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Functional Specification
Functional Specification
Inside Link Cars
Distribution
Name / Department Copyright Galileo International Partnership 1998
Filename: Inside Link Cars
Styleguide: FNSPEC-1
Author: Corporate Network Services
Owner:
Issue: Draft 0
Number of Pages: 34
Table of Contents
Approval
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Inside Link Objectives
1.2 Application Functions
1.3 Inside Link Car Special Requirements/Restrictions
2.0 Functional Detail
2.1 Segment Sell
2.2 Segment Sell Requirements/Restrictions
2.3 Agent Sell Inputs
2.4 Direct Sell
2.5 Reference Sell
2.6 Combination Sells
2.7 Segment Sell Process
2.8 Universal Access Validation Table
2.9 The Car Vendor’s Computer System
2.10 Segment Sell – Apollo Output
3.0 Cancel Segment or Itinerary Containing a Car Segment
3.1 Segment Cancel Requirements/Restrictions
3.2 Agent Cancel Segments
3.3 Segment Cancel Process
3.4 The Car Vendor’s System
3.5 Segment Cancel Apollo Output
4.0 Ignore Apollo Session Containing a Car Segment
4.1 PNR Ignore Requirements/Restrictions
4.2 Agent Ignore Inputs
4.3 Inside Link Session Ignore Progress
4.4 The Car Vendor’s System
4.5 PNR Apollo Ignore Output
5.0 Modify a Car Segment
5.1 Segment Modification Requirements/Restrictions
5.2 Apollo Agent Modify Inputs
5.3 Segment Modify Process
5.4 The Car Vendor’s System
5.5 Segment Modify Apollo Output
6.0 End Transact Apollo Session Containing a Car Segment
6.1 End Transact Requirements/Restrictions
6.2 Agent End Transact Inputs
6.3 Inside Link End Transact Process
6.4 The Car Vendor’s Sytem
6.5 PNR End Transact Apollo Output
7.0 Application Environment
Appendix I
Appendix II – Technical Summary
Approval
Name / Title / Date1.0 Introduction
The purpose of Car Vendor Direct Access is to provide last car availability by processing the sell segments within the car vendor's computer system. The confirmation number is displayed to the agent as part of the sell response prior to End transact. As a result, an agent is able to sell all car types at all locations and receive confirmation of car reservations instantly.
1.1 Inside Link Objectives
Establish a direct access computer link between Apollo and a car vendor's computer system in order to improve accuracy and timeliness when booking a car.
1.2 Application Functions
Provide the ability to access last car availability when booking a car segment.
Provide a confirmation number at the time of booking as part of the sell response.
Provide the ability to sell all car types at both on and off airport locations.
Provide these functions using standard Apollo formats and procedures.
1.3 Inside Link Car Special Requirements/Restrictions
Data transmitted from a car vendor's computer system to Apollo via direct access is limited to a maximum of 960 characters.
When the direct access link is down, processing continues as it does today with data being transmitted between systems via teletype.
Car booking messages entered by UA agents are transmitted via the direct access link.
2.0 Functional Detail
2.1 Segment Sell
Provide travel agents the ability to reference or direct sell car segments via the direct access link utilizing the Computer-to-Computer Link Last Car Availability functionality. This sell results in an instant confirmation number response from the car vendor which is displayed to the agent as an addition to the existing sell response.
2.2 Segment Sell Requirements/Restrictions
Booking entries input by travel agents and United agents are processed via the direct access link.
Standard Apollo car segment sell procedures and inputs are utilized.
Apollo edits the car type for four alpha characters. Availability for that car type is determined in the car vendor's computer system.
Link processing can be restricted if a vendor specific critical validation item fails during MVS validation processing (Universal Access).
Availability for the car types contained within Apollo is determined within the car vendor's computer system even when Apollo shows the car type unavailable.
A sell request for multiple cars is not sent via the direct access link, but is sold within Apollo and sent via teletype at End transact. The message 'MULTIPLE CARS NOT SOLD VIA LINK' is returned to the CRT. Individual sell messages should be entered if instant confirmation numbers are required.
Arrival data is required to enable a car vendor to generate an instant confirmation number. This data can be retrieved from the preceding air segment or from the optional /ARR field input by the agent. The error message 'NEED ARRIVAL TIME' is sent to the CRT if arrival information is not available.
The /ARR field stored in the PNR should be entered as follows: /ARR-time-flight information. Either twelve or twenty-four hour clock format is accepted. Apollo sends the time to the vendor in twenty-four hour format. Flight data contained in the arrival field can be up to seven characters and is not be edited. Flight data is optional. The error message 'CHECK ARRIVAL DATA' is displayed if a format error exists in this field.
Arrival information obtained from the previous air segment is not stored in the /ARR field of the PNR. Only the arrival information stored in the PNR is displayed to the agent.
Name data is required to generate an instant confirmation number. Entry of the PNR name is required prior to entering the car segment sell. The error message 'NEED PNR NAME (LINK MESSAGE)' is displayed if this data is not available at the time of the sell entry.
If a customer identification number is input, it is sent to the car vendor along with the name field.
Bookings containing a customer ID number are always sold in the car vendor's computer system for the name contained in their customer ID file. If no match is found for the customer ID number, an error message is returned to the agent.
If a United agent books a car segment, the referral source field (RS) contains the two characters 'UA' followed by the three character pseudo city code. The 'TC' field also contains 'UA'.
If a travel agent sells a car segment, the referral field contains the 'UA' followed by the pseudo city code. The 'TC' field contains the travel agency eight digit ARC number and a vendor assigned ID number if the travel agent inputs one. The format is: '/BS-.18SA838281' up to a maximum of ten alpha-numeric characters.
If a '/PUP' field is entered by the agent to reflect a location other than the airport, it is sent to the car vendor's computer system in place of the airport city.
The travel agency phone number is sent to the car vendor's computer system as part of the sell message. A United phone number is not included if a United agent makes the booking.
To request express service if not automatically setup in the customer's ID profile, the agent must input the customer ID number followed by '-EXP'. If a format error exists in this field, the error message 'INVALID EXPRESS SERVICE FORMAT' is sent to the CRT.
'EXP' is returned from the car vendor's computer system attached to the confirmation number, i.e.: ID12345678901EXP and displayed to the agent as CF-12345678901EXP.
In order to bypass express service reflected in the customer ID profile, -'NOEXP' is entered following the customer id number.
If the car vendor's system returns a response indicating that the car is on request, the segment is sold within Apollo with an 'NN' status code and a message 'CAR ON REQUEST *'. At the vendor's request, the transaction can be sent to the vendor's system via teletype at End transact (ET).
Sell requests with an 'HK' or 'BK' action code do not go across the direct access link as these action codes indicate that a car has already been confirmed with the car vendor's computer system.
Sell requests with a 'MO' action code (manual override) go across the direct access link.
Change segment status (.2HK) is not allowed for link confirmed segments. An error message is returned from Apollo if attempted.
Teletype out messages to the car vendor's system do not contain any reference to segments sold via the direct access link during the current conversation.
2.3 Agent Sell Inputs
There are several procedures an agent may use for selling a car segment: direct sell, reference sell and selling in combination with a cancel/rebook or with inserting after an existing segment.
2.4 Direct Sell
The direct segment sell entry allows the agent to book a car reservation by including all the required and optional data fields in one entry.
ENTRY:
0:CARXXNN1DEN13OCT-15OCTICAR/ARR-8A
Segment Sell Identifier Arrival Time
Apollo Car Segment ARR Field ID
Car Vendor Optional Fields Delimiter
Current Status Code Car Type
Number of Cars Drop-off Date
Airport/City of Service
Pick-up Date
Current status code is optional. It defaults to NN1.
Drop-off date is optional. Default is 1 day after input.
Airport city and pick-up date fields are optional if a previous air segment exists. If a previous air segment does not exist, 'NO ITIN' is the error response sent to the CRT.
Following are examples depicting various options if a previous air segment exists.
ENTRY: Sell an ICAR car type. Airport city and pick-up date is retrieved from previous air segment.
0:CARXXICAR
ENTRY: Sell the same as above with the additional optional drop-off date field.
0:CARXX-1DECICAR
If a previous air segment does not exist, 'NO ITIN' is the error response displayed to the CRT.
2.5 Reference Sell
The reference sell entry allows an agent to quickly convert car availability information into an itinerary segment. A car availability entry must first be input. The line number of the desired car type and the column letter of the desired car vendor from the availability display, plus any additional optional information, are entered as part of the reference sell message. The number of cars to be sold defaults to one if that field is omitted. Reference the following examples:
ENTRY: Sell one car from column A and line 2
01A2
Line Number of Car Type
Column Letter of Vendor
Number of Cars
Segment Sell Identifier
ENTRY: Sell one car from column B, line 3, returning car on Dec 24.
0B3-24DEC
Pick-up date and airport code is retrieved from the availability display previously requested as depicted in the examples above.
For both of the segment sell formats there are optional fields which can be entered as part of the sell request. These fields can be included in any combination:
RT- Rate Field
BS- Booking Source
W- Address for written confirmation
ID- Customer identification number
PUP- Pick-up if other than airport
DO- Drop-off point if other than pick-up location
ARR- Arrival time and date
IT-- Tour number
CD- Corporate ID Code
SI- Special information
RC- Rate Identification Code
FT- Frequent Traveler
SQ- Special Equipment Code
NM- Name field
CF- Confirmation number
DL- Driver's License number
EXP- Express Service indicator
G- Credit Card number
R- Pre-payment data
DT- Drop Time
SI-PC- Promotional Code (Hertz only)
SI-AUTH- Authorization (Hertz only)
2.6 Combination Sells
The direct and reference sells can be used in conjunction with a cancel/rebook entry or an insert after input message. Optional fields may be included. Reference the following examples:
ENTRY: Cancel segment 3 and rebook with new data.
X3/0CARXX17OCT-19OCTICAR/SI--DESIRES RED CAR
ENTRY: Insert car sell after segment 2 in AAA.
/2+01B3-23MAR/ID-22222/SI-DESIRES COUGAR
2.7 Segment Sell Process
Apollo
The existing car package is used for input message editing and validation. All existing error responses are used in this editing process.
Prior to sending a car sell across the link the following checks are performed:
Is vendor eligible for direct access?
Is the link available?
Is requested transaction supported via the direct access link?
Is agency allowed to utilize the Last Car Availability function?
Universal Access uses the routing indicator sent from the car package to route the request to MVS Database, Links or Both (M, L or B). When the 'Both' routing indicator is requested, the sell first processes in MVS and then the TPF validation utility compares the MVS validation response to the vendor specific critical validation data (GA12N). Then if no critical validation data is flagged, processing continues across the Link to the vendor else, the MVS response is displayed to the agent.
Universal Access also merges MVS response data to the Link vendor response block. Both the rate code (/RC) and rate (/RQ or /RG) is merged to the link vendor response if not receive from the link vendor.
If one of these checks is not met processing continues within Apollo. If the sell was for a car type not available within Apollo the sell is completed with a 'NN' status code.
If all checks were met, the arrival time, carrier code and flight number are retrieved from the previous air segment in the PNR if one exists. If there is no air segment and no 'ARR' field has been entered by the agent, the error response 'NEED ARRIVAL DATA' is issued to the agent requesting arrival information.
A check is made for the PNR name. If not found, the message 'NEED PNR NAME (LINK MESSAGE)' is displayed to the agent.
A check is made for the ID field. A car vendor uses this number to access their customer ID file for the car rental reservation. If not input, the name is retrieved from the PNR name field so it can be sent to the car vendor.
2.8 Universal Access Validation Table
The following is a list of items included in the CarMaster Validation Table and information pertaining to what these items are validated against in MVS. An item is considered to be critical for a specific Link vendor if its bit in the GA12N record is set on or to 'Yes'.
List of fields to be validated (GA12N):
advance booking requirement
minimum rental requirement
maximum rental requirement
hours of operation
early pick-up time failed
late pick-up time failed
car type invalid
rate not available (closed)
rate code invalid
pick-up location invalid
The Advance Booking Requirement is validated against the advance booking field in the rate record. If the time from booking to pick-up time is less than allowed for the particular rate this flag is set.
The Minimum and Maximum Rental Requirements are validated against the pick-up/return rule (if no rule found it is validated against the pick-up/return policy). The edit verifies if the total number of days for the rental attempt falls within the boundaries set in the pick-up/return rule.
The Hours of Operation Failed Indicator is checked against the hours policy of the pick-up location. If the location is not open at pickup time this indicator is be set.
The Early and Late Pick-Up times are validated against the pick-up/return rule or policy. If the arrival time is earlier than the earliest pick-up or later than the latest pick-up time one of these indicators is set.
Car Type Invalid validates if the requested car type exists for the location. If it does not, this indicator is set.
Rate Code Invalid for the requested car type: if no rate is found with the specified rate code, this indicator is set.
Invalid Pick-up Location: If the requested pickup location is not found this indicator is set.
Once the necessary data fields have been obtained, they are formatted into a message and sent to the vendor system.
Reference following examples:
Apollo:0A4(Sell 1 intermediate car)
to VENDOR:
V/NMHOPE BOB/DA25MAY/TA1530/CYDEN/VTICAR/FLUA1125
Apollo:0B5-30MAY/ID-2573689/SI-CONVERTIBLE
to VENDOR:
V/DA25MAY/RD30MAY/TA0945/CYLAX/VTSCAR/FLUA0725
/F1CONVERTIBLE/NO2573689
If the direct access link is not available, the message is returned to Apollo to be processed within Apollo as it is today, if possible. In some situations, an error response of 'XX ACCESS NOT AVAILABLE' may be displayed.
2.9 The Car Vendor’s Computer System
The car vendor's system verifies that the format of the input message is correct and that all required data is present.
If all required checks are met and the car type is available, the car vendor's system returns a confirmation number to indicate that the booking has been made.
If any error conditions are encountered by the car vendor's system while attempting to build the reservation record, an error code or message is returned to Apollo.
Upon completion of processing, the car vendor's system returns a response indicating that either the reservation was processed successfully or unsuccessfully.
The response from the car vendor's system is analyzed by Apollo to be displayed to the agent's CRT.
VER/ID12341234567EXP/NFHOPE BOB
Apollo
If the sell request was successfully processed by the car vendor's system, the car sell response is displayed on the agent's screen.
The confirmation number and asterisk appears on the last line of the display to indicate that the segment was sold over the direct access link and has been confirmed.
If the optional field /RC is input followed by a rate code and the car vendor's system has the capability of returning rates, a rate display preceded with a /RQ is displayed as shown below.
If an error is encountered during processing within the car vendor's system, an error response is displayed on the screen followed by an asterisk to indicate that the error was identified by the car vendor's system.