Air ticket
"LOOKING THROUGH" AN AIR TICKET!
Taking the most wide-spread type of air tickets as an example we will help you to decode information about all flight details and fare restrictions.
An air ticket contains the following margins:
1. ISSUED BY. This margin contains the name of an airline which ticket you buy.
In ЕNDОRЕSEМЕNТS / RЕSТRIСТIONS margin you find the information regarding fare restrictions under this ticket and the possibility of handing over the passenger to another carrier. For example, if the margin contains SU/KL ONLY then this ticket is valid for the flights of "Airflot" (SU) and KLM (KL) and if the tariff allows you can change the aircraft from one company to another according to the ticket you have. If your tariff allows any changes it will be mentioned in this margin. For example, RES CHG USD 50 or ONE INBOUND REB FREE means "THE CHANGE OF RESERVATION WITH IMPOSING A FIRE OF 50 USD" or "ONE CHANGING OF RETURN DATE FREE OF CHARGE".
2. TOUR CODE is the notation for group and confidential tariffs (more often it is specified in the upper part of the ticket).
3. ORIGIN/DESTINATION is a three-letter notation of the point of origin and the destination point through the whole route.
4. In the AIRLINE DATA margin you can see an alphanumeric number of reservation (PNR CODE).
5. ISSUED IN EXCHANGE FOR. If the ticket is issued in exchange for another one then the number of primary ticket is put down in this margin.
6. CONGUCTION TICKETS. If according to the ticket the route includes more flights than the number of flight coupons in the form, then such a ticket is issued on several papers and in column 6 of each one the number of conjunction ticket is marked. These several forms are considered to be one and the same ticket and even if you have accomplished the whole flight under one of them do not throw it away till the end of the journey.
7. DATE AND PLACE OF ISSUE contains a unique stamp of agency with agency's name, its address, unique office number, alphanumerical reference of the agent who issued the ticket, date of issue. This information you can see in a middle lined margin.
8. NAME OF PASSENGER is pointed out in Latin transcription only. The first letter of the name or the whole name and sex follow the surname (MR – mister, MRS/MSS – miss or missis). According to the international standards this margin allows to have not more than 3 mistakes without phonation distortion (is pointed out either in the head or middle part of the ticket).
9. In the FROM/TO margin you can see all the origin and destination points. If there are several airports in the city then a three-letter code of the airport follows the name.
10. CARRIER. Here you can find a two-letter code of the carrier airlines. The codes are standardized by the International Association of Carriers and can be either quite evident: LH – Lufthansa, AF — Air France, ВА — British Airways or not quite so: АY— Finnair, UN— Трансаэро, АZ — Alitalia.
11. FLIGHT margin contains the number of flight.
12. CLASS. It’s important not to mix it up with the class of passengers’ location. The first class is usually marked with letter F or J, business class – by letter C, other letters signify an economy class.
13. DATE – date of departure.
14. TIME – time of departure (always local).
15. Status of reservation/STATUS usually looks like OK/HK – reservation confirmed, PQ/HL – waiting list/for free seats (inquiry of place on registration). In a ticket for infants (under 2 years old) flying without separate seat status NS is pointed out.
16. FARE BASIS contains an alphanumeric marking of the fare according to this coupon.
17. NOT VALID BEFORE / NOT VALID AFTER contains the date before which and after which accordingly you may not fly under this air ticket (if the rules of the fare allow the changing of dates).
18. The norm of free of charge luggage/ALLOW shows either weight in killogrammes or the number of seats. It can be seen in the lower part of the ticket.
19. FARE – airlines’ fare for the transportation.
20. EQUIV. FARE PD – the equivalent of the fare in the currency of the issuing point (if the currency of the point of issuing differs from the currency of departure point). The conversion rate should be specified in margin 1 or 23.
21. TAX is a two-letter notation and the amount of airport taxes in the currency of the issue point.
22. TOTAL – the total cost of the ticket (fare plus airport fees) in the currency of the departure point or other currency.
23. FARE CALCULATION contains a detailed calculation of the ticket’s cost.
24. FORM OF PAYMENT. The most widespread are CASH, INVOICE or INV, CC (credit card).