Passive segments are used by Universal API to record booking data within the Universal Record (UR) that is from an external source or is not part of an active travel segment. Because Universal API accesses multiple providers, a passive segment is also used to store booking data that is created through another provider.
For example, passive segments can be used to:
-
Store data for PNRs in the Universal Record that are booked through Universal API.
-
Record auxiliary information in the Universal Record. This data can then be used by the travel provider's mid-office or back-office processes to perform various accounting and reporting functions.
-
Store data for a third-party reservation that was booked and lives outside of Universal API through an SDK segment. In this case, the passive segment can be created to add booking data that was generated outside of Universal API or booked through a non-Universal API provider.
For example, the first PNR in a Universal Record is a hotel reservation booked through Worldspan. A second air reservation is booked in the same Universal Record through ACH. In this case, the first Worldspan PNR is the active segment, and the ACH data is contained in a passive segment that is automatically created by Universal API.
There are typically three situations when passive segments are booked:
-
Basic passive segment.
-
Passive segment with due or paid fare or taxes from a refund or exchange.
-
Passive segment as a retention segment.
Types of Passive Segments
Universal API supports various basic types of passive segments, such as Air, Car, Hotel, Tour, and Surface.
Supported passive segment types vary by provider. If there is not a direct mapping between Universal API and the provider, other types of passive segments are typically handled as either Surface, Tour segments, or Miscellaneous segments.
See Passive Segment Types for details.
Passive segments can be used to include manually entered auxiliary data or as an SDK segment accommodate data from non-provider sources that is stored within the UR. To coordinate data received from multiple suppliers, Universal API uses Passive segments to synchronize externally booked data within a specific provider PNR.
Creating Passive Segments
In some cases, passive segments are automatically created by Universal API as a response to specific events. Passive segments can also be "manually" created and populated by a create request in the Passive service or adding a passive segment to an existing Universal Record.
Only Air passive segments can also be added when air reservations are created using AirCreateReservationReq in the Air service.
Importing Passive Segments
Passive segments that were created outside of Universal API can be imported.
Modifying Passive Segments
Passive segments can also be added and deleted in the Universal Record, however, they cannot be modified.
Canceling Passive Segments
Passive segments can be deleted in the Universal Record or canceled using the Passive service.
Suppressing Passive Segments
Passive segments can be created automatically by Universal API to support a booking or auxiliary data. However, this functionality can be suppressed to not create any automated passive segments. Passive segments can be suppressed at a provisioning level for the associated User ID, but cannot be suppressed at an individual request level.
Exceptions
Exceptions for passive segments vary depending on which provider was used to book the initial "active" segment.
Passive Segments with an Initial Galileo PNR
RCS
-
A passive Surface segment (SUR) with a passive remark is created for each rail journey.
-
A new passive RCS rail booking cannot be added to an existing active or passive Galileo booking.
-
Changes made to the RCS rail booking are not synchronized to the passive segments in Galileo.
ACH
-
A passive Air segment is created for each ACH air booking.
-
If multiple ACH suppliers are booked, a separate host PNR is created for each supplier.
-
Changes made to the ACH booking are not synchronized to the passive segments in Galileo.
Passive Segments with Initial Apollo PNR
-
Air passive segment for supplier UA is not allowed in Apollo.
-
Due/Paid segments not supported in Apollo. They are supported as a remark.
-
Action and status codes are different for 1V. Refer ApolloAirPassiveSegment for details.
-
Surface passive is not supported by Apollo. Universal API supports surface passive segments, but it is stored as a Tour passive segment.
-
Other passive segment types, such as Rail and Limo, are created as an Apollo Tour passive segment, although Universal API stores and displays them as in the request.
-
Amount Type Text is not supported in Apollo.
-
Supplier Code is mandatory in Apollo for a Vehicle passive segment.
-
Flight number is mandatory in Apollo for an Air passive segment.
Passive
Segments with Initial Worldspan PNR
-
Worldspan supports several fields for TVL Segments (segments booked through PassiveCreateReservationReq). PassiveRemarks are mapped to these fields for Air segments, and not to General Remarks.
-
Worldspan doesn't support all SSRs when creating a TVL segment, particularly. SSRs that require a segment association.
For some SSRs, Worldspan returns an error. In other cases, Worldspan does not return and error or add the SSR. However SSRs such as FQTV are allowed.
-
Worldspan does not fail a booking due to a failed SSR. The PNR is returned with the error.
