Optional Services involve separate, "à la carte" fees for additional services that can be added to a traveler's itinerary. Typically, the traveler purchases a ticket at a baseline price, and is then offered additional services or features at discrete prices.
Universal API uses two sets of transactions to provide Optional Services shopping and booking. The transactions used depend on the source:
-
ACH Optional Services support Optional Services for Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) and API carriers through the Airline Content Hub (ACH). These optional services can be added Pre-Booking.
-
Air Merchandising Optional Services provide Optional Services for Direct Connect carriers, ATPCO carriers, and API carriers through the GDS providers (Galileo, Apollo, and Worldspan). Air Merchandising is available Pre- and Post-Booking, depending on the Optional Services that are sold, the carrier, and the provider.
Available options, pricing, and payment are determined by the participating carrier. Optional Services are returned with remarks that can be used by travel providers for tracking and reporting with their back-office system.
Click a blue box to find out more about Air Merchandising Post-Booking.
Next Steps
Review the air merchandising transactions:
Review ACH Optional Services which are purchased through the Pre-Booking flow.
Review the Sample Transactions.
