part of the minimum and maximum stay period. Children's rates are usually discounted against the applicable fare. (Some airlines now apply children's discounts against the highest fare only.) As usual, children must carry proof of age. Note that fares are almost always not applicable to/from intermediate points. This means a ticket from Boston to Chicago passing through Pittsburgh could be cheaper than a ticket from Boston to Pittsburgh! But, of course, you can get off at Pittsburgh so long as you don't have checked bags nor have subsequent legs on the same ticket. Use the same carrier and flight class for all segments of your itinerary. Changing airlines usually adds to the cost of your trip. But sometimes you may be able to get a dirt cheap fare on one airline to an airport 150 miles or so from your destination, and then use another airline to get to your final destination. (This most often happens when the first airline has no direct flights to your final destination.) Sometimes fares which involve a connection are cheaper than direct flights. So if all the fares are non-stop, ask if flights that involve a connection are cheaper. For example, flights from Pittsburgh to Boston on TWA are often cheaper than flights on USAir, because USAir offers non-stop service while TWA flights are routed through their JFK hub. Other tips: + If all the fares are on one airline, ask your travel agent if there are cheaper fares on other airlines. Be prepared to ask for specific airlines. Don't run down a list of a dozen airlines, but ask for two or three. If all show similar lowest fares, you aren't likely to do better on another airline. (Obviously, this advice doesn't apply if you're calling the airlines directly. If so, call 2-3 airlines before purchasing tickets.) + If there are two airports near where you live (e.g., Washington DC, New York), ask if fares from the other airport are cheaper. It may pay to drive 40 miles to save $100 on airfare. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 8 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM + If you qualify for special discounts (youth, student, senior citizen, etc.) ask about the availability of such discounts. If you don't ask, they won't volunteer the information -- how are they to know whether you qualify? + Tickets are generally cheapest for travel in late August and from March (excluding Spring Break) through mid-June, when air traffic is the lowest. Of course, this rule of thumb depends a lot on the destination, since some destinations have strong traffic year-round. Subject: [1-2] Nested/Overlapping Tickets Strategy If you travel regularly to a particular destination, but don't stay over weekends, you can get the cheaper weekend rates by staggering your tickets. I.e., if you're flying from A to B and back Monday and Wednesday of Week 1, and the same Week 2, instead of buying roundtrip tickets for each week, buy a roundtrip ticket leaving A Monday of Week 1 and returning Wednesday of Week 2, and a second roundtrip ticket leaving B Wednesday of Week 1 and returning to B Monday of Week 2. This works out to be precisely the same flights, but since both tickets are over a weekend, you get the cheaper rate. The only problem is that you have to know your schedule in advance to make this work. Using the Pittsburgh-San Francisco example from above, this method would save you $1708 on a pair of midweek round trip flights. If this seems confusing, perhaps the following diagram will make things clearer. --- ------ | A ----1----->>---MON---- B | | --- | | A ----2-----<<---FRI---- B | | --- | | | A ----3----->>---MON---- B | | | --- | | A ----4-----<<---FRI---- B | --- ------ The two round trip flights consist of two outgoing flights (1, 3) and two returning flights (2, 4). Normally these are grouped as on the left, with flight #1 from A to B being paired with flight #2 from B to A, and similarly for flights #3 and #4. The result is two midweek flights, neither of which is over a Saturday night. But we could also pair flight #1 with flight #4, and flight #2 with flight #3, as shown on the right. Then the middle pair of flights (#2 and #3) becomes a round trip with its origin at your destination, and both sets of round trip tickets are over a Saturday night. The 30-day maximum stay on discount fares prevents you from using this overlapping round trip tickets trick if you travel to a destination infrequently (say, every six months). If your trips are more than 30 days apart, here's a new trick to use. Buy two round trip discount tickets (weekend stay) per trip, using one for the outgoing trip and one for the return, and then turn in the return portion of each ticket for credit towards your next trip. Even with the $25 or so processing charge per ticket for crediting and reissuing the ticket, it is still cheaper to do this than to buy a single round-trip ticket without a weekend stay. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 9 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM Subject: [1-x] Stopovers and Circle Trips If you're flying to two destinations, ask your travel agent about the rates for stopovers and circle trips. A stopover is useful when you want to stay for one or two days at a connecting city, and costs only an extra $20-50. A circle trip applies when your intermediate destination isn't a connecting city, and costs less than a pair of round trip tickets, even when your point of origin is a connecting city for the middle leg of the circle trip. This is especially true when one of the stays isn't over a Saturday night. Subject: [1-3] Fare Classes When airlines set their fares, they divide their seating into "classes", which are based on an analysis of past passenger purchases. Suppose you have a 100 seat airliner going from DC to SF. The rates might break down on a particular day as follows: 30 seats at $315 round trip, 30 days in advance 20 seats at $350 RT, 21 days in advance 20 seats at $375 RT, 14 days in advance 20 seats at $400 RT, 7 days in advance 10 seats at $450 RT, full fare, available until the last minute. Now if the time has elapsed within a given price group, then the fare will go up to the rate of the next price group. If they sell the quota of tickets for a price group, even if the time has not elapsed, then they can only sell you tickets at the next rate group price (which is naturally higher). So it can pay to make your reservations way in advance. (The number of seats available at each fare varies from day to day, depending on the airline's yield management algorithm.) Actually, it would be more accurate to say that airlines distinguish between classes of service and types of fares. A discount ticket (fare) for first class travel (service) could, in theory, be cheaper than an advance purchase ticket (fare) for thrift travel in the first class compartment (service). The best way to describe it is as a series of overlapping tiers of fares. There are five regular classes of service: First, Business, Standard, Coach and Thrift. Standard is practically nonexistent these days. Fares usually drop with lower class service. For each class except Standard there are six main types of reduced-fare tickets: discounted, night, offpeak, weekend, advance purchase, and excursion fare. Subject: [1-4] Classes of Service The following chart gives some of the letters used to designate each class of service. Note that Fn means Night/Offpeak Coach in the First Class compartment, and Yn means Night/Offpeak Coach in other than the First Class compartment. Regular Premium Discounted Night/Offpeak First Class F P A Fn (Coach in FC seat) Business Class C J D Cn Standard S W Bn Coach Economy Y B, H, M, Q, T Qn, Yn Thrift K L, V Vn, Kn Supersonic R PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 10 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM Shuttle Service U (No reservation needed, Seat guaranteed) Shuttle Service E (No reservation allowed) In reality there is no difference between classes F and P, nor between classes C and J. The Q class is usually used for discounted student fares. If you want the cheapest fares, look at the Thrift and Coach Economy classes. Airlines have started eliminating First Class, because many companies now have policies that won't let their employees claim a first class ticket on their travel expenses. Instead, the airlines have started upgrading their Business Class as a marketing ploy (and, of course, company policies are now requiring employees to travel coach). Subject: [1-5] Fare Types The following lists some of the letters used to designate different types of fares. This is distinct from class of service. A number (e.g., 7 or 14) usually means how many days in advance the ticket must be bought. Miscellaneous AP Advance Purchase EX Excursion Fare B Capacity-controlled Excursion Fares SW Offpeak; Saturday or Sunday W Weekend X Midweek US 48 contiguous states (not including alaska/hawaii) Economy KH Weekend KL Midweek/Offpeak MH Weekend (Discount Fare) ML Midweek/Offpeak (Discount Fare) L Capacity-controlled Inventory Standard SH Peak SL Offpeak V Offpeak Coach B Capacity-controlled Inventory BN Night Coach H Capacity-controlled Inventory, Coach/Night Coach V Offpeak YH Weekend YL Midweek/Offpeak Super Coach QH Weekend; applies Fri-Sun QL Midweek; applies Mon-Thur Subject: [1-6] Special Fare Categories All airlines have special rate categories, but you have to ask for them by name, since the agents are usually not familiar with them. You may even have to talk to the agent's supervisor. Below is a brief PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 11 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM listing of different special fare categories, followed by a more in depth discussion of standby fares. Also, see preceding discussion of classes of service and fare types. For example, on TWA, class K, V, YC, and M fares are the cheapest. Note: Just because you qualify for a special fare category doesn't mean that it is the cheapest fare possible. Shop around. By being flexible with your travel plans, you may be able to save even more. When the special fares are discounted against full fare coach prices, you can often do better by purchasing a supersaver or other advance booking fare. Of course, if your special fare discount may be combined with other offers (e.g., 5% discount for using the official airline of a conference to travel to the conference), you win both ways. Subject: [1-7] Children's Fares Children under 2 years of age travel free on US domestic flights. (That is, children who have not reached their second birthday at the date of commencement of travel.) To be more accurate, the child must not occupy a separate seat (sits on its parent's lap), and must be accompanied by a fare paying adult passenger 12 years of age and over (the lap in which it sits). If the flight isn't full, usually the kid can sit in the seat next to the adult, but if the flight is full, the child will have to sit in the parent's lap for the duration of the flight. Such children do not get a baggage allowance. Ask for an "infant ticket" when you make your reservations. Additional children under 2 are subject to regular children's fares. On international flights you need a "lap child" ticket which typically costs about $100 (10% of the regular fare). Fares for children (age 2-12) accompanied by a fare paying adult passenger and occupying a separate seat are cheaper than fares for unaccompanied children. Some carriers will not accept unaccompanied children under five years of age (some 8 years, some 12). Fares for accompanied children range from 50% to 100% of an adult fare (1/2 fare, 2/3 fare, 3/4 fare, 80%, 90%, full fare). Fares for unaccompanied children range from 50% of adult fare to 125% of an adult fare (1/2 fare, 2/3 fare, 3/4 fare, full fare, 1-1/4 fare). Nowaways, 2/3 fare seems to be the most common children's fare. Tell your travel agent before they start searching for discount fares that you're traveling with children. Not all discount adult fares allow discounts for children, so it may sometimes pay to buy a slightly more expensive adult ticket that allows for much cheaper children fares. Subject: [1-8] Clergy Fares Clergy have been entitled to discounts by various airlines in the past, but as of May 1994, none were participating in such programs. Qualified parties would be advised to check with airlines at the time of their booking to see if these programs have been reinstated. Subject: [1-9] Military Fares US military personnel traveling at their own expense on PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 12 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM authorized leave or pass may get signicantly cheaper fares. Discharged military personnel must complete all travel within 7 days of discharge date. Valid active duty US green identification card or separation orders must be presented. USAir has a 50% military discount. Also, any military person who is on active duty and either on TDY (temporary duty), emergency leave or regular leave, or any retired military person may sign up for space available travel on pre-scheduled military flights to any air force base (e.g., Hawaii, Boston, Florida). Active duty personnel have priority over retired personnel, and space is allocated in order of signup. Few flights, however, are scheduled more than 24 hours in advance, and you may need to go to your destination by a very roundabout route, since not every base has a lot of space-available flights. The cost is free from most bases, but some tack on a $10 or $20 charge for admin purposes. For long flights, they will sell you a box-lunch for $2.40. The planes may not be as comfortable as commercial flights. There are numerous books on space-available flights that military people can pick up at their PX/BX. They should also contact the PAX representative at their nearest base for more specific information. Subject: [1-10] Senior Citizen Fares Certain airlines provide reduced fares for passengers 65 (sometimes 62) years of age and older. Passengers must carry proof of age (passport, birth certificate, driver's license or medicare card). The typical discount is 10 percent, though some discounts may be as high as 75%. Some programs provided a booklet of discount coupons, or sell several tickets at a sharply discounted rate. Seats are usually limited, and off-peak travel may be required. The fares are sometimes refundable and sometimes do not require advance purchase. In some cases, membership in the AARP will qualify you for the reduced fares. (The AARP's 10 percent discount deal with American Airlines ended in 1992 when the fare war broke out.) Call 1-202-872-4700 for information about joining AARP. Airlines with special fares include: American, America West, Continental, Delta, Northwest, Southwest Airlines, TWA, United, and USAir. Delta sells books of coupons for travel by retired senior citizens (age 62 or higher). The cost is $596 for a book of four coupons, $1,032 for eight coupons. Each coupon is good for a one-way flight in the continental United States, with two coupons required for travel to Alaska or Hawaii. The number of seats are limited, and reservations must be made two weeks in advance of departure. If buying a booklet of coupons, compare the prices against the discounted excursion fares. Sometimes you can do better than the coupons. Be sure to ask if there are any special fares for senior citizens, if you qualify. Many travel agents are reluctant to ask a customer if they are a senior citizen, because they are afraid the customer might be offended. Subject: [1-11] Student/Youth Fares Some airlines give discounted fares to full-time students of an accredited school, college or university who are at least 12 years of age. Student ID card must be carried and displayed at the request of the carrier. Some restrict the age of the student to under some age (e.g., 22, 24, 26 years of age). Stopovers are not permitted, and some PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 13 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM require reservations at least 7 days before departure. The status of such discounts varies considerably. For example, the USAir student discount was cancelled on May 30, 1992, as a consequence of the American fare restructuring. As of June 1993, the program was reinstated on a limited scale, primarily on short-haul east-coast flights, with an age limit of 24. On June 1, 1994, they cancelled the program, and replaced it with a more restrictive youth fare. The details of this program are as follows: + Maximum age 22. + Reservations must be made 7 days in advance. + Saturday night stay required. + Round trips only, must be a non-stop flight. + Not offered in all markets, and the amount of the discount varies. The best discount seems to be 30% off. + The discount seems to not be combinable with supersaver fares. + You must show proof of age when making a reservation. + The discount is limited to US domestic travel. Students may purchase discount books of 10 tickets on the Trump (now USAir) shuttle for $499. Delta has a similar program for their shuttle. Age restrictions can be as low as 18-22 on these tickets (Continental 18-22, USAir 18-24 some routes, 18-22 others, Delta is 18-24). Times are restricted from 10am to 2:30 pm and after 7 pm. TWA has established a student discount program. Membership costs $15 for one year, $25 for two years, and gets you 10% off most TWA round-trip fares. You must be a full-time student, aged 16-26. The fares must include a Saturday night stay-over and 14-day advance purchase. TWA has also offered a "Youth Travel Pak" which provides coupons for four one-way trips in the continental US for $548 (coupons may be doubled for travel to Hawaii). The Pak is restricted to students aged 14-24. This can be a good deal if you're traveling cross-country. A variety of discounts are available if you have an International Student Identity Card (or International Teacher Identity Card). Besides offering proof of student status, the ID provides discounts on museums and events, air fare, 24-hour traveler's assistance, and health insurance. Ask your travel agent for details on how to get such a card and what discounts are available. All Council Travel travel agencies sell the International Student ID Cards. They are rather cheap -- $17 for students aged 12 to 25 -- and well worth the price. However, some people have found that their regular university ID or American Youth Hostel Card works just as well for most of the discounts. For an application and a free magazine, call the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) at 800-438-2643. Youth fares: Passenger must be between 12 and 22 (25 for international travel) years of age. Seats may be limited. Tickets must be purchased from the point of origin. Some require picture identification such as Youth Fare identification Card, birth certificate, government ID card or drivers license. Southwest gives the offpeak rate for *all* flights for youth (21 & under), although this is still more expensive than their supersaver fares. In short, when purchasing tickets ask if there is any youth/student discount. Subject: [1-12] Family Fares PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 14 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM Some carriers offer discounts on family travel. For the purposes of the discounts, a family is defined as a husband and wife with or without accompanying children age 2-17, or one parent with one or more accompanying children age 2-17. Age restrictions on children differ from airline to airline (some set the maximum age at 20 or 21 years; and some break children into two classes, 12 & under and 12-21). Some include legal guardian and grandparents within the definition of parent. It is usually not necessary for the family to travel under a common surname. Proof of family relationship must be established to the satisfaction of the carrier and all family members must travel together for the entire trip. Fares are typically 100% for first family member, 50% each additional. Some have further discounts. Subject: [1-13] Conference Fares If you're flying to a meeting or conference, airlines will often offer a conference discount. This must be arranged ahead of time by the conference organizers and only holds for one particular airline. This airline is designated as the "official" airline of the conference, and is advertised in the registration brochure. Discounts are generally 40% off of full coach or 5% off of the best supersaver fare, with travel within 3 days of the meeting. The conference organizers receive one free round trip ticket for every 20 conference attendees who use the airline. See also "Moving Up the Return Flight" [1-19]. Subject: [1-14] Sympathy Fares, Emergency Fares If you have to go to a funeral, most airlines will give you 50% off of the discounted rate, at very short notice. They call this the sympathy fare. Similarly for a medical emergency (e.g., a close relative is in intensive care, or is likely to die). For example, Continental will waive advance purchase requirements for cheap fares for an emergency. This is their bereavement rate for people who have to attend funerals. Other airlines that do this are United and USAir ("compassionate fare"). American gives 50% off of the non-discounted rate, and will ask you for the name, address and phone number of the funeral home. (Some airlines will require a copy of the death certificate or an obituary instead.) This is a tradition carried over from the "funeral fare" of the railroad days. Airlines do this because it is simply good PR, and doesn't cost them all that much. Some airlines will only allow immediate relatives to get a sympathy fare. [As of 4/30/93, American and United offered 17% discount on unrestricted coach, USAir 50%.] In any case you have to ask and sometimes be persistent as these are nonstandard and not widely publicized policies. Many low level airline workers are not aware of them or do not have the authority to allow them. United "Rule 120" describes the rules governing sympathy fares. Subject: [1-15] Refunds In the same vein, many airlines will refund a ticket, even a nonrefundable one, for good cause. Medical emergencies, jury duty, and a death in the family generally qualify as a good cause for not using PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 15 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM a ticket. Some sort of proof must be provided (death certiicate, note from doctor), and it is completely up to the airline as to whether or not the particular instance warrants a refund. But it doesn't hurt to ask, even multiple times. Some airlines may issue a new ticket or provide a flight credit voucher instead of offering a refund. If you don't have any luck in getting a refund when talking with the airline ticket agent or their supervisor, try asking your travel agent for help. Sometimes they can succeed where you can't. You can also try talking to someone at the airline's downtown ticket office in person, and writing to their national office. It never hurts to ask, even multiple times. If you're making no headway at the airline's downtown office, try turning on the tears. This is especially effective if the person who is preventing you from getting a refund is of the opposite sex. Nothing makes a person try harder to help than seeing someone start crying because of them. A useful trick for normal circumstances: When they ask for your name for printing on the ticket, use your first initial instead of your full first name. (Many airlines now require your full first name, even if you purchase the ticket through a travel agent.) Thus if you can't use your "non-transferrable non-refundable" ticket, your spouse or some other member of your family might be able to. [Airlines do not allow name changes on reservations and tickets, to prevent travel agents from buying up cheap fares with dummy names in anticipation of selling them to real people later. For this reason, it is important when traveling overseas to make sure you give your name to the travel agent exactly as it is listed on your passport. The name on your tickets must match the name on your passport, and once the reservations are made and the tickets issued, there's nothing you can do to correct the name. The travel agent will have to cancel the reservations and rebook the full itinerary using the correct name, assuming the seats are still available at that fare. If the tickets were non-refundable, there's nothing you can do.] Another trick is to have your travel agent talk to the airline, assuming you used him to purchase the ticket. Sometimes they will be able to swing a deal. Nontransferable tickets may still be useable by other people in your organization, if the address listed on the ticket was your business address, or if your organization's name appears on the ticket. If the passenger named on the ticket died before the flight, most airlines will allow a name change, and many will even refund a nonrefundable ticket. Unused nonrefundable tickets can often be applied as a credit toward another nonrefundable ticket of equal or higher value on the same airline, less a small reticketing fee of $35 to $50. You'll also have to pay any difference in the fares, and you can do this for up to one year after the date of purchase. (Note that if the new ticket costs less than the old ticket, you probably won't be credited with the difference.) So if you bought a non-refundable ticket and decided to not use it, don't throw it away. If you only used part of the ticket (e.g., the originating flight but not the return), you probably can't do this; these policies are for completely unused tickets. If you lose your tickets, most airlines will require you to buy new tickets, and then issue a refund after 30 days, less a fee of $30 to $50. Thus 'losing' your tickets is not an effective means of getting a refund for non-refundable tickets. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 16 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM Full fare tickets (e.g., unrestricted coach, business class, or first class), of course, usually allow changes without charge. Normally a reservation will cancel out automatically if you don't purchase a ticket within 24 hours. However, if you ask the airline to invoice you, usually this timeout is extended to 10 days to allow enough time for the invoice to reach you. You can still pay the invoice using a credit card. If you don't pay the invoice, the reservation cancels out at the end of the 10 day period. I was once able to get the 10 day period extended, but that was because the airline had transposed digits in my zip code, causing the invoice to arrive after the 10 day period had expired. Being hostile to airline personnel is the one sure way to prevent you from getting a refund or change. Be nice to them -- it doesn't hurt you, and probably will help you get what you want. Subject: [1-16] Flying Standby Flying standby used to be one of the cheapest ways to travel. The idea was that an empty seat doesn't earn the airline any money. So some airlines would sell special fare "standby tickets". Using such a ticket you were NOT guarranteed a seat on a particular flight, but on the next flight with empty seats. You'd be enplaned on a flight subject to the availability of space at departure time. This was only after all passengers with reservations for the flight have been boarded. Passengers from a previous flight who were bumped also had priority. No stopovers were permitted on standby fares. Since advance reservations were not accepted, you had to get to the gate early to put yourself down on the standby list. If it was a busy day and the flights are full, you would have to wait several hours to get a seat, or maybe not get a seat at all. A standby ticket didn't guarrantee you a seat, but if you did not absolutely, positively have to be there tomorrow, you could get some good deals. But the days when students could hang out at the airport and fly standby for dirt cheap prices are long gone. The term "standby" is still used, but doesn't mean what it used to: 1. Most airlines no longer sell standby tickets at a special fare, but will sell you a standby ticket at regular fare. In other words, if they have space on the flight, the gate agent or ticket agent will sell you a ticket for the flight on the spot. All this means is you can buy a full fare ticket on the spur of the moment. 2. Nonrefundable, nonchangeable tickets can often be used for standby travel on the same or similar route (sometimes with a slight surcharge). This most often comes up if you missed your flight (e.g., you arrive at the gate after the plane has left, and catch another flight to the same destination later that day), but you may be able to use unused flight coupons in this manner. For example, if you bought a ticket but didn't go for some reason (a reason that didn't entitle you to a refund), the ticket may still be usable for standby travel on the same airline. (Your best bet with such a ticket, however, is to have your travel agent or airline credit it towards your next ticket. You'll probably have to pay a fee, but it's better than throwing away the ticket.) All this is often at the whim of the gate agent, and is based on the notion that a ticket is often designated as being good for travel on the airline for one year PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 17 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM from the date of issue. Your luck will vary by airline and gate agent. 3. If you're on a later flight but get to the airport early, check with the attendant at the gate. You may be able to get on the earlier flight is there's space available (but this may result in your getting no "snack" or losing your special meal). This works even for "non-changeable" tickets. Airlines stopped the practice of selling standby tickets for a variety of reasons: 1. Even if a seat isn't taken, putting somebody in the seat still costs the airline some money (e.g., fuel). 2. Standby travel played havoc with airline load management programs. Airlines were sometimes faced with having to unload fuel to change the weight distribution of the aircraft because of a sudden appearance of several standby passengers. 3. Some people would "ensure" the availability of standby seats by making a large number of regular reservations, and then an hour before the flight release the block of seats, virtually ensuring that standby passengers will get aboard at cheap standby fares. This caused airlines to overbook flights, and eliminated their ability to schedule their flights accurately. Since the elimination of standby tickets, overbooking errors have dropped significantly. (Another result of this practice is the automatic cancellation of unpaid reservations after 24 hours.) 4. Airlines felt that they were losing regular business to standby travel. Flying standby, however, may be making a comeback. In 1993, some airlines had special one-day fares for folks traveling on Christmas and New Years. These holidays are the nadir of the travel season, so by offering these fares, the airlines were able to increase their business on flights they had to fly anyway. (Yes, airlines still have to fly the routes, even with empty planes, because scheduling is so complex. For example, the plane in Atlanta might need to fly to Boston so that it can be used on the Boston-Washington route later in the next day.) Now these holiday fares weren't true standby fares, but the concept was similar. Since most flights these days fly at 85-95% of capacity, one of these days an airline is going to get the bright idea of reinstating standby fares in one variation or another. For example, some airlines now sell discount flight coupon booklets to senior citizens; the coupons may be used for standby travel. And of course, US Air Force personnel can fly standby on some US Air Force planes on a space available basis for dirt cheap prices, but with no amenities (and maybe no real seat either, but strapped to webbing on the wall). Some foreign airlines still provide standby fares, sometimes limited to youth. If you are flying standby one way or another, here's some advice: - Make sure you get to the gate EARLY. If several people are flying standby, you want to make sure that your name is first on the list. Note that connecting passengers, bumped passengers, etc., get priority over local boarding standbys. - Days which are bad for getting bumped are usually good days for standby seats. Don't fly standby on the day before Thanksgiving or the Sunday after, you won't get a seat. On Thanksgiving day itself, you're likely to find a seat. PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 18 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM - On really busy days it might pay to show up early for the *first* flight of the day, since standbys who don't make it can "roll over" to the next flight. Some airlines will only allow "same day" standby travel (i.e., you overslept and missed your flight, and will take a flight on the same route later that day). Others will not allow you to fly standby on a flight if all the seats in your fare class have sold out, even if there are empty seats available. If the agent at the check-in counter gives you trouble, go directly to the gate and see what happens. [Agents at the check-in counter are under more pressure to enforce the rules than gate agents, who have some discretionary power. If you can avoid dealing with the agents at the check-in counter, (e.g., no checked baggage), so much the better.] If you want to try flying standby on one airline using another airline's ticket, bypass the check-in agent and go directly to the gate. Most airline employees (and their spouses and dependents) can fly standby on that airline for cheap or free (as "representatives" of the airline). Crew who must reach their destination for work purposes have priority over all non-revenue passengers. Active employees have priority over retired employees and dependents of an employee. There is a pretty strict dress code -- suit and ties for men, and similar requirements for women -- so you can't fly wearing a jogging suit. Subject: [1-17] Getting Bumped [Note: Most of the comments in this section apply to US domestic flights only. US Department of Transportation rules apply only to flights between points in the US. Airlines do not need to give any compensation for international flights, so what, if anything, you get for an involuntary bump is entirely up to the airline.] Airlines tend to overbook their flights in case of no-shows. (Airlines also ignore the overbook limit when a customer is buing a full-fare ticket, because the cost of bribing volunteers with a bump ticket is usually less than the additional income derived from a full-fare ticket.) Occasionally this will mean that more people show up with confirmed reservations than there are seats on the plane. (Or if the flight is a particularly full one, it may exceed the weight limit even with empty seats.) The airline will ask if there's anyone willing to be bumped from the flight in exchange for compensation (e.g., USAir will give you a free round-trip ticket anywhere in North America). The airline will then put you on the next available flight to your destination, along with your free ticket. Vouchers are typically valid for only a year from date of issue. But if you ask *before you get the ticket*, you can sometimes get it extended for a month or two beyond the year limitation. (Some folks have reported success in getting vouchers extended a month or so before expiration.) If your voucher is expiring you can also try using it to get a ticket with a particular origin and destination but no specific departure and return dates. Such tickets should be good for 12 months. Many bump vouchers, however, prohibit exchanging them for such "open" tickets. An alternative is to use the voucher to book a flight to your favorite destination for some likely dates. If the dates don't work out, you can usually rebook the tickets for different dates for a small fee. So another way to reduce the cost of flying is to volunteer to be bumped. You can maximize your chances of being bumped by purchasing a PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 19 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM confirmed reservation on flights that are most likely to be full. A good time is 7-10 am or 4-7 pm on a weekday (especially Monday morning and Friday afternoon). These are the times most businessmen fly (trying to make early morning meetings or to get home for dinner in the evening), and hence when the airline is most likely to be overbooked. Airlines are also likely to be overbooked on Sunday nights (early evening) and the beginning and end of holidays, since that is when non-businessmen typically fly. For example, right before Thanksgiving and the Sunday or Monday after are prime bumping times. The same is true of typical spring break destinations toward the end of March and beginning of April. Receiving a free roundtrip ticket effectively cuts your air travel costs in half. And if you get bumped while using a previous free bump ticket, it gets even cheaper. Even on the best days for being bumped, the likelihood is still rather low. Airline yield software has been getting better and better, so it is uncommon for bumping to occur. The DOT figures cited in [4-4] show that American had an involuntary bump rate of 1 in 200,000 in 1993. (These figures do NOT include voluntary bumps, which are more likely. The DOT does not collect statistics on voluntary bumping. Note also that American had the lowest involuntarily bump rate. The likelihood of your being bumped voluntarily on an average carrier is probably close to 1 in 10,000.) If you want to be bumped and notice that the flight looks full, get to the gate as early as possible (e.g., 1-2 hours before departure) and ask the gate agent whether they are overbooked. If they are, they will need volunteers. Ask them to put your name on the bump list (aka "bump queue"). Bump tickets are offered on a first come/first served basis, so you want to get your name near the top of the list. This will give you priority if there are only a few bumps. Note, however, that by pre-volunteering, you're only likely to get a free ticket in addition to rebooking on a flight later that day. If nobody volunteers and you wait until they ask for volunteers, you can sometimes up the ante, depending on how desperate they get. (Some airlines give all volunteers the same thing, no matter when they volunteered. Others will process you as soon as you volunteer, so the later you volunteer, the better the incentive.) In general, you should put your name on the bump list, and don't wait until the airline calls for volunteers. Enough people volunteer ahead of time these days that if you don't put your name on the list, you won't have the opportunity to be bumped (except on very rare occasions, when not enough people volunteer). When you get your bump ticket and are being rebooked on a later flight, if the delay is a few hours, ask the gate agent if they can give you a meal voucher. This voucher, which is worth $5-$10, can be used at airport restaurants to get something to eat. Not every airline and not every gate agent will give you one, and they certainly won't give you one if you don't ask for it, but sometimes they will. If you have any other special requirements (e.g., you want extra frequent flyer credits, you want the free ticket to be good for an extra month, etc.) it doesn't hurt to ask. If you have a confirmed reservation, and you notice the flight is overbooked but first class is underbooked and you don't necessarily want to be bumped, try being the last person on line. If you are lucky the coach and business class will be full, and they will have to upgrade you to first class at no charge. (Also, having a pre-issued boarding pass will decrease your chances of an involuntary bump.) This is risky, though, because you might wind up being bumped anyway, so only do it if you don't care whether you'll be bumped. It always pays to volunteer to be bumped, even if the flight isn't overbooked. If the airline needs adjacent seating for a family, they PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 20 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM will sometimes bump you into first class if you are in a row by yourself. When you arrive at the airport, check the flight schedules to see which flights (on the airline and its competitors) will be departing for your destination, and when. Airlines are extremely reluctant to book a volunteer on another carrier, so if you get bumped on the last flight to your destination, you may have to stay overnight at a hotel. Good days to get bumped include: Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Sunday after; couple days before and after Christmas weekend; ditto with New Years. Friday afternoons, evenings, and Sunday afternoons and evenings also bump a lot. Another trick is to ask your travel agent which flights are full or nearly full and to purchase tickets for one of those flights. (Not every travel agent will let you do this.) Note, however, that you probably won't be able to get the discount rate for such a flight, since all the seats in the discount coach fare class have probably been sold. Also, if a flight has reached the overbook limit, you won't be able to buy any ticket for the flight, except perhaps a full fare ticket. If the airline still has plenty of coach seats a day or so before the flight, it is unlikely that they will bump. Here's what some airlines usually give volunteers: Delta, USAir: Open roundtrip (Delta requires reservations three days before flight time on bump tickets.) United: Travel voucher in increments of $100 based on how long you have to wait for your next flight (e.g., 2 hour wait is $200), up to a maximum of $300. You can also ask for a food voucher. Continental: US domestic roundtrip ticket. Sometimes offers a dollar amount in credit to be used towards any Continental flight (e.g., $300). American, America West, Southwest, Northwest: $$ off another ticket (usually $150 to $300; Northwest generally around $300; American has been known to go as high as $1000.) Dollar-denominated vouchers are not subject to tax, so they stretch further. Amounts depend on the degree of overbooking of the flight. United sometimes will also issue a dollar-denominated voucher. United bumps more than average, Delta less. Air Canada offers $150 cash or $300 in travel vouchers. If you are bumped and the next flight out is the next day, the airline may offer you overnight accomodation in addition, especially if you are bumped while away from home. Most bump tickets (vouchers) are non-transferable, so you must use them yourself. If the voucher must be exchanged for a ticket, you may be able to have the ticket issued in someone else's name, given a reasonable excuse (e.g., your girlfriend/boyfriend). If you are bumped (voluntarily or involuntarily) and have checked baggage, the airline will not remove your bags from the plane. The bags will continue on to your destination and wait there until you arrive. So if you're planning to be bumped, bring enough clean clothes in your PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 21 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM carry-on to last you a day or two just in case your bags are lost or stolen by the time you arrive, or you get stuck at a connection. If you get bumped or your flight is canceled and need to stay at a hotel overnight, hotels near the airport will often give you a substantial discount if you ask for it (50% discount is not unheard of). Ask for the "Distressed Passenger Rate". Airlines also have overnight kits they can give you. A flight being cancelled is *not* the same as being bumped. Bumping occurs only when the carrier has more passengers with confirmed tickets on the flight than seats. You can get compensation if you are bumped, but not if the flight is cancelled. If airline delays cause you extra expense, the airlines may be willing to help you out. For example, if the airline delay caused you to miss the cheap bus shuttle service to downtown, the airline may be willing to pay the difference between cab fare and shuttle fare. But in general, there aren't any policies for compensation (e.g., meals, hotel, etc.) that must be given to bumped and delayed passengers. Some airlines are very nice and will give you food coupons if you ask, some won't. Under Department of Transportation rules, an involuntarily bumped traveler who is delayed more than one hour but less than two on a US domestic flight is entitled to $200 or 100 percent of the one-way fare, whichever is less (the airline must also honor the original ticket). For delays longer than two hours, the compensation doubles. The calculation of delay is according to the time of arrival at the destination. Airlines can offer you a travel voucher (for a free US domestic round-trip ticket) in lieu of cash, but must give you the cash if that's what you want. Airlines like bumped volunteers because free travel vouchers cost them less than the cash compensation they're required to offer involuntarily bumped passengers. Approximately 1 in 10,000 passengers is bumped involuntarily. (If the involuntarily bumped passengers are put on a flight which brings them to their destination within an hour of the original flight time, the airline has met its requirement.) Anything more is strictly the policy of the airline, which is stated in its Conditions of Carriage statement. (To obtain this statement, get it either from your travel agent or by writing to the customer affairs office of your airline. Be sure to ask for the full copy of the conditions; otherwise they'll give you just a three page summary of the limitations of liability sections.) Note that these rules do NOT apply to delayed passengers in general, just to involuntarily bumped passengers. According to a 1994 Supreme Court ruling, passengers who are denied boarding can sue the airline for compensatory damages, but not punitive damages. So in most cases you are better off accepting the compensation offered by the airlines. Note that if you don't show up at the gate 15 minutes before departure, the airline can involuntarily bump you and not owe you anything. There are no rules governing compensation for volunteers -- airlines can offer as little or as much as it takes to bid you off the flight. Delta restricts reservations using volunteer bumped vouchers to two days in advance. Re-booking: Most volunteers are routinely booked on another flight within a few hours, but re-routing isn't a legal requirement. Before giving up your seat, ask when the next flight leaves, whether you'll have a confirmed or standby reservation and (if the flight is with PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 22 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM another carrier) whether you'll have to pay additional fare. Negotiating: Most airline managers can escalate compensation offers in an attempt to get enough volunteers. So you might get a better deal by simply asking for one. American Airlines, which has the lowest rate of involuntary bumpees in the industry, tends to be the most generous with compensation for volunteers. Sometimes, when all of the airline's flights are full, they will reroute you on another airline. However, if you are flying on a free ticket (e.g., frequent flyer ticket, previous bump ticket), they may not be willing to endorse your ticket over to the other airline. (It doesn't hurt to ask.) So they'll have to send you out on another flight later that day. If this happens and "inconveniences" you (i.e., you have to wait another hour or so), you may be able to weasel something else out of the airline -- a roll of quarters for the pinball machine, use of their club facilities, first class accomodations on the later flight, meal voucher, or something. If you volunteer and they don't need to bump you, you don't lose your seat. If you volunteer, they need you, and you change your mind, you may lose your seat, and wind up in a random seat. That is, of course, if the airline decides to accommodate you. Once you've volunteered and they've accepted your offer, you can't really reneg on it. If you are bumped on an international flight, the airline will reroute you but generally not offer you any extra compensation. Involuntary reroutings may involve upgrading your class of service (at no extra cost to you) or putting you on a different carrier to your destination at the same or higher class of service. If rerouting you requires an overnight stay, the airline will provide you with vouchers for hotel rooms and meals. But you won't get any free tickets, and writing a letter of complaint to the airline probably won't get you anything. (The only case where complaining will get you something is if you paid for a first class ticket, and they rerouted you on a lower class of service. If this occurs, ask the airline to refund the difference in fares.) If you're traveling international and don't want to be bumped, buy a first class ticket. Airlines rarely bump first class passengers. Subject: [1-18] Special Travel Dates/Fare Sales/Fare Wars This section describes several recent categories of fare sales. When one airline announces a sale or promotion, many other airlines will match it. But they may not match it in all markets. Some circumstances in which the other airlines might not match the fare sale in a given market include: + When the original airline's sale is for a flight that involves a connection and the other airlines provide non-stop service. + When the market isn't a competitive market. For example, when the airline holds a virtual monopoly on a particular airport (e.g., USAir in Pittsburgh). They may match the fare for flights through the hub, but not for flights originating at the hub. + When the airline's bookings are already strong for the period covered by the sale, and they don't feel the need to compete. Not all the airlines that match a sale will necessarily impose the same restrictions. So it may pay to shop around. Fare sales are most likely during the early fall (mid-September PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 23 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM through mid-November), when airlines begin to worry about their fourth-quarter financial performance. Other good times are late summer and early spring. There are currently about 8 major fare sales a year, and you can expect that airlines will start acting like department stores with sales every month or two. When an airline gets the jump on its competitors with the announcement of a fare sale -- even if by just half a day -- it gets a significant edge in terms of the number of reservations. The greatest discounts are usually on the most expensive routes. Markets where prices are already low due to competition tend to have lower discounts. Fare Wars: Except for the original airfare war during the summer of 1993, media use of the term 'Fare War' for fare sales is a misnomer. To some extent airlines try to stir up consumer excitement by using the term. The most common kind of fare sale has the following characteristics: + midweek flights (departure on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday) or other offpeak times (e.g., Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving) + UP TO 50% off round-trip tickets (most discounts substantially less, around 10% to 15%) + Saturday night stay, 14-day advance purchase + limited purchasing window (1-2 weeks); travel completed during a large travel window (2 months) + restricted to competitive routes + limited number of seats available + nonrefundable Some popular times for air fare sales: + Just after Labor Day, for travel between late September and mid December, with blackout dates around the holidays. + From mid-July to late July for early fall travel. (e.g., Continental July 17, 1994) + Early August for fall travel. (e.g., America West on 3-AUG-94 and Continental on 19-AUG-94) + Winter, from early December through mid-February, with blackout days around Christmas and New Years. (e.g., Continental on 25-NOV-94) One-way Sales: These sales offer one-way fares for up to 50% off of the usual fare. Since round-trip fares are already 50% off the price of the equivalent pair of one-way tickets, such sales do not affect the consumer much (but do generate consumer sales anyway due to the excitement of a "Fare War!!!"). Southwest routinely offers $25 fares (per non-stop flight segment) on flights that leave after 7pm local time on Monday nights, September 12 through December 26, 1994. The restrictions eliminate many of the airline's flights, but it is still a good deal if your schedule and destination happens to meet the restrictions. The promotion is part of Southwest's sponsorship of ABC's Monday night football. Two-For-One Sales: Two-for-one sales, also known as companion fares ("Friend Flies Free" or "Add a Pal for a Penny"), offer passengers traveling together two tickets for the price of one. However, the seats are usually limited, and may not apply to the cheapest coach class tickets. So for folks who were traveling in pairs anyway, the PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 24 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM discounts come closer to 25% off than the "up to 50% off" advertised by the airlines, when you take everything into account. (Sure, you're saving 50% off the price of the ticket, but if you were buying a single ticket, you'd get a cheaper ticket.) Both passengers must travel together on all legs of the itinerary. There must also be two passengers -- you can't claim a free ticket for a fictitious friend just to have an empty seat next to you. Nadir Days Fare Sales: There are several days of the year when air travel hits rock bottom, like December 25, January 1, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and the 4th of July. Airlines can't simply reduce their operations on these days, because of scheduling difficulties. A flight from San Jose to Boston must still fly on schedule, even if there are no passengers on board, because that plane must be in Boston the next day when the normal load resumes. An empty seat doesn't earn the airline any money. So several airlines have started special one-day fare sales on peak-minimum days. For example, a round trip ticket from Pittsburgh to Boston on the Sunday before the 4th of July cost only $100. The catch was that you had to fly out after noon on Saturday and return by midnight Sunday. Whiteout Fare Sales: In an unusual twist, Delta cut fares about 30-40% on some of the least popular travel days around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Travel (both departure and return flights) must occur on November 17, 21, 24, or 25; December 15, 19, 20, 28; or January 4, 5 or 6. The tickets are non-refundable and apply only to the 48 contiguous states. Although Delta initially included the usual 14-day advance purchase and a November 10, 1994 deadline to buy tickets, USAir and Continental have waived those restrictions. (Note that the more popular travel days, such as the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, have been excluded.) For example, a round trip ticket from Pittsburgh to Boston flying on 11/21 and 11/25 costs $137, compare to the usual $200-$250. Subject: [1-19] Moving Up the Return Flight Departure dates on non-changeable tickers are inviolable -- you can't change them without running into major obstacles. Return flights, however, are sometimes a bit more flexible. You probably can't change them before the departure, but sometimes you can change them afterwards. For example, suppose you're flying to a conference that takes place mid-week, but have to buy tickets that include a Saturday night stay. Paying for an extra one or two day stay in a hotel (or student housing) is cheaper than paying a full-price midweek fare. So you need to pick a Saturday night, either the one before the conference or the one after. To take advantage of the flexibility on return flights, book the flight to include the Saturday night *after* the conference. On the night before you want to leave, call the airline and tell them you'd like to return early. If they have space available, they'll let you return early (possibly with a $35 change fee). For example, if you want to fly out on Friday, call them Thursday night. This isn't flying standby, because they'll actually give you a reservation for the earlier return. Some travel agents use a similar trick to obtain inexpensive tickets for their business customers. They'll issue a ticket with a Saturday night stay at the discount rate, and provide the passenger with a PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 25 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM sticker to put on the return ticket after the outbound ticket has been removed. The sticker reflects the earlier return flight. The travel agent also changes the return date on the reservation after the outbound ticket has been used. Since this is a slightly shady practice, any other changes in the itinerary must also be made through the travel agent, not the airline. Not all travel agents are willing to do this, and then only for expensive tickets and their best customers. If you want to try moving up the departure date, go to the airport a few hours before departure and ask. If they have room, they may let you on. You will have more success asking at the gate; airport ticketing/checkin agents tend to be sticklers for the rules. If you ask before the day of departure, or try to get it changed by calling the toll free number, the answer will almost certainly be no (or involve additional fees). Subject: [1-20] Hidden City Fares A hidden city fare occurs when a flight from point A to point B happens to make a connection in point C and is cheaper than a direct flight from point A to point C. This is a quirk of the way in which airlines price their routes, which has little to do with the distance flown. The prices are driven by market conditions. Prices drop when there is a lot of competition on a route. The flight from A to B might be a very busy route, with several airlines serving that market, while the A-C and C-B routes might be not as busy. Usually such hidden city fares occur when A and C aren't hubs for the carrier in question, but B is, and B is dominated by the airline. So the airline routes you through B, but charges you less than if you were to purchase two round-trip tickets.. Theoretically, you could buy a ticket from A to B, get off at point C, and throw away the B to C portion, saving some money, if point C was your ultimate destination. Airlines frown on this practice, and taking advantage of a hidden city fare is explicitly forbidden by their rules. If you happen to skip a leg of your flight (e.g., logged as a no-show on the airline's computer), the airline has the right to cancel all subsequent legs, and will do so to discourage folks from using hidden-city fares. So the only case in which you can "safely" take advantage of a hidden-city fare is when you're taking a one-way flight. If you buy a round-trip ticket from A to B through C, skip the C to B leg, and try to board the return flight at B or C, you'll find that your reservation has been cancelled and you'll be required to buy a new ticket at the full-price one-way fare. You also can't take advantage of a hidden city fare if you've checked any baggage, as your baggage will be sent through to your ultimate destination. Airlines have started to really crack down on the use of hidden city fares. They can not only cancel subsequent flights on their own lines, but also recommend cancellation of subsequent flights on other carriers. They've programmed their airline reservation systems to watch out for hidden-city reservations, flagging potential violations in the passenger's record, and in some cases will automatically cancel all subsequent legs if one leg is skipped. Even if the reservation system doesn't automatically cancel the subsequent legs, the agent at check-in will see the warning flag and will be very suspicious of any skipped legs. Some airlines (e.g., Delta) have a practice of checking you in for all PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 26 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM outbound flights at the point of origin. But this doesn't make them any more susceptible to folks who use hidden city fares, because if you don't show up for the return flight at B, they'll still cancel all your remaining legs. Also, sometimes the boarding passes are marked "check-in required". Hidden city fares happen most often when the connecting point is dominated by one airline (the carrier of your flight) and the ultimate destination is a competitive market. If you happen to catch an earlier flight than your scheduled one, be sure to reconfirm your subsequent flight segments. Any departure from your ticketed reservation can potentially cause your itinerary to be flagged as a hidden-city violation (e.g., "NOSH" for no-show), if the gate agent didn't record the earlier flight properly. If you're the dishonest type and are going to lie about actually having taken the skipped segments, at least have the intelligence to remove the ticket and boarding pass (keeping the stub of the boarding pass) from the ticket packet. [I once saw a couple try this stunt in New York, and the gate agent caught them at it. The wife had removed her ticket and boarding pass; the husband hadn't. The husband claimed that the gate agent at the hidden city had forgotten to remove the ticket. The gate agent didn't let them on the flight because the computer showed that they had missed TWO segments of their flight -- from the hidden city to their ultimate destination and back. In addition, the gate agent had been on duty the last time they passed through, and didn't remember seeing them board. The agent's supervisor concurred.] If you know in advance that you want to skip a segment of your flight (e.g., you're flying from A to C via B, but want to get off in C, visit with some friends, then drive up to B to visit some more friends and return home), tell this to the travel agent when you buy the ticket. They can make a note about it in the record so that your return flight won't be automatically cancelled when you miss the B to C leg. Subject: [1-21] Buying Someone Else's Nonrefundable Ticket Many people, when they can't use their nonrefundable ticket (or the return leg of a round trip ticket), try to sell their tickets through classified advertisements. This can be a source of cheap air tickets. However, you'll be traveling under someone else's name, and the airlines frown on this practice. If they catch you doing this, you'll be forced to pay full fare for the return flight (typically twice the face value of the round-trip ticket), and the airline will cancel all your frequent traveler miles and all the frequent flyer miles of the person who originally bought the ticket. They may also terminate your membership in their frequent flyer program. Their contract is with the person named on the ticket, not with you. If the tickets are actually stolen tickets, they will definitely catch you. Many airlines offer a bounty to employees who confiscate such tickets. Most airlines only check IDs on full flights or on fares that require a special ID, such as a student ID. But more are checking IDs on randomly selected tickets in an effort to discourage this practice. All carriers reserve the right to require identification and to refuse transportation if identification cannot be provided. For example Northwest prints the following warning on the inside flap of the ticket jacket: PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 27 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM "Photo identification is required for all passengers. Boarding may be denied and ticket confiscated if passenger's identification does not match the name on the ticket." If the person named on the ticket checks in for you at the baggage check-in counter, you'll probably run into trouble on the return trip. If the airline catches you, you'll have to pay for a full fare one-way ticket, which will negate any savings (and probably cost you more than a round-trip would have). Plus, many airlines now check IDs on boarding at the gate, to discourage this practice. If the airplane should crash and you die, the airline won't have your real name (which can affect life insurance policies), and this is just plain unethical. Moreover, your legal rights are extended only to the person named on the ticket (or their estate), so in the event of a loss or claim against the carrier, you will have no legal recourse whatsoever. But given that the airline pricing strategies try to game the consumer market, some consumers feel they are entitled to game the system right back. I NEITHER ADVISE NOR CONDONE USING THIS PRACTICE AS A MEANS OF OBTAINING CHEAP AIR TRAVEL. This practice constitutes fraud, and hence is illegal. One thing, however, cannot be stressed enough: Never purchase such a ticket for international travel. If the name on your ticket does not match the name on your passport, you can get into a lot of trouble, not just with the airline, but with Immigration, Customs, and the police at your destination. The airlines are required to check your travel documents before you are allowed to board the aircraft, so they will compare the name on your ticket with the name on your passport. Many countries require airlines to return passengers to their country of origin (at airline expense) if the passenger is denied entrance into the country. So airlines have some incentive to be careful. If, by some fluke, they don't catch you, Immigration and Customs will also inspect your travel documents. They also tend to compare the name on the passport with the name on the bags. When they catch you, the consequences can be a lot more serious than having to pay for a full-fare ticket. Since traveling under false documents is often a crime under the laws of the destination country, you will be subject to the courts and punishments of the destination country, and there will be little your embassy can do to help you. Subject: [1-22] Discount Airlines Regional airlines have started eating into the larger airlines by offering discount travel on short and medium haul flights in high demand routes. Advance purchase fares during off-peak hours on these carriers can be dirt cheap. This section describes some of these carriers. Note that some discount airlines are not full participants in the computerized reservation systems, so you may have to call the airline direct to purchase tickets. If you're connecting with another airline, you may have to transfer your luggage yourself to the other carrier. But if you can fit into their limited schedules, you can save a bundle. Many discount airlines also provide "ticketless travel", where you receive a receipt and a confirmation number instead of a ticket, just like with rental cars. This reduces the amount of paper the airlines must ship around. The low-cost travel may also involve an elimination of many of the PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 28 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM frills common on larger airlines, such as meal service. Instead, you may just get peanuts, or no food at all. These discount airlines are expanding rapidly and are adding new cities all the time. MarkAir: MarkAir was founded in 1947 as Interior Airways, carrying cargo within the state of Alaska. In 1984 they took on the name MarkAir and began carrying passengers as a regional carrier. Beginning in November of 1991, they started a major expansion to the lower 48 states, and now offer jet (737) service to 16 cities in the lower 48 states and 13 cities in the State of Alaska. Through MarkAir Express, their commuter service, they provide transportation to 144 Alaskan communities. Their service is low cost, with peanuts and drinks as the main sustenance. Snacks meals are available only on longer haul flights. Reservations 1-800-MARKAIR. Southwest: Need to write a description. 800-IFLY-SWA (800-435-9792) or 800-531-5601. Flights to 41 cities in 19 states. Others include: American Trans Air 800-382-5892, 800-225-2995 Flights between AZ, CA, FL, NY, Chicago and Indianapolis. Serves different cities during different times of the year. During the summer they have flights to Europe and Israel; in the winter, they have flights to the Carribean. Some of these operate as charter flights and some as regularly scheduled flights. Carnival Airlines 800-437-2110, 800-8-AIR-FUN Flights to FL, LA, and the Caribbean from the Northeast. Jet Train 800-FLY-4-YOU Their daily route is Pittsburgh - New York (Newark) 7:45 am - 9:05 am New York (Newark) - Orlando 9:45 am - 12:20 pm Orlando - New York (Newark) 1:20 pm - 3:55 pm New York (Newark) - Pittsburgh 4:35 pm - 5:55 pm Kiwi International 800-538-5494, 908-353-3232 Flights between Chicago, Atlanta, Newark, and FL. Midway Airlines 800-446-4392 Flights from Chicago's Midway Airport to eastern cities. National Airlines 800-949-9400 Flights from Atlanta. Reno Air 800-736-6247 Flights between AZ, CA, OR, NV, and WA. Tower Air 800-221-2500 800-34TOWER (800-348-6937) Flights between NY and Miami, LA, and San Francisco. ValuJet 800-825-8538 (404-994-8258) Flights via Atlanta to Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Georgia, and Washington DC (Dulles). PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 29 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM Subject: [1-23] Tour Desks Airline "tour" desks (e.g., Flyaway Vacations on American) are excellent sources of good fares on relatively short notice. For example, "bulk" or unpublished fares are available with as little as four days notice (and a $15 late booking fee if the reservation is made less than 14 days prior to arrival) to many popular destinations. The only catch is that a minimum land package must be booked; after all, it is a "tour" package. But for some destinations (e.g., Hawaii from the west coast), that's only a minimum two-day rental car. Other embarkation points require a three-day minimum hotel stay, but the rates are very attractive. Other cities require a two-day minimum hotel stay, but this can be in connection with the Holiday Inn voucher program (runs as little as $79 per room per night depending on the hotel category). The passenger must book a "tour room" directly with a participating Holiday Inn -- and the airline rarely checks if the passenger actually made the reservations. Also, the vouchers do not have to be used in connection with a flight, and can be used anytime within a year from the date of the trip. To combat fraud, such as folks cancelling the car rental and applying for a refund, the land segment is usually non-refundable. Bulk fares are also often blacked out during holidays, but this can vary by the destination. In essence, a tour package combines airfare with a minimum hotel stay and/or car rental. Requirements vary with the destination and embarkation point, but if you can meet the requirements, you may find yourself saving some money. These tour packages can be particularly useful to business folks who don't want to stay over a Saturday night. The savings on the flight can more than make up the cost of the hotel stay, especially when compared with the cost of a last-minute non-supersaver fare. Many airlines are starting to outsource their tour calls to contractors, as they aren't very profitable to the airlines. How this will affect the availability of such deals is unknown. ---------------------------------------------------------------- ;;; *EOF* Part1 - Part2 - Part3 - Part4 - MultiPage Rate this FAQ N/A 6 Related questions and answers [ Usenet FAQs | Search | Web FAQs | Documents | RFC Index ] PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 1/4 [Monthly posting] http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part1/ 30 of 30 8/8/2005 3:04 PM Send corrections/additions to the FAQ Maintainer: mkant@cs.cmu.edu Last Update June 15 2004 @ 00:33 AM PDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com