When you generate an invoice in Sabre, the information is automatically transmitted to Trams. During interface, Trams translates the PNR information to create invoice and payment records for the back office. Itineraries can be used to update certain information in existing Trams invoices. Additionally, information about voided ARC and BSP documents is also transmitted to Trams.
Contents
Invoicing, Descriptor Codes, and Accounting Lines
Much of the information required by Trams is automatically included in interface records, but additional accounting and reporting information can be entered into the PNR using descriptor codes.
The following Sabre commands are used to generate interface information:
- W¥: Generates a ticket, invoice, and interface record (IUR)
- DIN: Generates an invoice and interface record (IUR) without issuing a new ticket
- DIT: Generates an itinerary to update a previously issued invoice
- WV: Voids an ARC/BSP document and transmits void message
Information can be interfaced at the invoice or booking level. Invoice-level information applies to the entire invoice or every booking on the invoice. Booking-level information is associated with specific PNR segments or accounting lines.
By default, details of every segment and accounting line are included on invoices. Specific segments and accounting lines can be selected by include the appropriate invoice for ticketing modifiers: ¥S for segment selection and ¥A for accounting line selection.
Descriptor Codes
Descriptor codes (descriptors) are used to enter accounting information in the PNR. Descriptors can be used to add additional information not already in the record or to overwrite existing PNR information.
Each descriptor is preceded by an asterisk (“*”), followed by a two-letter code, then the data. A common descriptor is VC (vendor code). To include the vendor code “RCCL,” you would enter *VCRCCL.
Multiple descriptor codes can be entered in a single line. Another common descriptor is CM (commission). To include both the vendor code “RCCL” and ten percent commission in a single line, you would enter *VCRCCL*CM10. Descriptors can be included in PNR remarks, accounting lines, or as passenger information.
| Descriptor Association | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice | 5.S*(descriptor code) | 5.S*AN3105551234 |
| Accounting Line | 5.S*MS(100+AC line number)*(descriptor)(data) | 5.S*MS101*VCRCCL |
| Segment | 5.S*MS(segment number)*(descriptor)(data) | 5.S*MS1*CM10 |
| Passenger | -(last)/(first)*(descriptor)(data) | -SMITH/JOHN*U1 EMP123 |
If Trams data can be taken from multiple places, Trams interfaces the information in the following order:
- Descriptors associated with the accounting line or segment
- Invoice-level descriptors
- Native PNR data
Invoice Descriptors
Some descriptors can be used at the invoice level. These descriptors apply to the entire invoice or will be added to every booking on the invoice. For an invoice-level descriptor, enter 5.S*(descriptor)(data). For example, you can add the client ID “3105551234” using the descriptor AN (client ID, or account number) by entering 5.S*AN3105551234.
Accounting Lines
Sabre requires an accounting line (AC line) for each ARC/BSP booking and supplier booking. Accounting lines allow up to 28 characters of free-flow text that is used to enter descriptors and data. If you need to enter more than 28 characters of descriptors, additional information can be entered using MS lines.
The following is an example of a Sabre supplier accounting line. For more information about entering accounting lines, refer to AC*HELP or Sabre Central.
ACOTH1/SUPPLY/INV/0.00/0.00/0.00/ALL/CK/1-(free-flow data)
A B C D E F G H I
- A. Sabre segment type and number: The three-letter Sabre segment type and number
- B. Vendor ID or placeholder: Six-character vendor ID, or placeholder, “SUPPLY.” If the placeholder is used, include the descriptor VC and vendor ID in the free-flow data portion of the accounting line.
- C. Sabre supply code: Three-letter code that controls what is printed on Sabre-generated invoices and itineraries. The code INV prints “Invoice”. Refer to DU*/ACT for options.
- D. Commission: The amount of commission. To enter a percentage, enter “P” followed by the percentage.
- E. Base Fare: Base fare amount
- F. Taxes: Total taxes. Sabre adds the base fare and taxes to arrive at the total amount.
-
G. Amount By: Enter ONE, PER, or ALL:
- ONE: Accounting line applies to a single passenger. Passenger association must be included in the form of payment section and a separate accounting line must be entered for each booking.
- PER: Accounting line amounts are multiplied by the number of passengers and a separate, identical Trams booking is created for each passenger.
- ALL: Single accounting line with a total amount that applies to all passengers. One Trams booking is created.
- H. Form of payment: The form of payment details, CA (cash), CK (check), or CC (credit card). CC is followed by the card type and account number. For accounting lines using the amount by option “ONE”, include a space, followed by the passenger number and name.
- I. Free-flow text: Used to enter up to 28 characters of descriptors and data.
If you need to include more than 28 characters of additional information, create an MS line associated to the accounting line.
MS Lines
MS lines are used to add booking-level accounting information. They can be associated to PNR segments or to AC lines. You can enter an MS line using the format 5.S*MS(association)(descriptor)(data). To associate an MS line to a PNR segment, use the segment number. To associate an MS line to an AC line, add 100 to the accounting line number. For example, to associate an MS line to AC line #2, you would add (100 + 2): MS102.
MS lines that are not associated with a valid segment or AC line number interface as separate bookings. When changes are made to the PNR itinerary, review any MS lines to ensure they match the updated segments and accounting lines.
Passenger Association
Certain descriptors can be associated with a specific passenger. The accounting data will be included only with bookings associated with that passenger. These descriptors are entered along with the passenger’s name in the PNR. The information prints on Sabre documents but is not transmitted to airlines. To enter a passenger-associated descriptor, follow the passenger’s first name with an asterisk (“*”), the descriptor code, and data. For example, DOE/JOHN*U1 EMP001.
Credit Card Merchant Payments
Agencies that process credit cards through merchant account must be entered using accounting lines. This allows the full, unencrypted credit card number to interface to Trams for authorization. Credit card numbers entered using remarks are interfaced in a masked format.
To enter a credit a credit card merchant payment, enter the accounting and include the descriptors XP (expiration date) and CP4 (client payment CC merchant), for example:
ACOTH1/SVCFEE/25.00/25.00/0.00/ALL/CCVI4444333322221111/1-*XP1229*CP4
Client Information
Every Trams invoice is linked to a corporate or leisure client profile.
Client ID (DK or AN)
Every PNR should include the client ID (or account number). Client IDs can be entered using the Sabre customer number (DK Number) or as PNR remark using the descriptor AN. Corporate client profiles are usually created in advance, and your Trams operator can provide the client ID to use for those bookings.
It’s often unfeasible to create new client profiles in Trams before the client is ready to book. Therefore, your agency should devise a system to assign leisure client IDs from the front office. A common way to do this is by using the client’s primary telephone number as their client ID. If your agency chooses to use telephone numbers, it’s important to use the same number for any subsequent invoices. If the client’s telephone number changes, notify the back office so their Trams profile can be updated.
| To enter the client ID | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Using the Sabre DK number | DK(client ID) | DK3105551234 |
| Using a PNR remark | 5.S*AN(client ID) | 5.S*AN3105551234 |
Client Contact Information
If Trams encounters a new client profile during interface processing, a new client profile can be created “on-the-fly.” When a profile is created during processing, certain contact information is captured from the PNR. Information for existing client profiles is not updated automatically, so any profile updates need to be entered into Trams or ClientBase.
Billing Information
Trams reads the Sabre billing address information for new profiles. Each line of the address can contain up to 40 characters. Trams interprets the first line as the profile name, and remaining lines as the address.
| To Enter | Format | Corporate Example | Leisure Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client name | 5/(client name) | 5/ALPHA CORP | 5/JOHN SMITH |
| Address | 5/(street address) | 5/1111 INDUSTRIAL PKWY | 5/123 MOCKINGBIRD LN |
| City, state/province and ZIP/postal code | 5/(city), (state) (ZIP) | 5/LOS ANGELES, CA 90999 | 5/TORONTO, ON A1A Z1Z |
FOR CANADIAN USERS: Trams uses the province code in the address in the client profile to calculate certain HST/GST rates. Include the two-character postal abbreviation in the billing address. See Trams Back Office for Canadian Agencies for more information.
Telephone Numbers (9 or PH)
Trams reads the first PNR phone number with the tag “-H” or “-B” as the client’s telephone number. Additional telephone numbers can be added using the descriptor code PH.
| To enter a phone number | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Using the Sabre phone field | 9(city code)(phone)-(H or B) | 9LAX310-555-1234-H |
| Using a PNR remark | 5.S*PH(phone) | 5.S*PH310-555-1234 |
Fax Numbers (FX)
The client’s fax number can be captured when created new profiles using the descriptor FX. Trams does not read any fax numbers from the Sabre phone field.
| To enter a fax number | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Using a PNR remark | 5.S*FX(fax number) | 5.S*FX310-555-9999 |
Email Address (EU)
The descriptor EU is used to capture client email addresses. Sabre does not read addresses using the Sabre PE¥ format.
Because Sabre does not allow certain characters in PNR remarks, replace “@” with an asterisk (“*”), and the underscore (“_”) with “//”.
| To enter an email address | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Using a PNR remark | 5.S*EU(user)*(domain) | 5.S*EUJOHN-DOE*EXAMPLE.COM |
| Including an underscore | 5.S*EU(user)*(domain) | 5.S*EUJOHN//DOE*EXAMPLE.COM |
Agents
| Invoice Level | Booking Level | Passenger Level |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | No |
Trams can track both inside and outside agents. By default, inside agents are automatically interfaced using the Sabre sign. Outside agents can be added for reporting purposes.
Agents added at the booking level do not override the PNR agent sign. If an inside agent is assigned to a specific booking, both the PNR agent and the agent assigned at the booking level will interface.
Inside Booking Agent (SA)
Trams reads the agent’s Sabre sign as the interface ID. The agent’s default commission is automatically included on each booking.
The booking agent can be overridden using the descriptor SA. This also allows more than one inside agent to be added to the booking, and to include a commission override and agent remark. The SA descriptor only overrides the Trams booking agent. If Trams global defaults are set to read ticketing agent, it is always taken from the Sabre sign.
To add a second inside agent to a booking without ignoring the Sabre agent ID, both must be added as separate PNR remark. A booking can be interfaced without any inside agent by entering 5.SA without an agent ID.
The SA (sales agent) descriptor includes three sub-fields followed by the descriptor. Only the agent ID is required. The commission override and remark are option, but if they are included, they must be separated by a space.
5.S*SASM A50.00 BONUS
A BC DE
- A. Agent interface ID
- B. Mandatory space if including commission override
- C. Commission amount as a percentage of the total commission. To specify a dollar amount, precede with the letter "A".
- D. Mandatory space if including agent remark
- E. Agent remark
| To | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Override the PNR booking agent | 5.S*SA(agent ID) | 5.S*SASM |
| Include a commission percentage | 5.S*SA(agent ID) (commission rate) | 5.S*SASM 25 |
| Include a commission amount | 5.S*SA(agent ID) A(commission amount) | 5.S*SASM A50.00 |
| Include a commission rate and agent remark | 5.S*SA(agent ID) (commission) (remark) | 5.S*SASM 25 BONUS |
| Include multiple inside agents |
5.S*SA(agent ID 1) |
5.S*SASM 5.S*SATM |
Outside Agent (OA)
Trams can track an outside agent for reporting purposes using the descriptor OA. Multiple outside agents can be interfaced by entering each agent in a separate PNR remark. If you want to include only the outside agent and ignore the inside agent, include an SA descriptor without an interface ID.
The OA descriptor includes three sub-fields followed by the descriptor. Only the agent ID is required. The commission override and remark are optional, but if they are included, they must be separated by a space.
5.S*OASM A50.00 BONUS
A BC DE
- A. Outside agent interface ID
- B. Mandatory space if including commission override
- C. Commission amount as a percentage of the total commission. To specify a dollar amount, precede with the letter "A".
- D. Mandatory space if including agent remark
- E. Agent remark
| To | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Add an outside agent | 5.S*OA(agent ID) | 5.S*OASM |
| Include a commission percentage | 5.S*OA(agent ID) (commission rate) | 5.S*OASM 25 |
| Include a commission amount | 5.S*OA(agent ID) A(commission amount) | 5.S*OASM A50.00 |
| Include a commission rate and agent remark | 5.S*OA(agent ID) (commission) (remark) | 5.S*OASM 25 BONUS |
| Include multiple outside agents |
5.S*OA(agent ID 1) |
5.S*OASM 5.S*OATM |
| Interface only outside agent without any inside agent |
5.S*SA |
5.S*SA 5.S*OASM |
Other Common Descriptors
This section gives examples of common descriptors. Depending on the descriptor, they may be entered at the invoice, invoice, booking, or passenger level. For more information, refer to Descriptor Codes.
Department (DP)
| Invoice Level | Booking Level | Passenger Level |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Yes |
Trams bookings allow tracking of department information (DP). This descriptor can be used at the invoice-, passenger-, or booking-level.
| To add department information | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| At the invoice level | 5.S*DP(department) | 5.S*DPMARKETING |
| At the booking level | 5.S*MS(reference)(department) | 5.S*MS101*DPMARKETING |
| At the passenger level | -LAST/FIRST*DP(department) | -SMITH/JOHN*DPMARKETING |
Group Affiliation (GP)
| Invoice Level | Booking Level | Passenger Level |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No |
Group affiliation (GP) is used to link different invoice and payment records for reporting. The GP descriptor is only valid at the invoice level.
| To add group affiliation | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| At the invoice level | 5.S*GP(group name) | 5.S*GPSUPERBOWL |
Invoice Remarks (IM)
| Invoice Level | Booking Level | Passenger Level |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No |
Invoice remarks (IM) interface to the Trams invoice, but do not print on Sabre documents. Invoice remarks can only be entered at the invoice level.
| To add invoice remarks | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| At the invoice level | 5.S*IM(remarks) | 5.S*IMBILL TO SMITH CORP |
UDIDs (User-Defined Interface Data) (UD)
| Invoice Level | Booking Level | Passenger Level |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Yes |
UDIDs (user-defined interface data) are used to track miscellaneous information for reporting purposes. There are 999 possible UDIDs, and your agency assigns to purpose for each one. For example, UDID #1 may be used to track marketing information, and UDID #2 may be used to track an employee number for corporate reporting.
UDIDs are entered using the descriptor UD#, where the “#” represents the specific UDID number. There is a mandatory space between the descriptor and the data. For example, UD1 NEWSPAPER.
UDIDs can be entered at the invoice, passenger, or booking level. When entered at the passenger level, the descriptor does not include the “D”. For example, UD1 is entered as U1.
| To add UDID information | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| At the invoice level | 5.S*UD(number) (data) | 5.S*UD2 EMP001 |
| At the booking level | 5.S*MS(reference)*UD(number) (data) | 5.S*MS101*UD2 EMP001 |
| At the passenger level | -LAST/FIRST*U(number)-(data) | -SMITH/JOHN*U2-EMP001 |
Booking Details
This section explains how certain booking-level information interfaces into Trams.
Taxes
ARC/BSP taxes are broken by individual tax code and can be viewed in the Taxes tab of the booking. If a tax does not have a specific tax code, Trams assigns the code “XX”. For manual accounting lines, agents can use repeat the TX descriptor for each tax, for example, *TXZP10.00*TXAY11.20*TXXT658.95.
Segment Details
Trams tracks details of each flight segment when they are included in the interface record. For non-ARC/BSP tickets, you must include the SG descriptor code in the ticket accounting line or an MS line.
Segment mileage
Trams records the mileage for segments when the information is present in the interface record.
Segment fare
The amount applied to each segment fare depends on what information is available in the interface record. Trams assigns segment fare in the following order:
- Sabre Fare-By-Leg (FBL) details
- Calculating the fare based on mileage
- Equally dividing the total fare by the number of segments
Sabre Fare-By-Leg information is controlled by Sabre pricing and the fare-by-leg option in the TJR. Trams reads the segment fares based on the auto-price features in Sabre. When pricing and driving a ticket, the interface record includes a breakdown of the segment Fares-by-Leg. Trams reads up to 255 segment fare lines in a single interface record. For more information Sabre FBL, refer to Sabre Central.
Note: FBL leg information is only included when the ticket and invoice are generated in the same transaction. Subsequent invoices created using DIN do not include FBL details.
If FBL leg information is not present in the interface record, Trams automatically calculates the fare for each segment. When segment mileage is available, Trams calculates the fare for each segment based on its mileage. If segment mileage is not available, the total fare is divided equally to each segment.
Foreign Currency
Trams captures foreign currency and local currency for each booking when both a present in the interface file. The foreign currency can be viewed in the Foreign Currency tab of the booking.
When the local equivalent of the fare is not present in the PNR, Trams calculates the total fare using the currency’s conversion rate set in Utilities > Global Defaults > Conversion Rates. If a conversion rate is not set for the foreign currency, it interfaces with a zero-dollar total fare.
You can manually specify the total fare using the descriptor TF in an MS line.