Construct and Ticket Domestic Airfares D2.TTA.CL2.06 Trainee Manual

Construct and ticket domestic airfares D2.TTA.CL2.06 Trainee Manual

Construct and ticket domestic airfares

D2.TTA.CL2.06

Trainee Manual

Project Base William Angliss Institute of TAFE 555 La Trobe Street Melbourne 3000 Victoria Telephone: (03) 9606 2111 Facsimile: (03) 9670 1330 Acknowledgements Project Director: Wayne Crosbie Project Manager Jim Irwin Chief Writer: Alan Hickman Subject Writer: Dianne Whelan Editor: Jim Irwin DTP/Production: Daniel Chee, Mai Vu, Cindy Curran

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967. The Member States of the Association are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. The ASEAN Secretariat is based in Jakarta, Indonesia. General Information on ASEAN appears online at the ASEAN Website: www.asean.org. All text is produced by William Angliss Institute of TAFE for the ASEAN Project on “Toolbox Development for Tourism Labour Divisions for Travel Agencies and Tour Operations”. This publication is supported by the Australian Government’s aid program through the ASEAN-Australia Development Cooperation Program Phase II (AADCP II). Copyright: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2015. All rights reserved. Disclaimer Every effort has been made to ensure that this publication is free from errors or omissions. However, you should conduct your own enquiries and seek professional advice before relying on any fact, statement or matter contained in this book. The ASEAN Secretariat and William Angliss Institute of TAFE are not responsible for any injury, loss or damage as a result of material included or omitted from this course. Information in this module is current at the time of publication. Time of publication is indicated in the date stamp at the bottom of each page. Some images appearing in this resource have been purchased from stock photography suppliers Shutterstock and iStockphoto and other third party copyright owners and as such are non-transferable and non-exclusive. Clip arts, font images and illustrations used are from the Microsoft Office Clip Art and Media Library. Some images have been provided by and are the property of William Angliss Institute. Additional images have been sourced from Flickr and SXC and are used under Creative Commons licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

File name: TM_Construct_&_ticket_domestic_airfares_020415

Table of contents

Introduction to trainee manual ...... 1 Unit descriptor ...... 3 Assessment matrix ...... 5 Glossary...... 7 Element 1: Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel ...... 11 Element 2: Interpret domestic airfare information ...... 31 Element 3: Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel ...... 73 Element 4: Process documentation for domestic air travel ...... 85 Presentation of written work ...... 103 Recommended reading ...... 105 Trainee evaluation sheet ...... 107 Trainee self-assessment checklist ...... 109

Introduction to trainee manual

To the Trainee

Congratulations on joining this course. This Trainee Manual is one part of a ‘toolbox’ which is a resource provided to trainees, trainers and assessors to help you become competent in various areas of your work. The ‘toolbox’ consists of three elements:  A Trainee Manual for you to read and study at home or in class  A Trainer Guide with Power Point slides to help your Trainer explain the content of the training material and provide class activities to help with practice  An Assessment Manual which provides your Assessor with oral and written questions and other assessment tasks to establish whether or not you have achieved competency. The first thing you may notice is that this training program and the information you find in the Trainee Manual seems different to the textbooks you have used previously. This is because the method of instruction and examination is different. The method used is called Competency based training (CBT) and Competency based assessment (CBA). CBT and CBA is the training and assessment system chosen by ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) to train people to work in the tourism and hospitality industry throughout all the ASEAN member states. What is the CBT and CBA system and why has it been adopted by ASEAN? CBT is a way of training that concentrates on what a worker can do or is required to do at work. The aim is of the training is to enable trainees to perform tasks and duties at a standard expected by employers. CBT seeks to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes (or recognise the ones the trainee already possesses) to achieve the required competency standard. ASEAN has adopted the CBT/CBA training system as it is able to produce the type of worker that industry is looking for and this therefore increases trainees chances of obtaining employment. CBA involves collecting evidence and making a judgement of the extent to which a worker can perform his/her duties at the required competency standard. Where a trainee can already demonstrate a degree of competency, either due to prior training or work experience, a process of ‘Recognition of Prior Learning’ (RPL) is available to trainees to recognise this. Please speak to your trainer about RPL if you think this applies to you. What is a competency standard? Competency standards are descriptions of the skills and knowledge required to perform a task or activity at the level of a required standard. 242 competency standards for the tourism and hospitality industries throughout the ASEAN region have been developed to cover all the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to work in the following occupational areas:  Housekeeping  Food Production  Food and Beverage Service  Front Office

Introduction to trainee manual

 Travel Agencies  Tour Operations. All of these competency standards are available for you to look at. In fact you will find a summary of each one at the beginning of each Trainee Manual under the heading ‘Unit Descriptor’. The unit descriptor describes the content of the unit you will be studying in the Trainee Manual and provides a table of contents which are divided up into ‘Elements’ and ‘Performance Criteria”. An element is a description of one aspect of what has to be achieved in the workplace. The ‘Performance Criteria’ below each element details the level of performance that needs to be demonstrated to be declared competent. There are other components of the competency standard:  Unit Title: statement about what is to be done in the workplace  Unit Number: unique number identifying the particular competency  Nominal hours: number of classroom or practical hours usually needed to complete the competency. We call them ‘nominal’ hours because they can vary e.g. sometimes it will take an individual less time to complete a unit of competency because he/she has prior knowledge or work experience in that area. The final heading you will see before you start reading the Trainee Manual is the ‘Assessment Matrix’. Competency based assessment requires trainees to be assessed in at least 2 – 3 different ways, one of which must be practical. This section outlines three ways assessment can be carried out and includes work projects, written questions and oral questions. The matrix is designed to show you which performance criteria will be assessed and how they will be assessed. Your trainer and/or assessor may also use other assessment methods including ‘Observation Checklist’ and ‘Third Party Statement’. An observation checklist is a way of recording how you perform at work and a third party statement is a statement by a supervisor or employer about the degree of competence they believe you have achieved. This can be based on observing your workplace performance, inspecting your work or gaining feedback from fellow workers. Your trainer and/or assessor may use other methods to assess you such as:  Journals  Oral presentations  Role plays  Log books  Group projects  Practical demonstrations. Remember your trainer is there to help you succeed and become competent. Please feel free to ask him or her for more explanation of what you have just read and of what is expected from you and best wishes for your future studies and future career in tourism and hospitality.

Unit descriptor

Construct and ticket domestic airfares This unit deals with the skills and knowledge required to Construct and ticket domestic airfares in a range of settings within the travel industries workplace context. Unit Code: D2.TTA.CL2.06 Nominal Hours: 50

Element 1: Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

Performance Criteria 1.1 Identify and confirm needs and preferences of client 1.2 Identify and access appropriate resources to enable processing of client requirements

Element 2: Interpret domestic airfare information

Performance Criteria 2.1 Identify and explain domestic airfare information

Element 3: Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

Performance Criteria 3.1 Select carriers to accommodate identified client requirements 3.2 Construct and cost draft itinerary in accordance with host enterprise operational requirements and identified client requirements 3.3 Obtain approval and authority to proceed with booking/s from client 3.4 Book approved itinerary with nominated carriers 3.5 Obtain payment from client, as required

Element 4: Process documentation for domestic air travel

Performance Criteria 4.1 Prepare required travel documentation to support approved client booking 4.2 Process payment/s made by client 4.3 Issue travel documentation 4.4 Update internal records

Unit descriptor

Assessment matrix

Showing mapping of Performance Criteria against Work Projects, Written Questions and Oral Questions The Assessment Matrix indicates three of the most common assessment activities your Assessor may use to assess your understanding of the content of this manual and your performance - Work Projects, Written Questions and Oral Questions. It also indicates where you can find the subject content related to these assessment activities in the Trainee Manual (i.e. under which element or performance criteria). As explained in the Introduction, however, the assessors are free to choose which assessment activities are most suitable to best capture evidence of competency as they deem appropriate for individual students.

Work Written Oral Projects Questions Questions

Element 1: Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

1.1 Identify and confirm needs and preferences of 1.2 1,2,3 1 client

1.2 Identify and access appropriate resources to 3,4 4 2 enable processing of client requirements

Element 2: Interpret domestic airfare information

2.1 Identify and explain domestic airfare 5-8 5,6,7 3 information

Element 3: Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

3.1 Select carriers to accommodate identified 9-11 8,9 4 client requirements

3.2 Construct and cost draft itinerary in accordance with host enterprise operational 12 10,11 5 requirements and identified client requirements

3.3 Obtain approval and authority to proceed with 13 12,13 6 booking/s from client

3.4 Book approved itinerary with nominated 14 14 7 carriers

3.5 Obtain payment from client, as required 15 15,16 8

Assessment matrix

Work Written Oral Projects Questions Questions

Element 4: Process documentation for domestic air travel

4.1 Prepare required travel documentation to 16 17,18 9 support approved client booking

4.2 Process payment/s made by client 17,18 19,20 10

4.3 Issue travel documentation 19 21,22 11

4.4 Update internal records 20 23,24,25 12

Glossary

Term Explanation

Accreditation A process of qualifying, endorsing and ‘licensing’ entities that perform certification of business, products processes or services

Administration fee Fee charged by travel agent / airline for services rendered

Air Documentation An itinerary and/or E-ticket for air transportation

Amadeus Amadeus is a computer reservations system (or global distribution system, since it sells tickets for multiple airlines) owned by the Amadeus IT Group with headquarters in Madrid, Spain.

Approval Either from an airline or credit provider where permission is given for a transaction to take place

Automated pricing When an airfare will price from a booking automatically

BSP Billing and Settlement Plan – airline / travel agency central clearing house for funds

Cancellation Discontinue an arrangement (flight etc.). Can be client choice or airline choice

Commission The money earned for the sale of products on behalf of a principal (e.g.: airline)

CRS Central Reservation System

E- Docs Electronic documentation for land arrangements

E-ticket Electronic documentation for airline ticket

Galileo Galileo is a computer reservations system (CRS) owned by Travelport.

GDS Global Distribution System – computerised reservation network used as a single point of access for travel agents to make airline, hotel and tour reservations

GMT Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) has no offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This time zone is a standard time zone and is used in: Europe, Africa, North America, Antarctica. This time zone is often called Greenwich Mean Time. Ref - http://www.timeanddate.com/time/aboututc.html

IATA International Air Transport Association

Glossary

Term Explanation

Invoice Financial statement for arrangements made

Issue ticket After payment is collected from the client the ticketing process can occur

Itinerary Details of a passenger’s travel schedule in date order provided by a travel agent

Manual pricing When an airline booking will not auto price the agent will need to manually manipulate the data to create the airfare

Non-air Documentation Paper based or E-docs for any travel arrangement that is not air based

No-show A passenger who has made a reservation but fails to use or cancel

Passports Official documentation certifying the holder’s identity and citizenship and authorising travel abroad

Pro-forma A standard document

Quotation List of components and applicable costs for a proposed holiday

Refund Reimbursements for services unused

Refund application form Formal airline application form for refund

Reservation Confirmation of a booking made within the CRS or GDS

Sabre The first passenger reservations system offered by Sabre, installed in 1960

Schedule Planned list of departures and arrivals of an airline between cities

Sectors Each part of an airline booking. It represents one leg of travel between two cities

SITA A multinational information technology company providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry

Stopover A break in a passenger journey for 24 hours or more

System Abbreviation for the GDS or CRS

Transaction fee Similar to an administration fee. A charge made by the airline or travel agent for services rendered

Transit A break in a passengers journey to change aircraft, generally less than 24 hours

Glossary

Term Explanation

Travel Visas Endorsement on a passport allowing entrance to or exit from a country

Unused ticket Part or full ticket that has not been used for travel

UTC UTC – The World's Time Standard Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the basis for civil time today. This 24-hour time standard is kept using highly precise atomic clocks combined with the Earth's rotation. A Standard, Not a Time Zone UTC is the time standard commonly used across the world. The world's timing centers have agreed to keep their time scales closely synchronized – or coordinated - therefore the name Coordinated Universal Time. Ref – http://www.timeanddate.com/time/aboututc.html

Visa application Form that requires completion when applying for a travel visa

Glossary

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

Element 1: Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

1.1 Identify and confirm needs and preferences of client

Introduction

With all travel bookings you must first establish the client’s needs and preferences. This is usually determined by using a good questioning technique that includes the use of both open and closed questions.

Typical information required

Typical information determined during the sales consultation may include but is not limited to:  Dates of travel  Destinations  Number of passengers  Class of travel  Passport nationality of traveller  Need for visas for visiting countries  Special requests such as: . Special meals (vegetarian, halal, diabetic and so on) . Seating preference . Frequent flyer memberships . Airline preference Suggested questions could include:  Where are you interested in travelling to?  When are you thinking of travelling?  Are you looking for a packaged holiday?  How many passengers are travelling?  Which class do you wish to travel in?  Are your dates flexible?  What nationality passport are you travelling on?  How long do you wish to be away?

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

 Are you looking for the best value fare?  Is it important to have flexibility in your type of airfare?  Do you wish to have checked baggage?  Is meal service an important part of your airline experience?

Package Airfares

Various wholesalers and package specialists will have their own in-house holiday or package airfares. These fares are slightly less restrictive than the instant purchase variety but this flexibility is reflected in the cost. Packages can be booked via the phone or through the internet with the airline direct: Garuda Indonesia, Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways and Vietnam Airlines for example, are international airlines which also operate domestic routes and offer package airfares in their home countries. Packages may also be booked through specialist websites, such as Expedia, Webjet, Fare Compare, Zuji and Asia Travel. The operators create and maintain the booking and control for date changes and so on. The total cost of the package will generally be supplied as a per person cost, however it is important to understand how the package has been calculated in order to check for errors.

Domestic Holiday Packages

A domestic holiday package is the combination of airfares and one or more of other tourism products such as accommodation, car hire and tours. Previously the industry promoted special ‘holiday’ airfares that could only be purchased in conjunction with land components. These fares were less restrictive and were not instant purchase. The fares are now obsolete due to the strong competition in the marketplace which has seen the advent of the instant purchase cheap deals. Holiday packages can still be purchased however the airfare component of the package is always instant purchase and in line with the applicable rule for the airfare used. The balance of the package (land arrangements) can be deposited and paid in full at a later date, sometime prior to departure, and in accordance with the tour operator payment conditions. Holiday packages are purchased on behalf of the passenger via a tour operator or what is often termed a wholesaler. There are many of these and some examples are Expedia, Webjet, Fare Compare, Zuji and Asia Travel. Generally, a travel agent will have agreements with various operators (and airlines) which are generically called preferred arrangements. Most travel agents have these in place and you should be aware of who and what they are. Selling suppliers with whom you have a preferred agreement will often secure a higher level of commission for your agency.

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

Quotations and advice supplied to client

Once a reservation has been made on behalf of a passenger the Central Reservation System (explained further in 1.2) provides the opportunity to be able to quote the relevant airfare and corresponding booking conditions that align with that airfare. It is important to establish during the sales consultation the parameters of the passenger’s needs. If they need flexibility in their ticket then it is not a good idea to sell them a discounted airfare which will have very restrictive rules. When discussing airfare costs with your passenger ensure you always explain the corresponding IATA (see Glossary) rules and regulations that they must abide by. When selling the ‘low cost, no frills’ airlines such as Tiger Airways, Air Asia or Lion Air for example you may not be able to confirm these bookings via Amadeus. You may need to make these reservations directly with the airline via their website. When processing a booking this way, you will need to use the passengers own credit card for payment and not your agency one. In most instances the credit card holder must actually be one of the travelling parties.

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

1.2 Identify and access appropriate resources to enable processing of client requirements

Introduction

So that we are able to interpret information in relation to airline schedules and fares we need to look at the terminology used in the industry. It is essential to know and understand relevant terminology to assist you in becoming more efficient and effective as a travel consultant, and save valuable time when making reservations. The best way to learn this information is by memorising and using it. Your awareness of general passenger information will enhance your client service levels and ensure the best possible outcome for your clients and your agencies bottom line.

Common terms

The following terms are commonly used in domestic air transportation:

Boarding pass Given to passengers upon check-in when all formalities have been completed in the check-in process and the flight coupon has been removed from the ticket. For Electronic ticket passengers, a boarding pass is given after their reservation details have been verified at the check-in counter. It will specify the class of travel, seat number, frequent flyer membership numbers, departure gate and other details pertaining to the reservation.

Baggage allowance The amount of baggage permitted to be transported free of charge for the passenger.

BSP Billing Settlement Plan.

Carrier A specific airline e.g. Royal Brunei, Silk Air, Angkor Air, Jetstar, Tiger.

Charter airline The term used for a charter; a non-regular or one off flight.

Check-in Formality for passengers to complete upon arrival at the airport. Generally it will be 45 minutes prior to a domestic flight departure and two to three hours prior for an international departure.

Configuration The seating plan within an aircraft.

Connecting flight A flight requiring passengers to change aircraft en-route as part of the itinerary.

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

CRS Central Reservation System.

Direct flight A flight which might land between origin and destination for passenger pickup/ drop-off purposes, or refuelling. There is no change of aircraft or flight number.

Non-stop flight A direct flight which does not land between origin and destination.

E-ticketing Electronic air ticket. Passengers check-in at the airport and produce photo identification for verification.

GDS Global Distribution System.

GMT Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) has no offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Ref - http://www.timeanddate.com/time/aboututc.html

Interline Transfer A transfer from the service of one carrier to the service of another carrier.

On-line Transfer Transfer from the service of one carrier to another service of the same carrier.

IATA International Air Transport Association

Interstate Travel between different states.

Intrastate Travel within a state.

Minimum The minimum amount of time needed to make a connection between two Connecting Time flights.

Multi-Purpose One coupon document issued for excess baggage, refund, land Document arrangements or further transportation.

Transit point An intermediate point between origin and destination where the passenger changes flights, or spends the day, but does not stay overnight.

Transit passenger Passenger who interrupts a journey either voluntarily or involuntarily, but does not stay overnight.

Transfer A ground transportation service provided between airport and city, or (when booking airport and accommodation. Package Holidays

Transfer Occurs when a passenger changes flights at a connecting airport. (when booking flight A transfer involves a change of flight number and aircraft on the same itineraries only) day or first possible connecting flight.

No-Show Passenger holding a confirmed reservation that does not check-in for the flight and does not cancel.

Open Ticket A ticket which contains an open dated flight coupon. The passenger has paid for the sector and will use the coupon at a later date.

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

PNR Passenger Name Record in a Reservation System.

PTA Pre-paid ticket advice.

Reconfirmation Process for passengers to confirm their plans to travel directly with the airline/hotel etc.

RELOC Record Locator. The 5 or 6 number and/or letter airline booking reference.

Stopover A stop of 24 hours or more in anyone city.

Wait-listed sector The client does not have a confirmed seat. The flight is fully sold and the passenger is waiting for a cancellation.

Unaccompanied A child travelling without a parent or care giver, who therefore requires Minor airline assistance and supervision. The age of unaccompanied minors varies according to airline and destination.

UTC UTC – The World's Time Standard Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the basis for civil time today. This 24-hour time standard is kept using highly precise atomic clocks combined with the Earth's rotation. A Standard, Not a Time Zone UTC is the time standard commonly used across the world. The world's timing centres have agreed to keep their time scales closely synchronized - or coordinated - therefore the name Coordinated Universal Time. Ref - http://www.timeanddate.com/time/aboututc.html

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

Identify and access sources of fare information.

Information in relation to domestic airfares is primarily sourced electronically, using a CRS Central Reservation System or an Airline Travel Agent Website. The CRSs most commonly used are Sabre, Amadeus and Galileo.

Sabre http://www.sabre.com/index.php/about/our-history The first passenger reservation system The first passenger reservations system offered by Sabre, installed in 1960, marked a dramatic leap forward for the airline industry, automating one of its key business areas. In the following years, Sabre Airline Solutions® pioneered technological advances in areas such as revenue management, pricing, flight scheduling, cargo, flight operations and crew scheduling. And not only did we help invent electronic commerce for the travel industry, we hold claim to progressive solutions that defined – and continue to modernize – the travel and transportation marketplace.

Amadeus From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Amadeus is a computer reservations system (or global distribution system, since it sells tickets for multiple airlines) owned by the Amadeus IT Group with headquarters in Madrid, Spain. The central database is located at Erding, Germany. The major development centres are located in Bangalore (India), Sophia Antipolis (France) and Boston (United States). In addition to airlines, the CRS is also used to book train travel, cruises, car rental, ferry reservations, and hotel rooms. Amadeus also provides New Generation departure control systems to airlines.[1] Amadeus IT Group is a transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry. The company is structured around two key related areas – its global distribution system and its IT Solutions business area. Amadeus is a member of IATA, OTA and SITA. Its IATA airline designator code is 1A.

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

Galileo From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Galileo is a computer reservations system (CRS) owned by Travelport. As of 2002, it had a 26.4% share of worldwide CRS airline bookings.[1] In addition to airline reservations, the Galileo CRS is also used to book train travel, cruises, car rental, and hotel rooms. The Galileo system was moved from Denver, Colorado, to the Worldspan datacenter in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 28, 2008, following the 2007 merger of Travelport and Worldspan (although they now share the same datacenter, they continue to be run as separate systems). Galileo is subject to the Capps II and its successor Secure Flight program for the selection of passengers with a risk profile. Galileo is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), OpenTravel Alliance and of SITA. The training provided in the use of these various systems (Sabre, Amadeus and Galileo) will equip you to source airfares and their rules. In addition, you will require an understanding of the terminology used in the travel industry and the ability to interpret industry jargon and decode data. To illustrate, here is an example of an electronic fare display sourced from Galileo for Qantas Airways for fares from Melbourne to Sydney.

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

Domestic air fares can also be sourced via the internet using an approved Agents Airline Website Having clicked on the ‘Travel Agents’ tab an agent login screen will appear as shown in the following examples for Scoot, Jetstar Asia and Lion Air

Agent login tab

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

Travel agent login screen

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

Travel agent Tab

Travel agent login screen

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

Travel Agent Tab

Travel agent login screen

In order to decipher an air itinerary, its fare and rules, we must know what the various codes mean and understand the basic protocols used (worldwide) within the airline and travel industry. These will be discussed throughout your training and in this manual.

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

Check availability and scheduled times in system

Before being able to make a reservation for your passenger you will need to establish if the flight of their choice is available. Understanding all the various airline and city codes that are used within a GDS will assist you in making reservations for your passengers. Within the Galileo system just like with all the other GDS operating worldwide, individual airline and city codes can be found with a few simple key stokes, so don’t worry that you have to remember every one. It is recommended to remember by heart the most common city and airline codes that are used within your agency. The airline availability display in the system will show all the available seats and corresponding fares. It is important to understand that each letter of the alphabet showing in the availability display represents a particular fare type. For example, the following is a screen shot for a flight from Denpasar to Jakarta using the Galileo CRS for Friday 15 May flying one way.

The different letters of the alphabet represent the different airfares available for sale. Each one will have different rules and regulations. Row 4 shows no Business class seats (letters J, C and D) available and only specific economy class seats. Whereas row 5 shows seats available across all ticket prices and class.

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

You may notice that most of these economy fare seats show 9 seats available. It is common practice within all the GDS worldwide to show a maximum of 9 seats for sale at one time. This does not mean that there is only 9 seats left, what it represents is the maximum number of passengers that can be booked within one reservation. Should the number ever fall below 9 then it is representative of the actual number of seats left at that fare. As a general rule of thumb, the first letter represents the most expensive and most flexible fare, as the letters move across the page they become less expensive and far less flexible.

Status Codes

When looking at a passenger’s reservation in the CRS system, there are various codes used to indicate the status of the flight segments within the client’s reservation. This status code is also entered in the STATUS box on the passenger’s ticket. The status code for a particular segment within a passenger booking will indicate if the seat is confirmed or not. It is either confirmed, waitlisted or on request. When issuing a ticket you need to recognize the status of the flights that you are going to ticket and understand if the seat is confirmed or not. Status codes are standard across the airline and travel industry and are used in all CRS and GDSs. These are some of the more common ones.

Status Code

Confirmed OK – Ticket code

Confirmed HK – Computer code

Confirmed KK – Computer code

Request RQ – Ticket code

Waitlist LL – Computer code

Waitlist WL – Computer code

Confirmed from KL – Computer code Waitlist

Pending need PN – Computer code

Sold from Status SS – Computer code

Holding Waitlist HL – Computer code

Need or on request NN – Computer code

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

Bookings made using an online Travel Agent Website do not use status codes and will instead flag the segment as confirmed. The example below To illustrate, here is an example of a Galileo PNR which shows the status of the flight as HK.

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

Passenger names

Passenger names are always reflected in the booking and on the air ticket thus: FAMILY NAME/ FIRST NAME/TITLE e.g. JONES/SAMANTHA/MISS If you have used a CRS or GDS to create and price a booking, the name and the title of the passengers would be entered using the prescribed format above with no spaces. Family names that are hyphenated e.g. Parker-Bowles, are entered WITHOUT the hyphen i.e. Parkerbowles/Jane/Mrs Passenger names and titles created using one of the Airline Travel Agent Websites will ask you to enter the name using purpose specific fields and a drop-down menu to select the title. Never the less, the name on the passenger document (E-ticket) may still be reflected using the IATA protocol which is FAMILY NAME/FIRST NAME/TITLE. In other instances (airline dependant) the name on the E-ticket will appear conventionally i.e. Mrs Susan Hunter.

Passenger title codes

Name Code Name Code

Dame DAME MS MS

Doctor DR Professor PROF

Honorable HON Right Honorable RT HON

Lady LADY Senator SEN

Lord LORD Sir SIR

Master MSTR Sister SR

Miss MISS Reverend REV

Mr MR Father FR

Mrs MRS

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

Quotations supplied to clients

Domestic airfares sold through CRS will be quoted in the monetary unit of the country or USD. If you are using a CRS or Agent Airline website to construct an air itinerary and to provide a fare quote for a client, the data or information provided will always be up to date at the time that the quote is sourced and there is provision to print an itinerary which includes the price of the airfare and the taxes. It does not however include the fare rules and conditions in relation to the airfare and you should be careful to provide these to your passenger. The breakdown of fares and taxes are detailed during the book and/or quote process but before the payment details are required to be input. Remember domestic airfares are a moving target, are subject to availability and can and do change. While airlines such as Singapore usually retain the fare levels for particular classes, other airlines such as Tiger Air or Lion Air often change the various fare levels in order to improve loadings on a particular service or in response to what is happening in the general market place. The golden rule therefore, in terms of providing up to date airfare quotes to your client, is to check your CRS or airline website each and every time you are required to provide a quote. This is in fact a very quick process and you will quickly learn to do this as a matter of habit. You must never guess. Some passengers of course may only be interested in the total cost per person including any taxes. Requests for quotes and/or bookings will generally be received via:  The telephone  An email  In person. If you are providing a quote over the telephone or to the client sitting across from you, you must make notes! These notes should be recorded against a quotation reference number, have the dated recorded and should include:  The name and contact detail of the person requesting the quote  The itinerary - detailing the sectors, dates, times, airline and class (if specified).  The price quoted (per person) airfare and taxes separately (they can and do change) and your service fee, if applicable, separately.  The current availability and/or status of the sectors, products or services  The validity of the quote and any deadlines – book, pay or ticket  The condition of sale. Fare rules, changes. refunds and so on  The applicable cancellation and/or amendment fees applicable to the airfare quoted  Advise that the name on the ticket must match exactly the photo identification of the person travelling. No nick names e.g. Nick Jones instead of Nicholas Jones  State the office policy in relation to payment i.e. cash or credit card only  Any merchant fees associated with the use of credit cards.

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

These notes will form the basis of your written or verbal quote. If you are providing a quote via email the content of your reply to the email enquiry will in fact serve as your file notes. It is recommend that when providing quotes to clients via email that you ask for a telephone contact number (if not provided) for both the person requesting the quote and the passenger, if they are different people. Requests for quotes via email can be time consuming. Often clients are simply shopping around and send multiple emails to a range of travel agents requesting quotes. The policy, in relation to the handling of these email requests for quotes, is agency specific and you should check with your manager regarding the guidelines. Where reference numbers are not automatically generated for quotes and there is no office protocol for referencing quotes, it is advisable to devise a system of your own. E.g. DD/MM/YY + client family name + your initials

Adjusting and updating fare quotations

Once a quote has been provided to a client, you may be required to re- quote, for a range of reasons some of which are:  The quote has expired  The fare has expired or has been withdrawn  The taxes have increased  There is no availability  Flights are added or deleted from the itinerary  Passengers are added or deleted from the itinerary  The passenger wishes to make a booking. Remember that all quotes provided, verbal or written, are subject to availability of flights, in the class of travel required, for the dates and times required and are therefore subject to change. Taxes in particular can and do change. There is no way to guarantee any quote unless you quote, book and ticket at the same time. Where you are converting a quote to a booking, you may be required to update a quote due lack of availability and so on. The guidelines for re-quoting an itinerary are no different to those used when providing a quote for the first time. Do not assume that the client will know that the same fare rules, conditions and so on apply. You need to detail this as part of providing a new quote. In particular make sure that the quote is dated. Many travel agents use a pro-forma document which contains all the standard paragraphs in relation to quotes and/or booking conditions and has provision to simply fill in the specifics.

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

Work Projects It is a requirement of this Unit you complete Work Projects as advised by your Trainer. You must submit documentation, suitable evidence or other relevant proof of completion of the project to your Trainer by the agreed date.

1. Identify three of the major companies who operate CRS?

______

2. Identify three specialist websites when constructing packaged airfares or domestic holiday packages?

______

3. Indicate the correct way the following names would be displayed on tickets.

Mrs Jennifer Lang – Smith ______

Doctor David Tok ______

Miss Angeline Lily Chen Lim ______

Master Vincent Tanamas ______

4. What is not included when constructing itinerary using a CRS or Agent Airline website?

______

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

Summary

Confirm client requirements for domestic air travel

 Typical information required  Package Airfares  Domestic Holiday Packages  Quotations and advice supplied to client  Common terms  Sources of fare information: . Sabre . Amadeus . Galileo  Check availability and scheduled times in system  Status Codes  Quotations.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Element 2: Interpret domestic airfare information

2.1 Identify and explain domestic airfare information

Introduction In this subject you will learn the principles of domestic fares and how to construct them. We will cover the rules of the airfares, how to apply them, how to calculate the fare and any relevant taxes.

Fare types and classes

There 3 main categories of fare types:  One way  Return  Multi City Stopover. Domestic airfares are almost always a combination of one or more one way fares. This gives greater flexibility for combining airfares, making changes and cancellations. When using an Agent Airline website you may be required to flag the booking as a return trip however the fare will always be a combination of 2 one way fares, each with their own class of travel, fare, fare rules and conditions. There are a number of different fare types, each with their own particular fare rules and conditions. If you are using a CRS/GDS, then you can access all the fare conditions applicable to the various fare types using the CRS/GDS entry specific formats. If you are using an Airline Travel Agent Website then the fare conditions can be accessed in detail during the booking process. As a general rule when making a booking in this way, the airline will require you to confirm that you (and your passenger) have read and understand the rules relating to the fare booked. Further, you will be unable to proceed to finalize the booking until you have flagged the booking indicating your agreement. Within the various fare types there are a number of classes of travel, called service codes which are linked to the price of the fare paid and its applicable fare rules and conditions of purchase, the most fundamental ones being:  Can it be changed?  What fees are applicable?  Is it refundable? In general the discounted low revenue economy class fares are NON-REFUNDABLE and there are penalties for changing.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Service codes denote the class of service that passengers have chosen to travel. For travel within Australia these are:

Business J or C (may vary according to airline) Economy Y Discounted Economy H, W, K, B, M, R, L, V, S, N, O (will vary by airline)

First Class is generally not offered on flights and Business Class is offered only on certain airlines and services. Business class is located at the front of the aircraft and on some aircraft, upstairs. The Economy section is located towards the rear of the aircraft. On some domestic airlines, regardless of the type of discounted fare purchased, an additional amount can be paid for ‘special seating’ with more leg room and at the front of the aircraft. The term ‘pitch’, in relation to seats, is the measurement between the front of one seat and the front of the seat directly behind it. Exit row seats are only offered to passengers who are fit and able and who are willing to assist other passengers in the case of an emergency. Airlines offer many special or discounted fares and a special alphabetical code is applied to each of these fares. Discounted fares will be discussed later in this subject.

Issuing tickets and commission

To issue airline tickets via your CRS, an agency must be accredited by the airline and IATA (International Air Transportation Association). This accreditation then permits the agency to hold e-ticket stock and issue e- tickets. Accredited agencies sometimes earn commission on domestic e-tickets and, if applicable, this is around 1%. Ticket stock is provided to accredited agencies by BSP (Billing and Settlement Plan) via the applicable CRS. You will learn about this process at a later date. That said, generally travel agents do not earn commission on domestic air bookings and like any professional, a fee for service is charged. These fees are organisation specific and may be charged as a flat fee or per sector booked. Where a domestic package (land and air) is booked via a wholesaler, then often a small commission is paid to the travel agent on the included airfare. How much will depend on the commercial arrangement that the enterprise has in place with various ‘preferred’ operators and what, if any, group they are affiliated with e.g. Expedia, American Express, Zuji and so on.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Issuing an E-ticket using a CRS/GDS

Amadeus, Galileo and Sabre all offer an E-ticketing facility. In order to use this functionality you need to ensure that the following requirements are met:  Agency activated for E-ticketing  Airline/s approval for E-ticketing  BSP advised of Airline approval for E- ticketing  Electronic tickets assigned  Terminal linked to a printer (not a ticket printer)  Appropriate carrier and/or CRS/GDS E-ticket training provided  Your booking has been created in the applicable CRS/GDS  The following is an overview of E-ticketing using Galileo:  Create your Booking File  Secure and file a valid fare  Add ticket modifiers  Add received field  Print ticket. These tickets are issued by the travel agent or on your behalf by a third party Ticket Consolidator. The applicable ticket number/s are generated and recorded in the booking, by passenger. The associated paper work that is generated by this process is minimal and is only for audit purposes i.e. BSP remittance and agent records. The passenger is provided with an itinerary and E-ticket receipt which reflects their booking reference number, name, flight details, fare and taxes paid. They may or may not be required to produce this when they check-in. What is critical is that the photo ID produced at check-in, matches exactly the name in the booking and therefore the ticket. In the example below, the E-tickets have been issued using a CRS and the itinerary reflects all the flight and passenger data together with the ticket numbers and payment information Example: CRS issued E-ticket using Galileo.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Some Travel Agents have their air tickets issued by a Ticket Consolidator with whom they have an account. There are two reasons: 1. The Travel Agent is non I.A.T.A. and does not therefore hold ticket stock (electronic). 2. Access to competitive airfares. To request the issue of a ticket from a consolidator:  Create or retrieve the booking in your CRS/GDS  Place a valid fare in the booking using the fare quote facility (or note pad reflecting fare sheet reference)  Enter payment details – using form of payment modifier or note pads  Enter received from  Queue PNR to Ticket Consolidator for ticketing. The process of issuing the air tickets (by the applicable third party) will automatically record the ticket numbers in the booking. It however remains the responsibility of the travel agent to ensure that these ticket numbers are in fact received by the airline within the applicable ticketing time limit.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Airline codes

Airlines are identified by a two letter code and a 3 digit number called an airline designator/code. Two letter codes are used in reservations, timetables, ticketing, tariffs, schedules and airline communications. Three digit designators form the first three digits of the document number shown on the passenger Air Tickets and Multiple Purpose Document. The example below shows the two letter codes and three digit codes from the IATA website focussing on airlines from the Asia Pacific region.

Airline Name IATA 3-Digit ICAO Country Designator Code Designator

All Nippon Airways NH 205 ANA Japan Asiana OZ 988 AAR Korea Bangkok Air PG 829 BKP Thailand Biman BG 997 BBC Bangladesh Fiji Airways FJ 260 FJI Fiji Garuda GA 126 GIA Indonesia Japan Airlines JL 131 JAL Japan Jet Airways 9W 589 JAI India Korean Air KE 180 KAL Korea Malaysia Airlines MH 232 MAS Malaysia Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) KZ 933 NCA Japan PAL PR 079 PAL Philippines PIA PK 214 PIA Pakistan Qantas QF 081 QFA Australia Royal Brunei BI 672 RBA Brunei Darussalam SIA SQ 618 SIA Singapore SIA Cargo SQ SIA Singapore Silkair MI 629 SLK Singapore SriLankan UL 603 ALK Sri Lanka Thai Airway International TG 217 THA Thailand Vietnam Airlines VN 738 HVN Vietnam Virgin Australia VA 795 VAU Australia

Interpret domestic airfare information

Domestic airlines not listed above are:

Airline name IATA designator 3 digit code ICAO designator Country

Angkor Air G6 397 KHV Cambodia

Lion Air JT 990 LNI Indonesia

Lao airlines QV 627 LAO Laos

Air Asia AK 807 AXM Malaysia

Cebu Pacific 5J 203 CPI Philippines

Tiger TR 388 TGW Singapore

Bangkok Airways PG 829 BKP Thailand

Aircraft Types

There are numerous aircraft types generally identified by their numbers such as Boeing 777 referred to as ‘the triple 7’ or by their marketing name such as the 787 referred to as ‘the Dreamliner’. The most common large domestic passenger jets used on short to medium haul routes are:  Boeing 737-800 – A single aisle jet with seating from 162-189 passengers. It is known to be the best selling jet airliner in aviation history  Airbus A320 – It has seating for 150 but can be configure to seat up to 180. Other major aircraft manufacturers of smaller passenger aircraft are:  Bombadier (Canada) third largest manufacturer after Boeing and Airbus http://www.bombardier.com/en/aerospace.html  Embraer (Brazil) http://www.embraer.com/en-US/Aeronaves/Pages/Home.aspx  ATR (French-Italian) http://www.atraircraft.com/products/list.html. You may have heard of the following aircraft which are used on long haul international flights:  Airbus A380 "Superjumbo" - the world's largest passenger airliner from 2005 onwards and provides seating for up to 525 passengers across 3 classes  Boeing 747-400 "Jumbo Jet" - an iconic aircraft, it was the world's largest passenger airliner between 1969 and 2005. It was also the first wide body jet airliner to enter service It can seat 416 passengers across 3 classes  Boeing 777 - A wide bodied jet, meaning it has two aisles along the length of the plane. It can seat 314 to 451 passengers depending on class configuration  Boeing 787 Dreamliner - Also a wide bodied jet seating 242 to 335 passengers depending on class configuration.

Interpret domestic airfare information

City and airport codes All cities and airports throughout the world are given a 3 letter code. The city and the main airport will often share the same code, however when it does not, your search will generally default to the main airport. For example: Bangkok has two airports; BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport and DMK Don Meuang International Airport. Manila in the Philippines is served by two larger airports, Ninoy Aquino (MNL) and Clarke International (CRK) airports situated in quite different locations but there are a number of other airports and you will have to ensure that your client is aware of where their flight arrives/ departs from. The following are the codes for the more popular South East Asian cities.

Airports in Southeast Asia – Most Popular

With direct flights from Australia

Jakarta (JKT) airport Bali (Denpasar) (DPS) airport Bangkok (BKK) airport Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) airport Manila (MNL) (Philippines) airport Taipei (TPE) airport Kuala Lumpur (KUL) airport Phuket (HKT) airport Hong Kong International (HKG) airport Kota Kinabalu (BKI) airport Singapore (SIN) airport Other airports

Surbaya (SUB) airport Bandung (BDO) airport Makassar (UPG) airport Mini (MYY) airport Medan (MES) airports Pontianak (PNK) airport Balikpapan (BPN) airport Manado (MDC) airport Yogyakarta (JOG) airport Lombok International (LOP) airport Hanoi (HAN) airport Macau (MGM) (Macau) airport Mactan-Cebu International (CEB) airport Langkawi (LGK) airport Chiang Mai (CNX) airport Jayapura (DJJ) airport Kuching (KCH) (Malaysia) airport Johor Bahru (JHB) airport Banjarmasin (BDJ) airport Kalibo International - near Boracay (KLO) airport Batam (BTH) airport Iloilo International (ILO) airport Palembang (PLM) airport Bacolod-Silay (BCD) airport Semarang (SRG) airport Krabi (KBI) airport Pekanbaru (PKU) airport Udon Thani (UTH) airport Penang (PEN) (Malaysia) airport Kota Bharu (KBR) airport Davao International (DVO) airport Koh Samui / Samui Island (USM) airport Padang (PDG) airport Cagayan De Oro (CGY) airport Tarakan (TRK) airport Solo / Surakarta (SOC) airport Da Nang ( DAD) airport Sibu (SBW) airport Hat Yai (HDY) airport

Interpret domestic airfare information

Phonetic Alphabet

To avoid confusion with accents and different types of speech and to eliminate spelling mistakes with names and booking details, the phonetic alphabet is routinely used. When making an airline reservation, a reservation number (or booking number) commonly known as the PNR (Passenger Name Record) or RELOC (Record Locator) is given to the booking. This PNR/RELOC is usually 5 or 6 numbers and/or letters. This PNR will be given to you using the phonetic alphabet.

Letter Phonetic Code Letter Phonetic Code Letter Phonetic Code

A Alpha J Juliet S Sierra

B Bravo K Kilo T Tango

C Charlie L Lima U Uniform

D Delta M Mike V Victor

E Echo N November W Whisky

F Foxtrot O Oscar X X-ray

G Golf P Papa Y Yankee

H Hotel Q Quebec Z Zulu

I India R Romeo

Interpret domestic airfare information

Airline Time Principles

To ensure that the time of departure and time of arrival is always clear to both the passenger and the travel agent, the 24 hour clock is used. It is essential you understand the 24 hour clock so that you can accurately reserve flights and advise your clients correctly on arrival and departure times and so on.

The 24 hour clock

The 24 hour clock is used in the travel industry throughout the world. The times in your CRS system are represented by the 24 hour clock and both domestic and international tickets are issued using the 24 hour clock. It is represented with 4 digits.

The 24 hour clock

1 minute after midnight 0001

30 minutes after midnight 0030

1 hour after midnight or 1am 0100

1 hour before midnight 2300

30 minutes before midnight 2330

1 minute before midnight or 1159pm 2359

1 minute after noon 1201

30 minutes after noon 1230

1 hour after noon or 1pm 1300

1 minute before noon 1159

30 minutes before noon 1130

1 hour before noon or 11am 1100

Equally important is an understanding of the UTC/GMT (refer to glossary for detailed definition) and various time zones within your own part of the world.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Time Zones

The Greenwich Meridian, also known as the prime meridian or International Meridian, is the "starting point" for dividing the Earth's surface into time zones. Each time zone is 15 degrees of longitude wide (with local variations) and the local time is one hour earlier than the zone immediately to the east on the map. The number of standard time zones is debatable and discussed among various sources, particularly with regards to the International Date Line. Reference: http://www.timeanddate.com/time/time-zones.html. This website has a great deal of useful information and is worth exploring. A basic explanation is that time zones to the west of UTC are behind UTC and times to the east of UTC are ahead of UTC. E.g. If the time is 1200 noon in London (as Greenwich coincides with the position of London) it will be morning in the USA. If the time is noon in London, then it will be the afternoon in parts of Asia.

The 24 hour time zones of the world

Interpret domestic airfare information

Departure and arrival times Airline timetables will always be stated in local time for arrival and departure; therefore you will need to consult the CRS system to confirm the duration of the flight, or the timetable if it details that information. Never estimate the flight duration from the arrival and departure times as you must take into account the times zones the flight may cross. Times must be converted back to UTC/GMT time before flight durations can be calculated. This will be covered more extensively in your International Studies.

Minimum connecting time between flights Minimum connecting time is the minimum time you must allow for a passenger to complete a transfer from one flight to another. This time will vary depending if the client needs to change carriers, terminals or even airports. You will learn in your CRS training how to confirm the minimum time allowance and what requirements there are. It is your responsibility to ensure that your passenger has sufficient connecting time between their flights.

Day and month abbreviations Day and month abbreviations are used by airlines, within Global Distribution System and Central Reservation System timetables and are standard throughout the industry. Date abbreviations are shown as 2 numeric digits e.g. the 6th March is shown as 06MAR and not as 6/3. This is a necessity in ticket writing.

Frequency abbreviations Month abbreviations

Alphabetical Numerical January JAN

Monday = M or MON 1 February FEB

Tuesday = T or TUE 2 March MAR

Wednesday = W or WED 3 April APR

Thursday = T or THU 4 May MAY

Friday = F or FRI 5 June JUN

Saturday = S or SAT 6 July JUL

Sunday = S or SUN 7 August AUG

Daily = DLY September SEP

Except = EX X October OCT

November NOV

December DEC

Interpret domestic airfare information

Frequently used abbreviations

Code Meaning Code Meaning

AGT Agent INF infant

ARR Arrive or Arrival LMTC Left message to call

CHD Child PAX Passenger

CTC Contact telephone PSGR Passenger

DEP Depart or Departure PNR Passenger Name Record

ETA Estimated time of arrival UM Unaccompanied minor

ETD Estimated time of departure UTC Unable to contact

FLT Flight

Inflight Service Abbreviations

Most of low cost, airlines such as Jetstar, and Tiger Airways, Lion Air etc. offer the passengers the option of purchasing food and drinks during their flight. Where meals are included in the fare, these are the service abbreviations used.

B Breakfast

L Lunch

D Dinner

S Snacks

Interpret domestic airfare information

In-flight food service guideline

Here is the general guideline for meal service periods for domestic travel where meals are included in the ticket price.

Breakfast Flights departing/arriving between 0530 and 0850

Lunch Flights departing/arriving between 1230 and 1330

Dinner Flights departing/arriving between 1830 and 2030

Snacks On all flights departing/arriving at other times

Passengers with special meal requests such as dietary or religious needs can be catered for during their flight. It is compulsory that the travel agent notes this in the booking and confirms with the airline as soon as the booking is made. Requests within 24 hours of flight departure cannot generally be met by the airline. Examples of meal types and their code:

BBML Baby food

DBML Diabetic

VGML Vegetarian

LFML Low Cholesterol

GFML Gluten Free

MOML Muslim

HNML Hindu

LPML Low protein

The list is extensive so it is advisable to contact the airline if in doubt, as special meals can often be prepared.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Seat requests

When the low revenue special fares are purchased, special seating is not available. For business class travel and some of the higher revenue airfares, special seat requests can be made. Where this facility is available choices are:  Window  Aisle  Specific seat number. On some carriers special seating is available upon payment of an additional amount, typically around AUD30.00 per person per flight. With some of the low lost airlines seat selection is available at the time of booking. In other instances pre-seating may not be available until check-in which can be either online or at the airport.

Fare Payment Codes

These codes are used to indicate how payment was made and in the case of an air ticket, these codes are used on the actual e-ticket to reflect how the payment was received from the passenger Remember where a credit card is used there may be merchant fees involved and where applicable, the passenger should be made aware of this and also how much they will be i.e. 3% for American Express etc.

CASH Cash VI Visa Card

CHQ Cheque AX American Express

DC Diners Club INV Invoice

MC Master Card

The fare payment code is used when issuing the e-ticket to indicate the method of payment used when paying for the air fare and taxes. The details are also recorded electronically in the passenger booking and e-ticket record which forms part of the booking. This becomes important if a change is made that requires either a re-issue or a refund.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Normal fares

Normal fares are accepted as being full business or full economy class fares. These fares are the most expensive and are fully flexible in that, subject to availability, they can be changed at any time and if unused, are fully refundable. These fares are generally used:  For corporate travellers who require total flexibility  Where the booking is made with little notice  When the passenger must travel on a specific flight and/or on a specific date  When there is no availability in any other class  In an emergency where cost does not matter e.g. compassionate.

Discounted fares

For domestic travel, discounted fares are the most often used, economy class airfares. The discount varies, as do the conditions associated with the fare. Usually the higher the discount i.e.; the cheaper the fare; the more restrictions there are linked to that fare. The main conditions that apply are:  Fares are subject to availability of a particular class  They often have an advance purchase requirement  They must be paid for at the time of booking i.e. instant purchase  Changes must be made a least one day prior to departure  Changes (including a no show) on the day of departure are not allowed, the fare is forfeited  Other changes incur fees plus any differences in airfare and taxes  Name changes are not permitted  Fare is non-transferable  Fare is non-refundable although they do have a 12 month validity  Waitlists are not permitted.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Concession and promotional fares

Concession fares may include discounted fares for infants, children, students, pensioners, groups, carers, military personnel and compassionate cases. The introduction of the discounted economy class fares by a range of carriers has meant that the concession fare is used less and less. Usually the applicable discount (concession) is only available off the higher revenue air fares and therefore, often, it will cost less for passengers to simply purchase one of the discounted airfares. Promotional fares are periodically released by various airlines in response to:  Competition from another airline  To promote a new service and/or route  To fill any gaps in airline loadings for a particular period and/or destination  In conjunction with land arrangements i.e. special all inclusive package. Where promotion fares are released, usually, they simply offer further discounts on the already discounted fares. Commonly these fares have a series of restrictions relating to the purchase of the fare and are often only available for sale for a limited time or until sold out.

General air travel rules and restrictions

Airports Airlines operate domestic flights from various airports/terminals. Some airports have all their terminals (domestic and international) in the same location. In some cities there may be various airline specific terminals within an airport precinct. For example in Malaysia there are two airports utilising three terminals. Domestic flights for Firefly and Berjaya airlines operate from the old international airport from terminal three. There are several names used for this airport (Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang [International] Airport and Skypark Terminal) however it was officially renamed Subang Skyway terminal. The new international airport at Sepang is divided into two terminals. KLIA1 home to Malaysia Airlines and used by other national and international carriers and KLIA2 is home to Air Asia. There is 65 kilometres between the two KLIA airports at Sepang and Skyway terminal at Subang taking around 45 minutes travel time. It is important passengers are informed where they need to be.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Check-in facilities Depending on the airline there are currently 3 ways to check-in for a domestic flight:  Counter Check-in – the default check-in procedure  Online Check-in – available with some airlines  Self-Serve Check-in – available with some airlines.

Counter check-in The recommended time for check-in for most domestic flights is now 60 minutes prior to departure; however, passengers must be aware of delays that can be encountered during holiday periods. Over peak holiday period such Christmas and Chinese New Year check-in delays can be lengthy and it is best to advise your client to allow for this and arrive earlier. Some airlines have a very strict policy regarding late arrivals and passengers arriving within 30 minutes of the scheduled flight departure time may be denied boarding by the airline. Passengers are required to have photo identification with them when travelling. After completing the check-in process all passengers receive a boarding pass which details their seat number, departure gate, frequent flyer information and name etc. This boarding pass must be presented when boarding the aircraft. In the case of frequent flyer programs, it is advisable that passengers retain their boarding passes until their mileage points are shown on their statement. Boarding passes are the only proof that passengers travelled on that leg of their journey.

Online check-in Some airlines offer online check-in facilities for their passengers via their website. This allows passengers to check-in and print their boarding pass before arriving at the airport. Individual airlines will indicate on their website the timeframes online check-in is available. It is NOT available where the passenger requires special handling e.g. wheelchair assistance.

Vietnam Airlines

Interpret domestic airfare information

SilkAir

Air Asia

Interpret domestic airfare information

Self-Service Check-in Some airlines offer self-service check-in facilities for their passengers. This service allows passengers to check themselves in and by-pass lengthy check-in queues. The following information has been taken from the Thai Airways website.

Interpret domestic airfare information

The following is Air Asia’s check-in modes

Interpret domestic airfare information

Baggage There are 2 types of baggage that passengers are permitted to take with them on their journey. These are “checked” and “carry on” baggage. Weight and size allowances vary from airline to airline however as a general rule for travel the economy allowance is 20 kilos for checked baggage and 7 kilos for carry-on baggage. The size of the carry-on baggage is also regulated. It must be able to fit under the seat or in an overhead locker. Children under 2 years (who are travelling free of charge) are not entitled to a free baggage allowance. Where a ‘piece’ system is in place, no one piece of baggage can exceed 32 kilos in weight. There are also size limitations imposed where baggage allowance is expressed in pieces. Where passengers are travelling business class or are a member of the airline’s frequent flyers club, additional baggage allowances are extended. They are carrier specific and this should be checked with the applicable airline. Many of the low cost airlines now offer air fares without a checked baggage allowance and will only permit a carry-on baggage allowance. The passenger can choose to purchase ticket only allowing carry-on baggage only. If they then decide they need to ‘check’ baggage they will charged an additional amount for this at the airport upon check-in. Alternatively the passenger may choose to pay for a higher priced ticket which includes check-in baggage as part of the ticket price. Checked baggage is handed to the airline upon check-in and stored in the baggage hold of the aircraft. Clients do not have access to this baggage until reaching their final destination. This baggage is checked and tagged by airline staff after the completion of the check-in process and security check. Passengers will be required to answer security questions such as if they have packed the bag themselves and if it contains any flammable liquids etc. For clients exceeding the free baggage allowance an ‘excess baggage’ fee will be charged. This cost will vary from airline to airline but generally it is 1% of the one way first class airfare per kilogram, i.e. very expensive! Carry-on baggage comprises those items that are permitted to be carried on to the aircraft by the passenger. This can include handbags, small backpacks, laptops, cosmetic bags, baby food and camera bags etc. In addition to weight restrictions for hand baggage there are also size restrictions. Passengers who attempt to exceed these limits risk having their excess baggage or items removed by flight attendants to be placed in the baggage hold of the aircraft.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Smoking Smoking is prohibited on all domestic flights and inside all airline terminals in Asia, aside from designated smoking rooms in some airports.

Dangerous Goods After recent world events, in-flight and airport security has increased significantly. Some restrictions that now apply include:  Limits to bottled water carried on board the aircraft  Limits to toiletries and liquids permitted on board the aircraft  No compressed gases (flammable, non-flammable)  No sharp objects such as scissors, clippers or similar  No fireworks, ammunition, flares  No aerosol packs e.g. deodorant or hair spray  Cellular phones cannot be used on planes  The use of electronic hand held devices such as tablets, and gaming consoles are restricted to certain times whilst flying.

Special Care Passengers Infants/babies A limited amount of baby food and baby needs are available on the aircraft, however it is advisable that passengers carry with them what they anticipate needing during their flight. It is compulsory to note any infants travelling in the booking. Unaccompanied minors An unaccompanied minor must be checked in at the airport by their mother, father or guardian. They must be collected at their destination by one of the above people also. All details such as name and address of the parents or guardians must be supplied upon making a reservation. Permission to travel as an unaccompanied minor varies from carrier to carrier along with ages etc. It is best to check this information thoroughly when making a reservation of this type. Elderly or incapacitated passengers There are various services available to passengers with differing needs in terms of wheelchair assistance. Airline staff can assist with full support from check-in through to boarding or just boarding if required. Requests for this service must be made at the time of making the reservation and is the responsibility of the travel consultant.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Children and infants Infants are generally defined as being less than 2 years of age. Children are generally defined as being less than 12 years of age.

Airport Facilities Facilities such as baby strollers, trolleys, lockers and facilities for the disabled are available at most airports. If your client requires any of the above please ensure that they know how to gain access and where to go.

Frequent Flyer Programs Most airlines host their own frequent flyer programs and partner programs with other airlines hotels and finance companies. Depending on the airline, some of these program benefits may include priority check-in, additional baggage allowances, upgrades, and valet parking. Some airline programs are free to join while others charge a once only joining fee or yearly membership fee. Points are accumulated by:  Using the particular airline and/or their airline partners for air travel.  Using the airlines preferred partners for additional services e.g. car hire  Having a credit card linked to the program  A range of other products and services. The detail of the various frequent flyer programs, their applicable partner relationships and so on are comprehensively listed on the various airline websites. Most programs have different levels of membership which are designed to reward and recognize long standing members who accumulate volume in terms of points and credits. The more your passenger flies the higher status they earn; the higher the status, the greater the benefits that can be offered to members. The full detail of these frequent flyer programs and their respective partners are available on the various airline websites. Passengers wishing to travel on redemption seats who want to make their arrangements through their travel consultant may be charged a service fee by the consultant to do so. Facilitating such booking requests can be time consuming and as the consultant will not receive commissions for the reservation, charging booking fees is a way to ensure time taken is paid for and productivity is not lost.

Airport Lounge Clubs Many carriers offer club membership to their airport lounges at airports. Members have access to airport lounges which host complimentary bar service, light snacks, newspapers and shower/bathroom facilities. Priority check- in counters may also be offered along with, seat reservation and additional baggage allowance.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Specific fare conditions

Class Codes Apart from regular first, business and economy class fares, airlines offer discounted or special fares to their clients. When making reservations and ticketing, these special fares will be booked in a different class code, even though your passenger will be travelling in the economy section of the aircraft with full economy fare paying passengers. These special fares are lower, and carry conditions such as advance purchase, cancellation penalties, minimum and maximum stay. Airlines will limit the number of seats available at these lower rates and distribute information to agents on their special conditions and most importantly their booking class code. Whilst it is not necessary to memorize these codes it is important to check your reservation thoroughly so that you avoid making any costly mistakes with booking the wrong code of seat. To recap on class codes here are the classes again:

Business J or C

Discounted Business D

Economy Y

Discounted Economy H, W, K, B, M, R, L, V, S, N, O

The above applies for most airlines; however discounted economy or special fare classes always differ between airlines. The booking class code is entered in the class box on the passenger’s airline ticket.

Fare Basis Codes These codes indicate the type of fare and outline the rules which govern the airfare sold. In your CRS you are able to display the detailed fare rules and conditions associated with the particular fare basis. What follows is an example of the fare rules for a Qantas NPTWEBU fare which has been sourced from a CRS, in this instance from Galileo. Every fare will have its own rules and conditions which can be lengthy and which must be checked carefully prior to quoting, booking or ticketing. The travel agent must comply with the fare rules and the passengers must be informed of the fare conditions.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Airlines use different fare basis codes so you can never assume the same code will apply across the industry. When making a reservation it is best practice to check the rules relating to the fare booked. The fare basis is also indicated on the e-ticket and in the case of a booking made via an airline website, the conditions relating to the fare booked forms part of the e-ticket as do the check-in procedures, baggage allowance and so on. Following is an excerpt of fare rules and taxes from Vietnam Airlines website.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Activity 1 Note: it is a requirement of this unit that you attempt this Training Activity

1. Please decode the following:

CRS

BSP

IATA

PNR

2. Define the following:

Stopover

No Show

Unaccompanied Minor

Transit Passenger

3. List the commonly used CRS’S/GDS as detailed in this manual

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

4. Use the Phonetic Alphabet to encode the following:

V I

D C

R E

B L

Y Z

Interpret domestic airfare information

5. Transcribe the following times into the 24 hour clock.

12 Hour Clock 24 Hour Clock 12 Hour Clock 24 Hour Clock

6 .00 am 0600hours 6.00 pm

8.45 am 8.45 pm

12 noon 12 midnight

3.15 am 3.15 pm

11.30 am 11.30 pm

1.00 am 1.00 pm

6. Encode the following into their accepted abbreviations.

October ______

Tuesday ______

ETA ______

Left message to call ______

Infant ______

PAX ______

7. Please decode the following 3 letter city codes.

Code City Code City

PEN SGN

CEB BWN

HKT PNH

8. What is the 3 digit airline designator for the following?

Royal Brunei ______

Bangkok Airways ______

Silk Air ______

Vietnam Airlines ______

Interpret domestic airfare information

Activity 2 9 Convert theNote: following it is atimes requirement to the am/pm of this equivalents? unit that you attempt this Training Activity

1. Convert the following times to the am/pm equivalents?

24 Clock Time AM/PM Time

0529 hours

2306 hours

1011 hours

0723 hours

2. What does GMT stand for?

______

3. What does UTC stand for?

______

4. Please decode the following:

ZL Regional Express

AB3

J Class

MOML

CHD

MSTR

Interpret domestic airfare information

Activity 3 Note: it is a requirement of this unit that you attempt this Training Activity

1. Using the internet, research and complete two of these questions.

a) List some of the airlines, car rental companies, credit card companies and hotel chains partnered with the KrisFlyer loyalty program for Singapore and Silk Air.

b) List some of the airlines, car rental companies, and hotel chains partnered with the FlyerBonus loyalty program for Bangkok Airways

Interpret domestic airfare information

c) List the partners, car rental companies, and hotel chains associated with Air Asia BIG loyalty program

2. Encode the following:

Status Code

Request RQ

Confirmed from waitlist

Confirmed – computer code

Confirmed – ticket code

Interpret domestic airfare information

1. Identify

a) the three fare types and

______

b) The three classes of travel.

______

2. What are Fare Basis Codes?

______

3. Promotional fares are periodically released by various airlines in response to what?

______

Interpret domestic airfare information

4. Identify the general weight limits for both ‘checked’ and ‘carry on’ baggage?

______

Interpret domestic airfare information

Summary

Interpret domestic airfare information

 Fare types and classes  Issuing tickets and commission  Airline codes  Aircraft Types  City and airport codes  Phonetic Alphabet  Airline Time Principles  The 24 hour clock  Time Zones  Departure and arrival times  Minimum connecting time between flights  Day and month abbreviations  Inflight Service Abbreviations  In-flight food policy  Seat requests  Fare Payment Codes  Normal fares  Discounted fares  Concession and promotional fares  General air travel rules and restrictions  Specific fare conditions.

Interpret domestic airfare information

Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

Element 3: Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

3.1 Select carriers to accommodate identified client requirements

Introduction

It is important to establish during the sales consultation the parameters of the passenger’s needs. If they need flexibility in their ticket then it is not a good idea to sell them a discounted airfare which will have very restrictive rules.

Selecting carriers

When discussing airfare costs with your passenger you must make a thorough check of the fare rules to ensure you advise your client correctly of the fare conditions.SITTTSL012A. Strong competition in the domestic air travel marketplace means that as well as the standard fare types, special airfares and deals become available from time to time. These specials and deals usually have clear book and pay conditions, limited availability and often sell out quickly. The airlines will generally provide advance notice of specials to their travel agent network however there are instances where this does not happen. Travel agents need to keep up to date in terms of what is happening in the domestic marketplace. Once a reservation has been made on behalf of a passenger the Amadeus system provides the opportunity to be able to quote the relevant airfare and corresponding booking conditions that align with that airfare. When selling the ‘low cost, no frills’ airlines such as Tiger Airways, Air Asia or Scoot for example you may not be able to confirm these bookings via Amadeus. You may need to make these reservations directly with the airline via their website. When processing a booking this way, you will need to use the passengers own credit card for payment and not your agency one. In most instances the credit card holder must actually be one of the travelling parties. Unlike international travel, with domestic travel, airfares are often calculated on a per sector basis. Return airfares are therefore a combination of 2 one way fares (and applicable taxes) which may in fact be priced differently and which may each have different fare conditions attached to each fare. The fare (or combination of fares) is class and availability dependant.

Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

In order to check the seat availability, you must decide what class you need to book for your client based on:  Passenger flexibility in terms of dates and times  Degree of flexibility required in terms of changes and/or amendments  Passenger budget  Airline preference.

Airline schedules

Access to airline schedules, airfares and information in relation to the flights operated by the various airlines is available electronically to travel agents via:  A CRS/GDS  A Travel Agent Website  An Airline website  SITTTSL012A Construct domestic airfares. In most instances you will use your CRS/GDS to access schedules, construct the itineraries, source airfares and make bookings. There may however be instances when, because of ticket restrictions and/or commercial arrangements, you will:  Access an Airline Travel Agent Website to check schedules and fares and to make the booking e.g. Lion Air and Air Asia  Access Airline general public website e.g. Tiger Airways to check schedules and fares and to make the booking.

Client information

There are a few pieces of information you require to construct a good itinerary for your client at the best available airfare:  When do they want to travel?  Where do they want to go?  How many passengers are travelling?  Are there any children and/or infants travelling?  Why are they travelling?  How long will they be away?  What class of travel is required?  How much flexibility is required in terms of changes and/or amendments?  Do they have a preference for a particular airline?  Are they a member of a frequent flyer club?  Are they looking for the cheapest available fare? This information will assist you in deciding which airline carrier best suits your clients needs and to some degree that will dictate which source you will use to access the schedules.

Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

Selecting the carrier with the cheapest fare

If you are using a CRS/GDS to process the booking, and considering all of the above, you can proceed to make the booking using the system specific entries. Once you have checked the availability and secured the seat in the applicable class, complete the booking including quoting the fare and taxes for the booking. Again there are CRS/GDS system specific entries that you will use. If your client requests the cheapest fare:  Use your CRS/GDS to do a ‘fare shop’ for the date and segment required. This screen shot is for a one way flight Denpasar to Jakarta from the Galileo CRS

Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

 Elect the cheapest fare and note the class to be booked and display the rules associated with that fare  Check the fare rules and conditions to ensure that you can use that fare  Sell the ticket by selecting the ‘Book’ icon and complete the booking by entering all CRS mandatory fields  Collect the money or credit card  Issue the ticket and provide the e-ticket and receipt to client.

Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

3.2 Construct and cost draft itinerary in accordance with host enterprise operational requirements and identified client requirements

Introduction

It will depend on the individual travel agency’s policies and procedures if you simply provide the passenger with the itinerary that can be produced via the GDS, or if you re-create using your own company templates.

Creating itinerary

Regardless of which method is adopted the information provided to the passenger is what is important. This information should always include:  Company logo with address and phone contact  Your name and the date the itinerary was prepared. This is just in case any details of the itinerary change at all with time. Having the date of preparation helps to clarify when the information was provided and if changes may have occurred since its preparation  The passengers name as shown in the booking (all passengers) – this is to double check that it is the same name that appears in the passengers passport  The travel details in sequential order  All dates to include day, date and month e.g.: Thu 29 November (‘Nov’ would also suffice)  All cities to be in full and if a particular airport is being utilised this should also be indicated. For example MNL would be Manila, PEN would be Penang. If the airport code was KUL, you would need to ensure you included KUL Sepang – Kuala Lumpur International Airport  Airlines should be in full as well as using the 2 letter code e.g.; Bangkok Airways flight number PG 906  Always try to account for all days while away, this can include accommodation, tours, and sightseeing and time spend on ‘own arrangements’  Try to avoid using any jargon  Flight times should be in both 12 and 24 hour clock. Passengers need to understand the 24 hour clock as this is how the flights are displayed at airports around the world. Some passengers however may not be familiar with the 24 hour clock so you can put both times in so that they do not miss their flights. Suggested arrival times for check in at the airport prior to each flight (this will vary from city to city) although 60-90 minutes is common place. Remember that with the increased use of e-tickets and e-documentation the more detailed the information you can provide in the itinerary the better for your passengers.

Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

Example of travel agency specific passenger itinerary

WAI Travel 100 Thompson Road NOVENA Ph: +65 6637 9855

Travel consultant name would go here: Date itinerary prepared would go here:

Itinerary specially prepared for:

Mr John Smith, Ms Zoe Peterson, Mr Yamin Danish, Mr Krisna Shanker, Mdm Gekkee Ng

Please check in for your flight at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport Jakarta, 90 minutes prior to departure.

Sat 01 Dec Depart: Jakarta 11.35am (1135) Garuda Indonesia Arrive: Denpasar 2.35pm (1435) Flt GA408

Once you have cleared immigrating and customs at Denpasar airport you will be met by a representative of Travelscene Holidays. They will be holding a chalk board with your names written on. The coach transfer to you hotel will be approximately one hour.

Accommodation Pelangi Bali Hotel & Spa Check in: Sat 01 Dec 4.00pm (1600) Jalan Dhyana Pura Check out: Sat 08 Dec 11.00am (1000) Seminyak Beach, Bali 5 X single rooms Ph: 361 730 346 includes buffet breakfast daily

Included in your holiday are return airport transfers also. Please be in the lobby by 11.30am for your airport transfer.

Please check in for your flight at Denpasar Airport, 90 minutes prior to your departure

Sat 08 Dec Depart: Denpasar 3.35pm (1535) Garuda Indonesia Arrive: Jakarta 4.35pm (1635) Flt GA411

You have indicated to me you will be travelling on Singapore and Australian Passports. Please note that for a short stay less than 30 days no visas are required for passengers travelling on Singapore passports however the passport must be valid for more than 6 months after the intended stay.

For Australian Passport holders a visa on arrival (VOA) will be issued on the payment of USD25. The passport must also be valid for 6 months after the intended stay. All passengers must have an onward ticket.

Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

3.3 Obtain approval and authority to proceed with booking/s from client 3.4 Book approved itinerary with nominated carriers

Introduction Obtaining client approval and booking the carrier can often be a combined instant decision as flights are often available for limited time frames at promotional or heavily discounted prices.

Confirm booking with client When booking normal fares confirmation by the client to proceed with the booking would first be given in a face to face interview or over the telephone. Once the passenger has agreed that the booking is as required and the relevant fare is suitable to them you would make arrangements to confirm all the details in writing. If the passenger is making the booking with you in a face to face interview a simple way to print an itinerary suitable for the passenger is using the command IEP in the CRS. You can then provide this directly to your passenger. The fare booking rules and conditions however will need to be forwarded in a letter which you construct yourself or via email. Once you have made the reservation in the system it is important to give them a printed copy of the booking and take the time to explain the components. Remember that passengers are not always familiar with ‘travel jargon’. It is important to explain the itinerary in terms they will understand. This may include changing the flight times from 24 hour clock to 12 hour clock. For example your passenger’s flight itinerary may read as follows, however what you would say is expanded:

WED 1 APR DEP: JKT 11.35 Garuda Indonesia

ARR: DPS 1435 Flt GA408

Your flight is confirmed for Wednesday 1 April departing Jakarta International Airport at 11.35 am. Your airline is Garuda Indonesia and the flight number is GA408. The flight arrives into Denpasar airport at 4.35pm the same day. You may choose to also expand the flight itinerary details and look at flight duration, number of stopovers and number of meal services etc. This may be achieved by using the cryptic entry for ‘Display Operation’ in the CRS. E.g. DOGA408/01APR (Command code DO then the flight number and the date) You would also need to discuss the cost of the airfare and the relevant booking conditions. If the booking request is made over the telephone, or via email, you can produce and email an itinerary directly to your passengers email address provided in the booking simply by using the command IEPJ-EMLA in the CRS. Again a follow up letter with fare rules and booking conditions is necessary.

Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

3.5 Obtain payment from client, as required

Introduction

It is important to establish the client’s choice of method of payment prior to the actual day of payment. Some airlines do not accept payment other than cash, some accept only credit card. You must also establish the organisational procedures for cash, cheque and credit card acceptance. This performance criterion should be read in conjunction with 4.2 Process payment/s made by client.

Payment methods

Cash Under most circumstance payment by cash is readily acceptable. Particularly if the payment is for an airline reservation made via a GDS. If however the booking has been made directly via the airline’s website then cash is not a suitable form of payment. All bookings confirmed via an airline website require payment to be made via the travelling passenger’s credit card.

EFTPOS This is generally a preferred method of payment for businesses as there is generally no bank fees for the agent and funds are transferred immediately into the relevant bank account. It also eliminates having potentially large amounts of cash on the premises which can cause security issues.

Cheque Payment via a personal cheque can be something that a travel agency is reluctant to accept unless they have a long standing relationship with the passenger. As cheques can take up to 5 working days to clear you would need to request payment from your passenger up to a week in advance of the ticketing time limit. This may or may not be convenient to the passenger.

Credit Card Accepting a credit card for payment of airfares will be an individual company decision. For reservations confirmed via a GDS and ticketed through the GDS, payment via credit card will incur a merchant fee from the issuing airline. This fee may vary and can have a strong influence on the overall amount of commission earned for a booking. When the payment is being accepted by the travel agent and not the airline the payments by credit card are processed in the same way as cash. The additional task you must perform when accepting payment by credit is to verify that the name on the card is the same as the passenger and that their signature matches the one on the card.

Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

1. In order to check the seat availability, you must decide what class you need to book for your client based on what key factors?

______

2. Access to airline schedules, airfares and information in relation to the flights operated by the various airlines is available electronically to travel agents via three electronic means. What are they?

______

3. When checking seat availability on airline carriers you must decide what class you need to book for your client based on what points

______

4. Why should you include both 24 hour and 12 hour clock times when detailing client itinerary?

______

Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

5. Why would it be necessary to confirm all booking arrangements in writing?

______

6. What is the command to input into the CRS to produce and email an itinerary directly to the passengers email address?

______

7. Why are travel agents reluctant to accept personal cheques as a method of payment?

______

Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

Summary

Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

 Creating itinerary  Confirm booking with client  Payment methods: . Cash . EFTPOS . Cheque . Credit Card.

Construct and cost itinerary for domestic air travel

Process documentation for domestic air travel

Element 4: Process documentation for domestic air travel

4.1 Prepare required travel documentation to support approved client booking

Introduction

Prior to issuing the air documentation, an audit of the client detail in relation to the passenger’s full name and title must be undertaken.

Verify ticketing details

Remember that the name on the air ticket must match exactly the name on the form of photo identification or passport to be used. It is important to check titles and any ages of infants or children. Commonly, the following errors may be detected:  The family name is incorrectly spelt e.g. Barry and Barrie  The first name is a nick name and not a registered name  The title does not match the passport e.g. Mr and Dr  The ages are incorrect e.g. booked as infant and age is a child  The name is a married name however the passport or photo ID is in the person’s maiden name. In addition to the passenger name detail, the following should also be verified and/or collected if not on file:  Home address and email address for delivery of air documentation  Telephone contact numbers e.g. home, business, mobile and if possible, contact numbers at destination/s Before issuing air tickets it is important to review the itinerary to ensure that it makes sense.

Verify itinerary

Check the following:  Date of departure – are the day, month and year correct?  Check the time of departure – should it be 0600 and not 1800?  Date and sector continuity – are there any gaps? Can they be explained?  Connecting times – is there sufficient connecting time between flights?

Process documentation for domestic air travel

 Airports – has the flight been booked to/from the correct airport? e.g. Clark International or Ninoy Aquino International, Manila Philippines?  Taxes – have they all been included. Where the booking has been made using a GDS, the system will generally highlight, at the time of booking, any date and segment continuity issues and things such as insufficient connecting time. However assuming that there are none of these issues, or the system has been overridden at time of booking, the GDS will allow you to end the booking. It is your responsibility to check that the dates, times, board and off points are correct and in line with the passenger requirements. Where the booking has been made online, via an airline website or via an airline travel agents website (e.g. Zuji, Webjet etc.), you will be issuing the ticket at the time of booking and will therefore not have a second opportunity to get it right. All the checks therefore must be done at the time of the booking and prior to purchasing and paying for the ticket. In particular, make sure that the conditions of the airfare in relation to amendments and/or cancellations are understood by the client before you go ahead and issue the air ticket. Consider providing the detail of the conditions of the fare to the client in writing e.g. via an email. Many discounted airfares are non-refundable and cannot have changes made, within various time frames, depending on the fare rules.

Penalty fees

The penalties for amendment and/or cancellation will vary and you should check the fare rule or fare sheet to ensure that both you and the passenger are aware of the penalties arising from any of the following changes:  Changes before departure and before ticketing  Changes before departure and after ticketing  Changes after departure  Cancellation before departure and after ticketing  Cancellation after departure  Re-issue and/or revalidation fees. It is general office routine to carefully check the conditions of an airfare before making a booking and/or providing a price to the passenger. Consistent exposure to the various fares and their associated conditions will, in time, result in familiarity with the basic conditions governing a fare. There is often however an interval between providing the quote and/or making the booking and when the air ticket is issued. It is during this interval that things may change e.g. a fare is withdrawn or has expired. The flight itinerary must therefore be checked prior to proceeding to issue the air ticket to ensure that the fare remains valid and that the flights, class etc. comply with the fare conditions.

Process documentation for domestic air travel

Prepare documents for delivery

There are a variety of documents that will require delivery to the passenger. These may include letters of confirmation, tickets, invoices, itinerary and vouchers. Some passengers will ask that their documents be sent by post or courier, others will prefer to receive them electronically, others will like to collect in person.

Letters of confirmation Confirmation of a passenger booking should be forwarded as soon as possible after the booking has been made. Although the details of the booking will be discussed in detail at the time of reservation it is important that a passenger receives written confirmation of all the details of their booking. This provides a safety check that all details are as anticipated. It also provides an opportunity for the travel consultant to give out information regarding the rules and conditions of the booking and any visa requirements and offer the passengers travel insurance. Often during the interview and booking process the passengers are all too busy being excited about their holiday so they do not always listen to the finer points of the booking requirements. A confirmation letter will provide this.

Invoices Often an invoice detailing the total charges of the passengers booking will accompany the letter of confirmation. Again these details would have been discussed during the interview and booking process however a printed invoice provides a permanent record of the details of the costs involved in the reservation.

Tickets, vouchers and final itinerary As a guide, industry standard is no later than 2 weeks prior to passenger departure date. That said, it is worth considering dispatching e-ticket documents as they are issued and/or received. Provided that you are not waiting for other documentation e.g. cruise or tour vouchers, there is no reason to hold the e-tickets in your office and not send them to the passenger. As a general rule, passenger documents, if retained in the office, are stored in a secure place, usually in a safe. The advent of the requirement to show photo-ID when checking in for domestic travel, now, to some extent, precludes the fraudulent use of a ticket. Many passengers, particularly leisure passengers, will come into the office to collect their e- tickets and any other documentation such as vouchers etc. If you decide to mail the documents then please allow sufficient time for delivery and ensure they are sent using a service where the documents can be tracked, such a registered mail. Some e-tickets such as those issued via an Agents Website or an Airline Website can be emailed to the passenger if they elect this option. Where however you have issued an e-ticket in your office using a CRS/GDS, except in circumstances where you have internal technology which facilitates the emailing of the e- ticket to the passenger, the e-ticket will be printed and should then be mailed.

Process documentation for domestic air travel

Delivery options

 E-mail  Post express mail  Registered mail  Delivery via a courier service. Regular postal service is not generally used, as there is no way to track documents if they fail to arrive. As discussed the documentation provided to the passenger is, often, simply pieces of paper. They are usually the only tangible items received which represent the exchange of monies paid for product and service. Presentation of the documentation is important and should look professional. Where possible, in packaging and presenting the documentation use:  Agency branded voucher covers  Agency branded itinerary covers  Stationery with agency logo  Wallets if available  Baggage labels  Extra information  Business card  Insurance policy (if purchased) together with applicable emergency contact information. Provide the final documentation to the passenger through one of the following methods:  Face to face  Email – PDF or similar files  Registered mail  Post express  Courier or personal delivery. Where possible, in particular with leisure travel, it is advisable to meet face to face with the passengers when providing their final documentation to them. Where documentation is being produced on behalf of another consultant they will indicate how the documents will be delivered to the passenger When deciding how best to dispatch documentation, consider:  When the passengers are departing  Where they live  Public holidays  Contents  Service levels associated with the various delivery options. Documentation which includes documents which are accountable and can be utilized, without verification of passenger identification, passports or travellers cheques should always be sent via a traceable delivery service such as registered mail

Process documentation for domestic air travel

4.2 Process payment/s made by client

Introduction

Once all details have been finalised, bookings confirmed and itineraries printed, final payment can be processed. Enterprise procedures may vary from one establishment to another. Be sure you are familiar with them as incorrect procedures may result in a financial loss to the company. This performance criterion should be read in conjunction with 3.5 Obtain payment from client, as required.

Payment methods

Cash When accepting payment via cash remember to follow all organisational procedures which may include:  Add individual amounts either on the cash register or by other means  Inform the client of the total amount owing  Count out and state aloud the amount the passenger has provided you  Put the cash tended on top of the cash drawer  Calculate the change using the register or other means  Take the change from the cash drawer  Count the change back to the passenger  Place the money tended which is on top of the cash drawer into the drawer and close the till.

Cheque Some fare rules require that tickets be issued on the spot (instant issue fares) or within a few days of booking. In this instance payment by cheque would not be encouraged, as once a ticket is issued all cancellation penalties would apply. If for some reason the passengers cheque ‘bounced’ and was not cleared into your account you would effectively have a ticket that the passenger has not paid for and would be liable for all amendment fees associated with the cancellation of the ticket. Always check with your manager before accepting payment by personal cheque from a passenger. Bank cheques are considered to be the same as cash. You may accept a bank cheque in all the same circumstances you would accept cash.

Process documentation for domestic air travel

Credit card, Debit card and EFTPOS transactions There are a wide variety of credit cards acceptable through Amadeus including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Carte Blanche and Eurocard to mention only a few. When accepting a credit card on behalf of the airline for a ticket issued through a GDS it is vital to ensure that you obtain authorisation prior to ticket issue. An example of the entry for ticketing when payment is via credit card (in Amadeus)will include the form of payment in the following format: FPCCCA54998300000000015/0215/N1234/P1 This shows that the card for payment is a MasterCard, the number of the card, the expiry date of the card, the authorisation number provided by the airline (the merchant) and which passenger in the booking the card belongs to. Some travel agencies will elect to accept credit card payments from passengers with themselves as the merchant and accept the fees, then issue the tickets through the GDS as a cash payment. This most common method of payment today is using an EFTPOS machines for credit card, debit card and funds transfer transactions. You will need to swipe the guest’s card through the machine to enable the transaction. The receipt provided will go into the cash register as you would with cash and is balanced at the end of shift following organisational procedures. Provide a valid tax receipt to your passenger. This may be the one produced by the POS register, or computer system or you may have to handwrite one. If you are hand writing a receipt the key details to remember are:  The date of the purchase  The items sold  The GST amount is shown separately from the total (or as required by local law)  The total cost of the items  How the amount was paid (cash, cheque, credit and so on).

Process documentation for domestic air travel

4.3 Issue travel documents

Introduction

Preparation is the key to accuracy in documentation. Prior to commencing the production of documentation, the client file must be checked to ensure that the documents to be produced reflect the product and services that have been booked and that they are in fact confirmed. In most instances, documentation is not provided where the product or service is unconfirmed i.e. on request or unpaid.

Using a client file

Travel agents use a client file to record all information in relation to the client, the travel arrangements booked and all the associated financial transactions relating to that particular file. Each client file number is a unique reference number, the format of which is enterprise specific. A client file number is often only allocated (manually or electronically) once a booking has been made and a deposit received from the client. A similar system (unique reference number) is usually employed to record quotations. The protocols for a quotation reference number are again, enterprise specific. Generally these client files/quotation reference numbers are allocated electronically and are recorded using a back-office application. Some systems used by travel agents have the facility to provide an itinerary and/or quotation which includes the detail of all the products and services required and booked for the client. In addition, the system will record and allocate a client file or reference number and some systems offer the facility to convert a quotation into an actual booking. Most travel agents use one of the following methods to record the detail of the products and services booked, their status and other relevant client details. 1. A totally manual system 2. A totally electronic system 3. A combination of both – most common

Process documentation for domestic air travel

Client details Regardless of the system used, for bookings, the following client details must be recorded by the travel agent:  Name of the person making the booking or requesting  Their contact details i.e. telephone number, mobile, email address etc.  The name and address of their company, if applicable  The full street address of the passengers  The full names of the passenger/s (first name, family name and title)  The passenger contact details, telephone, mobile, email and so on  Date of birth for any children or infants travelling  Source (corporate, past passenger, referral and so on)  Detail of all products and services booked.

Products and services The following detail for products and services booked must include:  What products and services have been booked – flight, hotel, car and so on  Where has it been booked for – airport, city and so on  When has it been booked for – start and end dates  Who has it been booked for – names of passengers  How was it booked – via an operator, wholesaler, direct, internet and so on  Relevant booking/quote reference numbers. It is also very important to record the status of the product or service i.e. confirmed, on request, waitlisted and so on. In many instances the detail reflected on the documentation will be directly and automatically derived from the electronic client file. In other cases the detail must be manually extracted from the client file and then recorded on the documentation. The specific process is office or enterprise specific.

Vouchers To ensure accuracy when preparing to issue documentation the following should be checked prior to commencing voucher production:  All passenger names match their photo ID/passport  All passenger names are correct across all items, products or services  All items, products or services have a confirmed status  There is date/city continuity for all items, product or services booked  There are no unexplained gaps in the itinerary  The booking is fully paid.

Process documentation for domestic air travel

The information reflected on vouchers and other documentation provided should not include the use of standard travel industry abbreviations, jargon or codes. Everything should be clearly written so that nothing is left open to interpretation. Ensure when checking documentation that you take particular notice of the names. Typically names and titles are the subject of errors and often they are not immediately apparent. Here are some examples of common errors: Mr Cameron Ryan Mr Ryan Cameron Mrs Chen Ming Wong Mr Chen Meng Wong Master Robert Barri Master Robert Barry Miss Charlie Khartri Mr Charlie Khartri

Once documentation has been issued, changes requiring a reissue by the airline will incur a fee. If the documentation is being produced ‘in-house’ using the travel agent’s internal automated system, any errors detected on documentation will go back to the source of the information which is usually the client file. Manually produced documents are also subject to errors and therefore once produced, they should be checked very carefully for accuracy.

Issuing airline tickets

To issue airline tickets, an agency must be accredited by the airline and IATA (International Air Transportation Association). This accreditation then permits the agency to hold ticket stock and issue tickets. Accredited agencies may earn commission on the reservations made and ticketed. E-ticket stock is provided to accredited travel agents by BSP (Billing and Settlement Plan). There are a number of ways to issue e-tickets:  Issue at time of booking using an online airline travel agents website  Issue via a CRS/GDS using the ticketing facility  Issue via the airline e.g. a group. Remember when using an online airline travel agent website, in order to secure the seat for your passenger, the booking must be paid for in full at the time of reservation. Once the payment has been processed (almost instantly) the airline will auto generate the e-ticket and associated conditions of carriage etc. to the email address entered at the time that the booking is made. Generally this will be the travel agents email address. When a booking is ticketed via an airline travel agent website, no actual ticket is issued. The passengers will instead receive an itinerary which details the flight details, the fare and taxes, the fare conditions and personal details. In the example that follows, the e-tickets have been generated via an online Agents website and reflect the following:  Full names of all the passengers  Their airline loyalty member numbers  The itinerary and flight details

Process documentation for domestic air travel

 The airfare and the taxes  The payment method.

Issuing an e-ticket using a CRS/GDS

Amadeus, Galileo and Sabre all offer an e-ticketing facility. In order to use this functionality you need to ensure that the following requirements are met:  Agency activated for e-ticketing  Airline/s approval for e-ticketing  BSP advised of Airline approval for e- ticketing  Electronic tickets assigned  Terminal linked to a printer (not a ticket printer)  Appropriate carrier and/or GDS e-ticket training provided  Your booking has been created in the applicable GDS. The applicable ticket number/s are generated and recorded in the booking, by passenger. The associated paper work that is generated by this process is minimal and is only for audit purposes i.e. BSP remittance and agent records. The passenger is provided with an itinerary and e-ticket receipt which reflects their booking reference number, name, flight details, fare and taxes paid. They may or may not be required to produce this when they check-in. What is critical is that the photo ID produced at check-in, matches exactly the name in the booking and therefore the ticket. In the example below, the e-tickets have been issued using a CRS and the itinerary reflects all the flight and passenger data together with the ticket numbers and payment information.

Process documentation for domestic air travel

Example of an e-ticket issued via a travel agent using a GDS – Abacus

Process documentation for domestic air travel

An example of an E-ticket for a reservation confirmed via an online travel agent – Zuji

Process documentation for domestic air travel

Following is an example of a flight confirmation issued when a booking is confirmed directly with an airline. In this instance the flight confirmation is sufficient evidence for check in at the airport. The confirmation is created upon full payment at the time of booking.

Process documentation for domestic air travel

General ticketing overview

 One ticket per passenger is required  One coupon per flight is required – a separate flight coupon is required for each change of carrier and for each portion of the journey where a change of flight or a stopover is involved  Where the itinerary consists of more than 4 flights, conjunction tickets must be issued and must be of the same form code and completed in numeric order  Flight coupons are issued in date and segment sequence  Tickets cannot be transferred from the named ticketed passenger to anyone else  Only IATA approved currency codes are to be used e.g. SGD, USD. You will come across various hard and soft copy formats for e- tickets depending on how they were issued and by whom. In terms of the client, they simply receive a hard copy (print out) or soft copy of the actual electronically issued air ticket. All the relevant details in relation to the air booking and the ticket issued are held in the passenger PNR and are sent electronically to the airline. The information can be displayed in the GDS if necessary. When the passenger checks in for their flight, the check-in person will access the airline system and retrieve all the passenger booking details including the e-ticket details. The passenger must of course be in possession of photo identification which matches the name in the booking, failing which they will be denied boarding.

Process documentation for domestic air travel

4.4 Update internal records

Introduction

You will likely be dealing with multiple clients with varying requirements so information on internal records must be updated as changes occur. There may also be a need for other agency staff to access the client file for various reasons and it would not do for them to have inaccurate or incomplete information to work from which ultimately reflects badly on the company.

Update and store records

Copies of all documentation, received and dispatched, should be retained in the office for reference. Regardless if they are soft or hard copy, where these are kept, will be office specific. You will usually receive or produce a combination of one or more of the following:  Electronic documents sent by supplier/operator  Hard copy documents sent by supplier/operator  ‘In-house’ produced, electronic documents  ‘In-house’ produced hard copy documents. Back-end office applications may automatically save any ‘in-house’ produced documentation against the passenger file number. A detailed itinerary which presents all the travel arrangements booked, whether pre-paid or not, should be provided, in date and product/service continuity, for the passenger/s. A file copy should be retained for the file. Any documentation created by within the agency should have version control to clearly identify the production date of the document. Although it is still common for travel agents to keep a lot of printed information as reference material, there are a number of reasons for trying to reduce paper files and printed material and to store and access information electronically. A key benefit with electronic storage is instantaneous record updating. Version control is automatic as information changes are reflected by date and time updates against the file. In order to reduce resource waste, all office resources must be used effectively so that costs can also be minimised. It is ideal that all organisations train their staff to use office resources appropriately depending on their job role within the organisation. If you have downloaded information or require information from a client file, you need to make the decision on whether or not the information or documentation is worth printing. When sourcing and providing information for clients or suppliers, remember that quality is more important than quantity. Keep in mind that paper files take up a lot of space and it can be a challenge to file appropriately. Printed information can also become out-dated quite quickly. It is much more logical to know how to access information from saved computer files, or ideally from reliable online sources, and to print as required. Each organisation will have their own policies and procedures in place to ensure that office resources are used effectively and electronic information is saved and stored appropriately.

Process documentation for domestic air travel

1. What ticketing amendments may attract penalties?

______

2. If you are hand writing a receipt what are the key details to remember?

______

3. What might organisational procedures include when accepting payment by cash?

______

4. Why do travel agents use a ‘client file’?

______

5. What are the methods you will usually receive or produce documents?

______

Process documentation for domestic air travel

Summary

Process documentation for domestic air travel

 Verify ticketing details  Verify itinerary  Penalty fees  Prepare documents for delivery  Payment methods: . Cash . Cheque . Credit card, Debit card and EFTPOS transactions  Using a client file: . Client details . Products and services . Vouchers  Issuing airline tickets  Issuing an e-ticket using a CRS/GDS  Update and store records.

Presentation of written work

1. Introduction

It is important for students to present carefully prepared written work. Written presentation in industry must be professional in appearance and accurate in content. If students develop good writing skills whilst studying, they are able to easily transfer those skills to the workplace. 2. Style

Students should write in a style that is simple and concise. Short sentences and paragraphs are easier to read and understand. It helps to write a plan and at least one draft of the written work so that the final product will be well organised. The points presented will then follow a logical sequence and be relevant. Students should frequently refer to the question asked, to keep ‘on track’. Teachers recognise and are critical of work that does not answer the question, or is ‘padded’ with irrelevant material. In summary, remember to:  Plan ahead  Be clear and concise  Answer the question  Proofread the final draft. 3. Presenting Written Work

Types of written work Students may be asked to write:  Short and long reports  Essays  Records of interviews  Questionnaires  Business letters  Resumes.

Format All written work should be presented on A4 paper, single-sided with a left-hand margin. If work is word-processed, one-and-a-half or double spacing should be used. Handwritten work must be legible and should also be well spaced to allow for ease of reading. New paragraphs should not be indented but should be separated by a space. Pages must be numbered. If headings are also to be numbered, students should use a logical and sequential system of numbering.

Presentation of written work

Cover Sheet All written work should be submitted with a cover sheet stapled to the front that contains:  The student’s name and student number  The name of the class/unit  The due date of the work  The title of the work  The teacher’s name  A signed declaration that the work does not involve plagiarism.

Keeping a Copy Students must keep a copy of the written work in case it is lost. This rarely happens but it can be disastrous if a copy has not been kept.

Inclusive language This means language that includes every section of the population. For instance, if a student were to write ‘A nurse is responsible for the patients in her care at all times’ it would be implying that all nurses are female and would be excluding male nurses. Examples of appropriate language are shown on the right:

Mankind Humankind

Barman/maid Bar attendant

Host/hostess Host

Waiter/waitress Waiter or waiting staff