Fare Shopping
Selling Flights from Fare Shopping: Network (GDS) Carriers
The following steps show the minimum tasks required to search for search for and sell flights from Fare Shopping.
Note that Network Carriers typically require a PNR/Booking File to be end transacted before paid seats and ancillary services can be added.
- Create minimum Customer Information. Be sure to include loyalty memberships, which may affect fares and ancillary service prices.
- Search for low fares using one of the Fare Shopping search options.
- Optional. View fare rules.
- Optional. View fare details.
- If available, view seat maps. Depending on the carrier, view-only seat maps my be available before booking.
- Book flights for unbranded or branded fares. Note that prices for branded fares are estimated only until they are priced in the following step.
- Price flights (Fare Quote).
- Enter a Received By indicator and end transact (ER) to create a PNR/Booking File.
- If applicable, view seat map to select free or paid seats or to request airline-assigned seats.
- If applicable, select ancillary services, such as paid baggage, meals, or lounge access. Some branded fares include ancillary services in the base price, but may allow additional ancillary services to be purchased separately.
- If you selected paid seats and/or additional ancillary services, price flights (fare quote) to include any paid seats and ancillary services in the total price.
- If applicable, store the fare quote. (T:B for Apollo.)
- Enter a Received By indicator and end transact (ET or ER) to update the PNR/Booking File.
Detailed Steps
The following steps show the minimum tasks required to search for search for and sell flights from Air Availability.
To book flights on Network Carriers:
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Click the Edit icon and select Create/Edit Customer Information to create minimum Customer Information. Be sure to include loyalty memberships, which may affect fares and ancillary service prices.
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Search for low fares using one of the Fare Shopping search options.
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Optional. Click the Fare Rules icon to view the Fare Rules for your selected Pricing Option.
ExampleClick on a Component segment in green text, such as DUB-AMS, to see the Fare Rules for that component.
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Optional. Click the Fare Details icon to see a breakdown of the fare.
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If available, view seat maps. For some carriers, view-only seat maps may be available before booking.
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Book or rebook your selected Pricing Option. This step varies depending on whether you select an unbranded fare or a branded fare.
Booking Unbranded FaresIf the Total Amount is displayed in plain text, the fare is unbranded.
If your selected Pricing Option is an Unbranded Fare, click the Book icon below your selected option to book that fare.
Booking Branded FaresIf the Total Amount is displayed in green text, the fare is branded.
If your selected Pricing Option is a Branded Fare, click the fare to display the branded fare options and the ancillaries associated with each Branded Fare.
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From the list of available flights, book your flights. As you select flights, the PNR/Booking File view displays the flight legs.
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A pound/hash sign # indicates the segment is a Direct Payment Carrier. All segments without a pound/hash sign are Network Carriers.
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Book flights for unbranded or branded fares. Branded fares are indicated by a Branded Fares icon. Note that prices for branded fares are estimated only until they are priced in the following step.
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Request an initial fare quote to price the booked segments.
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Travelport+ (1G): Enter FQ to price an itinerary as booked. See Fare Quote in the Travelport+ Format Guide for modifiers and additional information.
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Apollo (1V): Enter $B to price an itinerary as booked. See Apollo Format Guide for Fares in the Travelport Knowledge Base for modifiers and additional information.
The fare quote is displayed. This initial Fare Quote is for a branded fare for two passengers.
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Enter a Received By indicator.
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Travelport+ (1G): Enter R.followed by the name or code for the initiator of the itinerary. For example: R.PSGR.
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Apollo (1V): Enter R: followed by the name or code for the initiator of the itinerary. For example: R:PSGR.
Tip!
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Enter ER to end transact and redisplay the itinerary. A PNR/Booking File is created.
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Optional. Click the class of service to view seat maps and select seat assignments.
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Optional. Click the Shopping Cart icon Shop in PNR Viewer to add ancillary services (optional services). Available ancillaries vary by carrier and flight.
ExampleThe following example shows ancillary services for a Branded Fare that are not included in the baseline fare brand. Branded fares typically include ancillary services as part of the fare brand. However, additional ancillaries that are not part of the baseline fare brand may be available for an additional fee.
See Ancillary Service Shopping for more information about selecting ancillaries for both branded and unbranded fares.
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If you added ancillaries or paid seat assignments in Steps 7 and 8, request another fare quote to include these costs in the fare totals and breakdowns.
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Travelport+ (1G): Enter FQ.
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Apollo (1V): Enter $B.
See ExampleIn this example, the fare quote indicates two passengers who have selected a branded fare. In addition to any ancillaries that are available as part of the fare brand, the passengers have selected:
- Different paid seat options for the inbound and outbound flights.
- Checked luggage.
- Pet in cabin.
- OptSvcs indicates the total amount of ancillary services for each passenger.
- For each passenger, an Optional Services Amount indicates the subtotal of ancillary services for that passenger. The specific ancillary services selected for each passenger are not listed in the fare quote.
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If applicable. Store the fare to create an ATFQ/Linear Fare in Apollo (1V).
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In Travelport+ (1G), fares are automatically stored to create a File Fare (FF) when a Fare Quote (FQ) is created (Step 8). For more information on managing filed fares, see Filed Fares in the Travelport+ Format Guide.
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In Apollo (1V), an additional T:B command is required to store the fare. For more information, see Store and modify a fare in Apollo in the Travelport Knowledge Base.
Rebooking from the Lowest FareSmartpoint 8.2 and later. While rebooking, if Smartpoint identifies that current booking contains the lowest fare, a STORE FARE link is displayed.
Click STORE FARE to automatically store the new fare in the higher fare class.
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Enter ER to end transact and redisplay the itinerary, or enter ET to end transact and close the itinerary.
The following example shows a PNR/Booking File created for a KLM itinerary.
Next Steps
After end transacting the booking, you can: