Q & A

New Procedure SAS Origin & Destination

  1. If the customer wants a long stop in CPH and thereis no connection in Amadeus? Segments can be booked separately. In other cases they have to book from origin to destination.
  1. Isn't it easier to have "married segments" like LH and inform the agentsthat they are doing something wrong during the booking process, not issue ADM afterwards? Married segments is part of the solution, but right now, this is not an option due to technical limitations. Could be an option after Q2/2011. Until further, this is the only option we have in the ResAid environment.
  1. What if agents use FXB or booking engines? FXB (best buy functionality) will not cause an ADM.
  1. According to the information from CPHNK-Q/Sus, we will debit the full amount. We are worried about the amount of ADM. Will the agent get a fine or fixed amount in the ADM? The amount of the ADM will be the minimum of what we should have received to secure the calculated revenue. The amount will differ according to which segments are booked in the PNR, which classes were available at booking time and which routing is used to obtain seats. No extra fine or fixed amount will be debited.
  1. How will we debit the agent? We will debit automatically via an ADM and only the affected route (not roundtrip) will be debited. USA/Canada will be charged via normal invoice as ADM not possible in this area. Internal SAS offices will get a RTI (Revenue Transfer Invoice)
  1. How can you send an ADM, if the booking has been cancelled before the ticked has been Issues?The agent has violated the O & D system, and seats in closed booking classes have been obtained via violation. This issue has been cleared with our legal department.
  1. Some travel agents use Axess, Apollo, Infini in Japan. According to the agents, they cannot book 2 flights in one transaction via above GDS. They can check the seat availability though to the final destination but they cannot book them at one time but has to book segments separately. Will a booking reserved this way be considered as misuse? We fully understand the limitations of the availability displays in the different GDS. We have adjusted our manual check accordingly and will not send an ADM in those cases.
  1. Who has decided to change the procedure? We have worked with this project the past year and representatives from Revenue Managements from DK, NO, SE and Intercont, Sales and Revenue Information have attended. RMF (Revenue Management Forum) have approved the procedure as well as our Legal Department.
  1. Why do we want to implement this new procedure? Previously we rejected the booking via UC in the PNR when the agents violated the system. Our investigations show that many customers had not had their tickets reissued by travel agents before departure, and this caused check in problems and cost at the airport. This of course was of inconvenience to our mutual customers. Changing the procedure changes focus and makes this issue an internal affair between the travel agent and SAS. Now the customer will travel without any problems.
  1. Is the Agent Abuse check automatic or manual? It is a manual check in CPHNK-Q
  1. What if the booking is INVOL rerouted? INVOL will not create an ADM.
  1. Internet platforms often book segment by segment, will this create an ADM? We fully understand the limitations of the availability displays in the different internet platforms and booking engines. We have adjusted our manual check accordingly and will not send an ADM in those cases.
  1. Does the Agent Abuse check apply both domestic and international? The check is for all bookings where SAS is involved.
  1. Does Sales and Support have the possibility to change the amount of an ADM or cancel an ADM?No, changes of the amount or cancel of an ADM will only be accepted by Revenue Information if requested by CPHNK-Q.
  1. Is WF (Wideroe) and KF (Blue1) included in the check? Not yet, but they will be implemented very soon.
  1. Will this new policy apply to tickets issued after 20Oct08? The procedure will apply to reservations made after 20Oct08
  1. If an agent book MADCPHSTO with two AN entries one MADCPH and one CPHSTO and use both flights, will he receive an ADM? No, ADM will not be issued! When you explain this externally, you have to make sure, that the agent understands that they must book from origin to destination in the same availability request unless the desired routing is not shown in the availability request.
  1. If an agent book MADCPHSTO with one AN entry cancel CPHSTO and only uses MADCPH, will he receive an ADM? An ADM will be issued. This is the type of misuse we want to stop.
  1. If a customer wants to travel OSL-CPH-FRA and wants more time in CPH than is shown in "origin & destination" – shall we refuse the customer's wish? No, but our philosophy is that the agent shall request availability from origin to destination and the response usually contains many connections. The agent must look at all pages in the availability request to obtain valid availability status. If the wanted connection is not shown in availability display we will not forward an ADM.
  1. What if the customer books BGO-OSL and returns later wanting to add OSL-CPH. Do we have to cancel the first booking and book all over from origin to destination? What if BGO-OSL is fully booked? The routing has to be booked from origin to destination in order to get correct price and availability. BGO-OSL is not the same product as BGO-OSL-CPH and you have to book all over if the routing changes. If the flights are full in the requested classes, it is because we do not offer the product any more for the requested routing.
  1. If the agent wants to rebook a PNR from BGO-OSL-CPHto BGO-OSL-LON? See above. Availability has to be requested from BGO to LON.
  2. Will the procedure cause ADM for Business Class bookings? No, business class is a flexible product and thus excluded for the time being. Please observe that Economy Flex is not excluded.
  1. Is the procedure only for SAS or also for bookings including other airlines? The procedure is also valid for connections with other airlines. You always have to book from origin to destination.
  1. If the price of the PNR is not a through fare but separate fares, does the agent have to book in one availability request? If separate tickets are issued, separate availability requests can be used. If a through fare is used availability must be requested from origin to destination.
  1. Which type of evidence will we forward to the agent?We will send an attachment to the ADM which contains a copy of the PNR and the evidence from our system showing which flights have been used to obtain seats.
  1. Will the abuse only show in new PNRs? No, the violation can be done in a new PNR or it can be changes to an existing PNR.
  1. Will the upgrade to our O&D check system change the current parameters of misusere booking USor transborder connections to SK gateways separately?Need more clarification on what "including connecting flights" means in text below. "Including connecting flights" means that you have to book from origin to destination. The agents are not allowed to use citypair in the availability which is different from the routing in the PNR.
  1. Will this check always be turned on, or only on full/expected full flights? My understanding is that now/previously the check has only been made on full flights. Is this true? The check is and has been switched on permanently. We will find every case where agents have used other citypair than shown in reservation to obtain seats on closed classes. Normally the agentsviolate flights that are fully booked in the wanted class otherwise there is no need to misuse the system.
  1. When will the information "Agent Abuse. ADM will be forwarded" be inserted in the booking? The O&D system will send a message on queue within 24 hours and we will manually insert the message afterwards.
  1. When will the ADM be issued? The ADM will be issued shortly after the violation. (For internal use only: We will discover the violation in about 4 days and ADM is sent in about 4 days. The ADM will be issued in approx. 10 days.)
  1. Do you have a copy of IATA resolution 824? The IATA resolution will be send as an attached document.