Functional Differences AAA (triple A) between Sabre and Abacus April 2010
Overview This document provides a high level overview of the functionality and format differences between Sabre and Abacus. This document is targeted for agencies that have a business need to have Global Branch Access with AAA (triple A) option between Sabre and Abacus in order to globally service their customer s travel needs. An agent s AAA is the pseudo city code (PCC) in which the agent is currently working, also referred to as the Home PCC. Changing the AAA enables the agent to work in an authorized branch pseudo city code of another GDS as if they were actually on site at that location, also referred to as the Host PCC. For additional information refer to the Quick Formats Guide located on Agency e-services Functional Differences There are functional differences between Sabre and Abacus and these are identified in this guide. PNR Changing Segment Status Codes SSRs Sabre Functionality Allowed to change segment status to XK on non-aa flights SSRs for AA are entered via 4entry and are stored in the AA facts field of a PNR. Abacus Functionality Allowed to change segment status to XK on AA segments but restricted on Abacus Partner Airlines (i.e. SQ) SSRs for AA are entered via 3 entries and are stored in the general facts field of a PNR. SSRs Cancel Entry 31 Generates a Cancel message. 31 Does Not Generate a Cancel message. Must enter 31.XX to generate cancel message. SSR status code change Not Supported Can change KK SSR status code to HK via 31.HK entry. Author: Sabre / Abacus April 2010 Page 2
Infant Child OSI Messaging Placed in AA FACTS and GENERAL FACTS Fields Automatically. Does not include Infant/Child age. OSI INF CHD has been discontinued and replaced with SSR INFT DOB and SSR CHLD DOB Infant and Child types Not Supported 34 New Passenger types to identify infants and children.( example I01-I12 for infant 1 or 12 months, and children C01 or C012 for years) Passenger Types Optional, stored in PDT field. Required, stored in PDT field on all Abacus PNRs but has been automated no manual entries required. PNR Retrieval with AA segments Sabre Connected agents and AA share the same reservation/record locator Abacus has a separate reservation that creates a teletype booking in the AA reservation system. The reservation is not shared. Groups Sabre Functionality Abacus Functionality Block Space Group product (BSG) Offered to all Sabre locations. Not offered, supported or marketed. Corporate and Group Bookings (-C/) Supports regular PNR functions with the exception of not requiring all passenger names. Used as primary group tool. The features and functions are the same as Sabre except for the following: Limited to participating airlines Air segments can only be requested using NN, IN, BK, BL, GK, GL status codes Author: Sabre / Abacus April 2010 Page 3
Group Management Tool (GMT) Pre-Reserved Seats Associate Participation Levels Supported based on commercial agreement with airlines. Sabre participating carriers may be different from Abacus participating carriers Participation level varies between Sabre and Abacus. Not supported Abacus participating carriers may be different from Sabre participating carriers Participation level varies between Abacus and Sabre. Payment Sabre Functionality Abacus Functionality Credit Cards Cannot use local Korea credit cards. Can use local Korea credit cards in Korea. Author: Sabre / Abacus April 2010 Page 4
Ticket Issuance Phase IV/Rate-Desk priced & Ticket Fare Record (TFR) Sabre Functionality Support Phase IV, whereby ticketing data is manually input by users. Itinerary can be priced and automatically stored in a Phase IV using the WD entry. Phase IV is always considered as manually priced. Do not support Automated Ticket Fare Record (TFR). Abacus Functionality Support Rate Desk pricing (known as Phase IV to Sabre users), whereby ticketing data is manual input by users using the <W#C> entry. Support Automated Ticket Fare Record (TFR). It is created when accepting a fare returned from Abacus SmartPrice (similar to Sabre ATSE) or Abacus FareX (unique to Abacus Net Fare system) pricing response. An Abacus TFR can be flagged as: Manual Priced specific fare conditions are not met Auto-priced all fare rules are accepted and validated Rate-desk priced all fare information is manually updated in the ticket fare record. All FareX NET TFR are tagged as Manual Unable to ticket from Phase IV / TFR previously stored by PNR owner. Author: Sabre / Abacus April 2010 Page 5
Phase IV/Rate-Desk pricing will follow the rules of the PNR owner prime host. For example, the PNR is created by Sabre and service by Abacus, the rules of Sabre s Phase IV will apply. The same goes for the display of Ticket list, i.e. **W. However, the above rules do not apply to some functions such as WTFR, baggage and NVB/NVA year indicators. WTFR Not supported in AAA environment. Current GBA rule. Baggage For Phase IV/TFR ticketing, it will follow the rules of the PNR owner. For Direct ticketing, it will follow the rules of the ticketing GDS. NVB/NVA year indicator Not supported in Phase IV/Rate Desk pricing. Current GBA rule. However, it is supported in Abacus s environment via Direct ticketing. Maximum 7 shells allowed. Deleted shells remain on the list flagged with -D and cannot be reused. Maximum 7 shells allowed. Deleted shells are removed and the slot can be reused. Phase IV & Rate Desk pricing gets updated with tour code and commission if these are input in the ticketing entry. Validating carrier code cannot be input in Phase IV. Phase IV can be recreated after itinerary change. The Validating Carrier is stored in the TFR, which is the one applied by pricing and returned in the pricing response. The validating Carrier may also be manually updated in TFR Automated TFRs can be refreshed after itinerary change or certain passenger type code changes. Author: Sabre / Abacus April 2010 Page 6
Pricing the PNR does not automatically delete a Phase IV. Tickets can be issued immediately after itinerary changes or Passenger Type Code changes, except for Phase IV. If a Phase IV is present, an itinerary change causes the Phase IV to be flagged with itinerary change and the Phase IV must be recreated before a ticket can be issued from it. Phase IV shell history Phase IV mask allowed Re-pricing of PNR that has been updated/modified will be tagged as AWAITING REPRICE in the TFR status. NET TFR will not be auto deleted. Agents still have to manually delete it. Itinerary changes and Passenger Type Code changes cause the PNR to be flagged as Awaiting Reprice. Tickets cannot be issued until the TFRs are refreshed or repriced. No TFR history Inhibited from using Phase IV mask. Abacus uses TFR (Rate-desk Priced W C) and linear entries (Linear Entry Qualifier W I). WTFR WTFR is not supported even if is serviced in Abacus environment. Therefore, must create Phase IV or Rate desk pricing. NIL Baggage The Phase IV shows NIL and NIL prints on the ticket. This applies to all PTC. TFR shows NO even though you inputs NIL in the manual TFR. This applies to all PTC. Author: Sabre / Abacus April 2010 Page 7
PC Baggage Must include the number of pieces when inputting into the Phase IV baggage allowance based on pieces. Sabre supports up to 99P. Phase IV shows number followed by P. Example: 02P PC baggage is supported to represent 02P. Otherwise, you may input the exact number of baggage. Abacus supports up to 99P. NVB/NVA year indicator Phase IV and Rate-Desk pricing Not supported in AAA environment. Direct Ticketing Supported in Abacus environment but not Sabre. Validating carrier check Auto validation indicator BSP agency must input a validating carrier in the ticketing entry. For ARC and BSP Canada agency, if no validating carrier is input, the system defaults to a validating carrier. Ticketing is not allowed even if Auto validation is off in the TJR. For Rate Desk /TFR ticketing, validating carrier not required in ticketing entry if present in the TFR. Can override the TFR validating carrier in the ticketing entry using W#I. For direct ticketing, validating carrier must be input in the ticketing entry. For BSP can designate OPTAT stock and ticket when Auto Val is OFF in TJR. *s*p«py08.f1e2*aap.a..pnr PRESENT AUTO VAL OFF W*IN«OK-0008 Author: Sabre / Abacus April 2010 Page 8
2 Forms of Payment Can input tax amounts associated with a form of payment. Up to 2 taxes can be specified in the 2FOP format and will be paid with the second FOP. The remaining taxes will be paid with the first FOP. If no tax amount is specified, all taxes are assumed to be paid with the first form of payment. 2 FOP is not allowed for ARC or BSP Canada agencies. Tax Association indicator in validating carrier table is not viewable by Sabre BSP or ARC subscriber. Sabre personnel (FSG, HDQ) can see the indicator. Tax amounts cannot be input in the 2FOP entry. A validating carrier table indicator determines how taxes are associated when both cash and credit forms of payment are used. Tax Association indicator in validating carrier table is viewable by Abacus subscriber. Net Remit Net remit is not allowed with 2 forms of payment. Net remit is not allowed for ARC or BSP Canada agencies. Sabre edits to ensure that France requires a net amount and V* code. Net remit is allowed with 2 forms of payment Abacus edits to ensure that Thailand and Korea require a net remit code when a net amount is input. 8 Digit Credit Card Approval Code Not supported Korea can input a code which prints in the validation area of the ticket. For 8 digit credit card approval code, entry still valid. It is printed on the applicable plain paper ET docs. Author: Sabre / Abacus April 2010 Page 9
Ticket Exchange / Reissuance Exchanges - Linear Commands Sabre Functionality In Sabre BSP environment, linear Exchange is not supported if add collect taxes are more than 3 in the W# entry (without Phase IV). Error returned: INVALID TAX AMOUNT-0152 In Sabre BSP environment, linear exchange is not supported if add collect taxes are more than 2 in the W#T entry (i.e. with Phase IV). Error returned: ADD COLLECT TAX INVALID- 0011 In ARC environment linear exchange is not supported if add collect taxes are more than 2 in the W# or W#T entry. Error returned: INVALID TAX AMOUNT-0152 For BSP agencies using a Phase IV for the exchange entry, Sabre requires input of original base fare and paid/unpaid taxes in Phase IV. ARC agencies are not allowed to input paid/unpaid taxes in Phase IV. Error returned: Y*E ENTRY NOT ALLOWED-0080 Abacus Functionality Support up to 99 taxes for original issue and Even exchange, 198 taxes for add collect. QREX Plus is currently not available to Abacus. Abacus requires input of original base fare and paid/unpaid taxes. Author: Sabre / Abacus April 2010 Page 10
Audit Trail Reporting Audit Trail Sabre Functionality Commission amount is calculated and shown on the audit trail. The ticket total, including tax, is shown on the audit trail. The total sales are separated between Cash and Credit amounts. Abacus Functionality Korea shows only a commission percent. Other countries show a commission amount. Note: Abacus Audit Trail Net amount is calculated and it may not be the same as the remittance amount printed on Agent coupon The ticket total is not shown. Instead, the remittance amount is calculated and shown. Note for Korea it is the Ticket Total that is shown. Korea, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Customized and Generic TAT show the total sales separated between Cash and Credit. Author: Sabre / Abacus April 2010 Page 11
Pricing Fares Display Response Format Integrated Pricing Passenger Type Codes Match and No Match pricing response Sabre Functionality Template selection is made via the agency s Travel Journal Record (TJR). Default fare display templates are established at the agency level, rather than the individual agent level. Template selection is restricted to users that possess duty code *9* and the EPR keywords *SUBMGR* and *CREATE*. If no default fare display template is selected, the system defaults to Single-Carrier template 1 and Multi-Carrier template 1. 1S user returns the lowest applicable fare (either Published, Private, or Cat 35 Fares) filed in ATPCO, SITA, (SITA CAT 35), and SMF (filed by authorized SMF users) Does not auto-map to NEG/CNE/INE for a lower fare. There is a TJR option to auto amp to such PTCs set by the user. WP Match returns a single lowest validated fare on a match. WPA Match returns lowest 24 validated fares. When 24 validated fares are not found, system will backfill with no match options up to a maximum of 24 options. Abacus Functionality Uses Fare Display Template 31 Abacus SmartPrice returns the lowest applicable fare (either Published, Private or CAT 35 Fares) filed in ATPCO, SITA (SITA CAT 35 will be applicable soon), and SMF (filed by Sabre subscribers) Auto-maps to NEG/CNE/INE for a lower fare Returns a single lowest validated fare on a match Author: Sabre / Abacus April 2010 Page 12
Command Pricing WP no match will return an error response to the user, e.g. NO FARE FOR CLASS USED. WPA No Match returns lowest 24 no match options. WP partial match will return an error response to the user for all PTCs if one or more PTCs are not valid, e.g. NO FARE FOR CLASS USED is returned to the user. WPA Partial match is returned to the user, i.e. up to 24 Match/No Match options are returned for the matched PTC and an error response is returned for the PTC where no matched or no matched options are found. No command pricing exceptions for travel to mainland China Applies When no match is found, system automatically returns 12 lowest fare on a no match Is able to return a partial match pricing response Returns CAT 8, 9, 12 charges up to maximum allowed by the fare rule Command pricing exception for travel to mainland China travel involving gateways of Macao and Hong Kong where system returns lowest fare to/from these points and interior China when request through fare is not found. Author: Sabre / Abacus April 2010 Page 13
Net Remit Pricing &Ticketing Non-PNR Pricing (WQ) Alternative Pricing (WPA) No Availability Check (CR29) Sabre can price 2 different types of Cat 35 fares (with some known gaps) CAT 35 Security CAT 35 Net Ticketing (IT/BT) Note: Cat 35 Net Remit is not auto priced but must be manually entered by the user today. Sabre does not process a CAT 35 Net Remit with fare type indicator byte 101 filed as blank Price Search (WQ) No PNR Pricing uses Match/No Match processing logic. Enhancement to the basic WP formats. Use WPA to request multiple fare calculations in a single entry Sabre does process all RBD Conditional tags on Availability based on T999. Availability is being checked in pricing today. Abacus SmartPrice can price the 3 different types of CAT 35 fares (with some known gaps) CAT 35 Security CAT 35 Net Remit 3- CAT 35 Net Ticketing (IT/BT) Abacus SmartPrice can process a CAT 35 Net Remit with fare type indicator Byte 101 filed as Blank Abacus SmartPrice uses its own predesignated Fare Type Matrix WPAS was not introduced to Abacus SmartPrice users although Abacus did not opt out on this functionality Abacus SmartPrice does not process all RBD Conditional tags on Availability based on T999. Availability is not being checked in pricing today. Store Fare Sabre User use Phase IV record Abacus Users uses Abacus Ticket Fare Record (TFR) Ticket from Abacus TFR Not supported, Sabre uses Phase IV Ticketing from a stored TFR is widely used by Abacus markets. Abacus FareX Not applicable to Sabre Abacus FareX is used to price net fares filed in Abacus FareX. Basic commands are NFD, NFP/NFT, NFQ, NFN Author: Sabre / Abacus April 2010 Page 14
Sabre My Fares (SMF) The next generation web-based fare management tool that enables travel agencies to file private fare and rule data directly with the Sabre system. It further automates the management of your negotiated fare contracts by providing the ability to input, edit, manage, and distribute multiple negotiated fare types. In addition, you can mark up net fares filed via these tools and redistribute them to branch locations or other stand-alone agencies. Not supported QREX Exchange Applicable to Sabre Not applicable at this time. To perform an exchange Linear commands must be used. Refund QREX Abacus Quick Refund is an enhanced version of QREX Refund OB Fees (Sabre Phase 1) Sabre displays additional ticketing fees included in the Sabre pricing and ticketing transactions related to vendor credit card processing costs. Not applicable at this time (Note: A PBE was just raised to activate OB Fees for Abacus SmartPrice) Author: Sabre / Abacus April 2010 Page 15