Introduction to travel concepts and terminology



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Module Summary


In this module, we have covered the following:


  • History of time zones

  • Twenty-Four Clock


Codes: City, Airport, Airline, Car, and Hotel Codes

In aviation’s early days, airlines simply used the local weather station’s two letter code combinations. In the 1930s, the rapid boom of the aviation industry taxed the two letter code designators prompting existing airports to add a third letter (most commonly the letter X) to expand the pool of airport designators.


At present, a lot of two and three letter codes are used in the travel industry. Airports, cities, airlines, car companies, and hotels are identified by a two or three letter code. In this section, we would familiarize with city and airport codes.
A volume of traffic and flights are monitored by Traffic Controllers everyday. Tons of cargo and baggage are tagged and carried by baggage handlers day in and day out. In addition to maintaining this data, there are millions of flight data processed by pilots, travel and airline agents daily. It therefore makes the use of codes convenient and efficient. For example, truncating Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport or Detroit to DTW.

Objectives
After completing this module, you will be able to:


  • List city codes.

  • List airport codes.

  • List airline codes.

  • List car codes.

  • List hotel codes.

  • Identify hubs and spokes.

Airline,_Car,_and_Hotel_Codes'>City, Airport, Airline, Car, and Hotel Codes


There are three different ways that city / airport codes can be derived:


  • The first 3 letters of the city

  • 3 letters taken from the city and/or state

  • 3 letters partially derived from the city name or the airport name.


Refer to the comprehensive code reference list [Jobaid_Code_Reference_List_012907.doc] handed to you.

Hub and Spoke


A Hub is an airport at a geographical center of an airline’s route and generally includes administrative offices and maintenance facilities. Hubs are airports used as bases through which the airline routes most of its traffic. Flights from other cities (these are the spokes) are routed to the hub. Passengers from the spoke flights are combined with passengers from the hub and other spoke flights, and transported to a common destination. These shorter flights are more economical for the airlines to operate, and afford the airline a more comprehensive route structure. The following table presents the major hubs in North America:


Airline


Airline Code


Hub Code


Hub


AirTran Airlines

FL

ATL

Atlanta

Alaska Airlines

AS

SEA

ANC


LAX

Seattle

Anchorage

Los Angeles


America West

HP

PHX

LAS


Phoenix

Las Vegas



American Airlines

AA

DFW

MIA


ORD

JFK / LGA

BOS


Dallas / Fort Worth

Miami


Chicago / O’Hare

NYC


Boston

American Trans Air

TZ

MDW

Chicago/Midway

Continental Airlines

CO

IAH

CLE


EWR

Houston/Intercontinental

Cleveland

Newark


Delta Airlines

DL

ATL

DFW


Atlanta

Dallas / Fort Worth



Northwest Airlines

NW

MSP

DTW


MEM

Minneapolis

Detroit


Memphis

Southwest Airlines

WN

DAL

PHX


OAK

Dallas / Love Field

Phoenix


Oakland

United Airlines

UA

ORD

SFO


LAX

IAD/DCA


Chicago / O’Hare

San Francisco

Los Angeles

Washington DC



US Airways

US

PHL

CLT


PIT

Philadelphia

Charlotte

Pittsburgh


Internet Reference Site


To know more about codes discussed in the sections above, please visit http://www.world-airport-codes.com/.

Module Summary
In this module, we have covered the following:


  • City codes

  • Airport codes

  • Airline codes

  • Car codes

  • Hotel codes

  • Hubs and spokes

Computer Reservation System (CRS)



What is a reservation?
In airline terminology, a reservation is a journey where seats have been blocked, but the purchase is not complete. It is the process of blocking space in a particular airline for a passenger. In the process, the passenger’s name, destination, date of travel, and other crucial information is taken into consideration.
A sample PNR as seen on the CRS:

A Computer Reservation System (CRS) is the primary reference of the travel professional. A CRS is a storehouse of information on fares, flight schedules, railroads, cruises, world weather, international documentation, and travel advisories. A CRS is also known as a Global Distribution System (GDS).

Objectives
After completing this module, you will be able to:


  • Define a Computer Reservation System (CRS).

  • Identify the different types of Computer Reservation Systems (CRSs).

  • Define SELEX Exception Automation.

Computer Reservation System (CRS)
Computer Reservation Systems (CRSs) also called Global Distribution System (GDS) provide complete, current information on airlines, car rental companies, and hotel properties. These computer programs allow travel professional to access availability and make bookings for their clients. Using a CRS, one can process airline reservations and issue airline tickets.

Different Types of Computer Reservation Systems (CRSs)
The four major CRSs in North America are:





Apollo / Galileo® – Apollo Travel Service, a division of Galileo International, controls the Apollo computer reservation system and is associated with United Airlines.






SABRE – Semi- Automated- Business- Research- Environment is associated with American Airlines. This CRS has a number of excellent programs to offer.





Amadeus – Provides a comprehensive and forward-looking range of services to its subscribers. The Amadeus System is an essential sales tool for travel professionals round the world. Some 182,000 travel agency terminals connect to Amadeus.



  • Founded in 1987; fully operational since 1992

  • Publicly listed company since 1999

  • Three founder airline shareholders currently hold 59.92% of the company: Air France (23.36%), Iberia (18.28%) and Lufthansa (18.28%)

  • Remaining shares held publicly







Worldspan – Owned by Affiliates of Delta Air Lines, Inc. 40%, Northwest Airlines 34%, and American Airlines, Inc. 26%. Worldspan is the world’s leading processor of Internet travel agency bookings, managing more than 50 percent of all online bookings worldwide.



Apollo


United Airlines designed Apollo in 1976. In 1997, Galileo International Inc bought the Apollo Reservation System. Galileo is also known as the Apollo system in North America and Japan.


Apollo is a total access system, which enables users to offer instant confirmations for airlines worldwide. Apollo’s advanced technology puts all the necessary information at ones fingertips.







Abacus was founded in 1989. The Abacus core GDS functions provide complete travel-related information about schedules, availability, fares and related services, which can be quickly retrieved through a series of keystrokes. Seat reservations are made, airline tickets are issued and an entire spectrum of passenger information is recorded in just a few minutes. Beyond this, services from many different types of travel suppliers such as hotels, car-rentals, railways, can also be provided and booked.


Abacus has now merged with Sabre to increase its scope of operations.





Apply Your Knowledge




Starke Jernigan, Ryan McCoy and Shawn Dooley work in the TRX GDS department in Atlanta and take care of all GDS-related queries like obtaining certificates, logins and other related matters.





Queues
Queues can be termed as electronic filing systems. Queues are computer files in which PNRs or messages that require to be processed are stored. On each queue, each file is classified based on certain functionality and is further categorized into categories and date ranges.

SELEX Exception Automation


SELEX Exception Automation is a standalone front office GUI application built for Expedia. It can interact with two Global Distribution Systems, Sabre and Worldspan. It enables the front-office executive to make changes to reservations created on Expedia's Website. It assists in processing exchanges, cancellations, or refunds that the front office team receives over phone calls. It enables focus on customer service, as knowledge of cryptic GDS commands is not necessary. The GUI of SELEX EA reduces training time by remarkable measure.
SELEX Exception Automation can also work in conjunction with SELEX Agent Desktop. SELEX Agent Desktop focuses on initial bookings and reservations, SELEX Exception Automation focuses on modifications to existing bookings, such as exchanges, refunds, voids, schedule changes, and lost ticket applications.


Apply Your Knowledge




Sarah Hartman is the Solution Manager for SELEX Exception Automation.


Phil Manzi, Manager TPS

Internet Reference Site


To know more about CRSs discussed in the sections above, please visit:
www.galileo.com

www.sabre-holdings.com

www.amadeus.com

www.worldspan.com



Module Summary
In this module, we have covered the following:


  • Computer Reservation Systems (CRS)

  • Different types of Computer Reservation Systems (CRSs)

  • SELEX Exception Automation

Traveling By Air

Objectives
After completing this module, you will be able to:


  • Identify types of passenger aircraft.

  • Identify booking classes / classes of service.

  • Identify booking codes.

  • List airline codes.

  • Define types of agreements between airlines.

  • Define the different types of trips.

  • Define the different types of flights and breaks.

Air Travel: An Overview

Types of Aircraft
There are mainly two types of passenger aircraft:


  • Jet aircraft: Jet aircraft are powered by jet engines or jet propulsion. Jet aircraft are used for long-distance travel.

  • Turbo Propeller aircraft: Turbo propeller aircraft are powered by turbojet engines or fuel-efficient turbofans. These aircraft are used for covering shorter distances between cities and also in cities where the topography, etc. limit the length of the runway.

  • Commuter aircraft: Commuter aircraft are used for 19 or fewer passengers and operate over short distances as regulated by national and international permissions.

Booking Class / Classes of Service


There are only three sections (and sometimes only two) of a plane: First, Business, and Coach / Economy. These are referred to as First class, Business class, and Coach class. When flights are booked in a reservation system, they are booked in a specific class of service for the section of the plane that was requested. The passenger always has a choice of what section of the plane to sit in, but what section they choose will have an effect on the price (fare) of their ticket. Now, since there are only three sections of a plane, you would think that there are only three fares that the customer can be charged. There are many different fares for every flight. The fare depends on many factors, one of which is the class of service.

First Class
First class seating is generally located right behind the cockpit of the aircraft. The seats in First Class are wider than coach class. They also have wider armrests between the seats so that people are not sitting so close to each other. Complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and meals are served to First Class passengers. The meals are usually a little more substantial than the meals served in coach class. First class passengers also receive complimentary headsets if a movie is shown on the flight. On long (usually overseas) flights, some airlines offer fully reclining seats that allow passengers to rest more comfortably.

Classes of Service


P

First class Premium

F

First class Jet

A

First class Discounted



Business / Executive Class
Business class is normally located directly behind the First class section of the plane. It is designed for the business traveler. The seats are bigger than those in coach class are and there is plenty of room to do paperwork or work on the computer. Complimentary drinks and meals are served in this section. Not every plane has a Business class section. Usually, overseas and transcontinental flights will have a Business class section.
Classes of Service


J

Business class Premium

C

Business class

D

Business class Discounted



Coach / Economy Class
This is the largest section of the aircraft. The seats in this section are narrower than those in First or Business class. Complimentary non-alcoholic beverages and (sometimes) light meals are served. Alcoholic beverages are sold and headsets can be rented for a fee.
Classes of Service


Y

Full coach – not restricted

B

Coach class – (usually) not restricted

M

Restricted Coach class

H

Q

K

L

Airlines differ in the use of booking codes to define their fare structure. The booking class indicates whether the fare is discounted or not.


Booking Codes


While there are only three sections of the aircraft, there are many booking codes in which a traveler can be reserved. There are several booking codes for the coach section of the aircraft. Each booking code corresponds to a different fare. Therefore, passengers may pay different fares for their ticket even though they are sitting right next to each other. The first step in understanding the different fares is to know about the booking code hierarchy. Generally, the codes listed first (reading from left to right) are the most expensive. As you move to the right, the fares get less expensive.
Example:


1 DL 1202 F3 C0 Y9 B9 H9 Q7 K4 L0

DL1202 offers booking codes F, C, Y, B, H, Q, K and L. The numbers following each booking code indicate the number of seats available to sell for that particular code. A9 indicates nine or more seats are available to sell at that code. Any number less than 9 indicates only those many seats are available to sell at that code.


The screenshots below show all the different classes of service that a customer can book in the coach section of an airline. It should be noted that two passengers may pay different fares for their respective tickets even though they may be sitting next to each other.





Airline Codes


Airline


Airline Code


AirTran Airlines

FL

Alaska Airlines

AS

America West

HP

American Airlines

AA

American Trans Air

TZ

Continental Airlines

CO

Delta Airlines

DL

Northwest Airlines

NW

Southwest Airlines

WN

United Airlines

UA

US Airways

US

Types of Agreements
Alliance Partner Groups
Alliance partners are carriers that participate with a primary airline or alliance in a publicly recognized commercial relationship while being marketed under a single brand or name. By participating in this kind of partnership, airlines expand their flight offerings to cities they do not fly to themselves. Usually the parent airline handles booking and baggage at all points in an itinerary to benefit the passenger. Alliance partner services can include, but are not limited to:


  • Frequent traveler mileage accrual

  • Reciprocal access to alliance partner airport facilities and other amenities

  • Code Share flights

  • Redemption

The popular Alliances existent today are as follows:




  • Star Alliance

  • Skyteam

  • Oneworld



Codeshare


An agreement between two airlines in which one airline owns the flight number and markets the flight, and the other airline operates the plane. The first airline is known as the "marketing carrier" and the second airline is known as the operating carrier. These airlines validate tickets on each other’s planes without any restrictions. Code sharing allows the carriers to expand their scope of service and fly to many more destinations without having to increase the size of their fleet. It is a win-win situation for all parties involved.





Interline Practices
This is an agreement between two or more airlines to facilitate the carriage of passengers and cargo, transfer of baggage, and ticketing. For example, a customer could begin a trip with TWA and then connect to a Northwest flight. These interline agreements allow baggage to be automatically transferred from one airline to another. These agreements also allow one ticket to be issued for flights on different airlines. However, not all airlines participate in these agreements so this has to be checked before a ticket is issued for flights on more than one airline.


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