IAR Overview

Interactive Agency Reporting (IAR) enables your agency to submit weekly Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) reports electronically rather than mailing paper reports. The IAR database is populated automatically by a computerized reservation system or manually by agents. To reconcile IAR, you need to compare ARC transactions in GlobalWare with transactions in the IAR database. This consists of downloading the back office system (BOS) files from the IAR website, importing the files into GlobalWare, and comparing the transactions.

GlobalWare handles the following two types of IAR files:

• LTA – Consists of transactions from your main ticketing location and some or all of your other branches.
• LTT – Consists of transactions from one ticketing location.

To help reconcile ARC transactions in GlobalWare with transactions in the IAR database, you can view transaction details in the BOS file and generate the IAR Discrepancy Report. When you run the IAR Discrepancy Report, GlobalWare verifies that data in GlobalWare and the IAR database match. The report lists any discrepancies GlobalWare finds. When you run the report, you can also choose from the following options:

• Create refund invoice items from refunds in the BOS file if an invoice item for the original sale is in GlobalWare. For more information, see Refunds below.
• Create invoice items from credit and debit memos in the BOS file. For more information, see Credit and Debit Memos below.
• List missing documents (transaction records) on the report. These are either documents that exist in GlobalWare, but not in the IAR database, or documents that exist in the IAR database, but in GlobalWare.

For details about running the IAR Discrepancy Report and selecting report options, see Importing and Reconciling IAR. For details about discrepancy messages, see IAR Discrepancy Messages.

BOS File Directory

By default, BOS files are located in the Gblware\iarbos folder on your computer. (You indicated where the Gblware folder should be located when you installed GlobalWare.) You can use the Preferences function to change the default folder for BOS files (see Preferences). After downloading the files, copy them into this folder.

In a multi-user environment, BOS files can exist on different workstations. The purge process deletes data imported only from the BOS files on the workstation being used. This enables users of different workstations to control when data is purged. Each user will see IAR data imported by other users, but a user can purge imported data from a BOS file only when using the workstation on which the BOS file is stored. Because BOS files must be on the workstation to purge, users should never delete them manually. GlobalWare's purge process (accessible on the IAR Discrepancy Report screen) removes IAR data from GlobalWare and removes BOS files from the computer's hard disk.

Refunds

When GlobalWare discovers a refund in the BOS file, it determines whether the refund already exists in GlobalWare. Specifically, GlobalWare searches the Invoice table for a matching ticket number with document type REF (refund).

• If GlobalWare finds the refund in the current ARC period, it compares the GlobalWare and BOS file refunds and indicates any discrepancies on the IAR Discrepancy Report.
• If GlobalWare does not find the refund in the current ARC period, it looks for the original sale transaction.

  • If GlobalWare finds the original transaction, it creates a refund and indicates on the IAR Discrepancy Report that the refund transaction has been added to GlobalWare. When GlobalWare creates a refund, it stores amounts from the BOS file and copies all other information, such as account ID, agents, and segments, from the original sale transaction (segment fares are negative). For partial refunds, GlobalWare copies only the refunded segments. It is recommended that you do not create ARC refunds manually, but let GlobalWare create them.

    Note: Even if a ticket refund already exists outside of the specified ARC period in GlobalWare, a new refund is created because a sale can be refunded partially in multiple periods.

    GlobalWare does some error checking when it adds a refund, but because it has no way to verify the accuracy of the amount, it assumes that the amount of the refund in the BOS file is correct.

  • If GlobalWare does not find the original transaction, it cannot add a refund and indicates this in the IAR discrepancy messages on the report. For details about these messages, see IAR Discrepancy Messages.

Credit and Debit Memos

When GlobalWare discovers a credit or debit memo in the BOS file, it determines whether the memo already exists in GlobalWare. Specifically, GlobalWare searches the Invoice table for a matching ticket number and corresponding document type.

• If GlobalWare finds the memo, it compares the GlobalWare and BOS file memos and indicates any discrepancies on the IAR Discrepancy Report.
• If GlobalWare does not find the memo, it looks for the original sale transaction.
  • If GlobalWare finds the original transaction, it creates a memo based on sale data, such as account ID and agents, and indicates on the IAR Discrepancy Report that the memo transaction has been added to GlobalWare.
  • If GlobalWare does not find the original transaction, it creates the memo with default data, such as NOACCT and 999 for agents. GlobalWare can import debit data as DCMs or DARs.

In IAR, you can enter multiple ticket numbers that the memo applies to. All of these ticket numbers are stored in the BOS file. GlobalWare will use the first ticket number for looking up data.

If GlobalWare creates a credit memo from a credit memo in the BOS file from a provider for a deposit on group travel, review the credit memo. You might need to change it to a refund to balance to ARC and post correctly to the general ledger.