Ancillary Services

Also known as Optional Services.

An ancillary service is any additional special service request (SSR) that can be requested to enhance a flight journey. Ancillary services allow you to book additional items related to a flight such as lounge access, baggage, meals, and paid seats.

Availability of Ancillary Services

Availability of ancillary services varies by airline. Specific ancillary services available may also vary because of factors such as:

  • Frequent flyer information, which may change the availability and/or price of ancillary services.
  • Region
  • Route
  • Cabin
  • Fare basis code

Some ancillary services may be displayed for information only. These view-only services cannot be booked through Travelport, but indicate the services are available through a direct request to the airline.

Shopping for Ancillary Services

The workflow for shopping for ancillary services varies by the type of carrier. Typically, ancillary services are available:

  • For Network Carriers after the itinerary is booked and a PNR/Booking File is created.
  • For Direct Payment Carriers, before booking because payment occurs at the time of booking. However, specific services may be available only after booking.

The available forms of payment for ancillary services vary by airlines. Some airlines permit debit/credit cards, while others require EMDs.

Viewing and Modifying Ancillary Services

You can view ancillary services, including paid seats, after booking.

You may also be able modify ancillary services to change, cancel, or refund either in Smartpoint or directly with the carrier.

However, the ability to modify an ancillary service varies by carrier and fare. In particular, some Direct Payment Carriers may not permit changing ancillaries after booking, or may have specific requirements for changing ancillaries.

More Information

For more information about ancillary services for a specific airline, search for the airline by name or airline code in General Information or EMD Fact Sheets in the Travelport Knowledge Base in MyTravelport.

For more information about using terminal formats for ancillary services: