Fare Guarantee Policy

Transcription

1 Sabre Travel Network is committed to providing accurate and high-quality fare information to its customers via the Sabre system. Sabre Travel Network therefore guarantees the payment of debit memos resulting from tickets that meet all Policy criteria for reimbursement. For easy reference, some of the more commonly used guidelines for establishing whether a debit memo will be eligible for reimbursement under the Policy are highlighted below. Please note that the Policy is comprised of the highlights below and all the procedures, requirements, and exclusions regarding reimbursement eligibility that are contained in the following pages, including the Appendixes. Please be sure that prior to submitting a debit memo for reimbursement, you have read and are familiar with the entire Policy (not just the highlights). Policy Highlights To be eligible for reimbursement, debit memos must comply with certain guidelines, including but not limited to, the following: º For tickets issued on or after June 1, 2005 by travel agencies located in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. Croix, for travel within or between these destinations, the Policy will apply to debit memos received by Sabre Travel Network within six months of the ticket issue date, regardless of the debit memo issue date; º For tickets issued (a) by travel agencies located in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. Croix for travel other than travel between or within these destinations, and for tickets issued (b) by all other travel agency locations, the Policy will apply to debit memos received by Sabre Travel Network within twelve months of the ticket issue date, regardless of the debit memo issue date; º The ticket associated with a debit memo must be either: (1) Phase 3 ticket auto-priced AND auto-ticketed through the Sabre system as indicated by a (FCI/FI) 0,2, or 6 (see Appendix A), or (2) Phase 3.75 ticket for which Sabre Travel Network determines the discrepancy is a pricing discrepancy and pricing was not modified during ticketing; º The ticket associated with a debit memo must have been used for travel; º The ticketed fare associated with a debit memo must not be a clear undercharge in Sabre Travel Network s determination. This applies to all tickets, including those resulting from reservations made through automated means (such as web site booking tools) which do not require a travel agent s intervention for ticketing; º Debit memos for tickets resulting from or associated with misuse of the Sabre system, intellectual property theft, fraud or any other noncompliance with the Sabre Subscriber Agreement are not eligible for reimbursement; 1

2 º Debit memos resulting from errors in pricing caused by an airline or other non-sabre Travel Network party are not eligible for reimbursement; º Debit memos resulting from or associated with the types of fares and ticketing practices listed on Appendix B are not eligible for reimbursement. Air carrier fares are constantly changing and Sabre Travel Network operates a rigorous system to provide its travel agency customers with the best information it can, including using the latest industry and carrier specified pricing applications to ensure accuracy. The Sabre Fare Guarantee Policy is subject to change and/or cancellation at any time without notice. Sabre Travel Network s fare guarantee is subject to the conditions and limitations described herein, and Sabre Travel Network reserves the right to determine in its sole discretion whether a debit memo meets the criteria for reimbursement. This policy is governed by the laws of the State of Texas, U.S.A., without regard to the conflicts and choice of law provisions thereof. 2

3 Debit Memo Procedures 1. Determine if the ticket associated with the debit memo (a) has the correct auto-price and auto-ticket indicator (FCI/FI) 0, 2, or 6 (see Appendix A) - or - is a Phase 3.75 ticket for which pricing was not modified during ticketing and (b) also meets all other Policy criteria for reimbursement consideration. 2. If the ticket (a) does not have the correct auto-price/auto-ticket indicator - or - is a Phase 3.75 ticket for which pricing was modified during ticketing and/or (b) does not meet all other Policy reimbursement requirements, the agency is responsible for resolving the debit memo with the carrier directly, either by sending payment directly to the carrier or otherwise resolving the debit memo with the carrier. -or- If the ticket (a) has the correct auto-price/auto-ticket indicator (FCI/FI) 0, 2, or 6 - or is a Phase 3.75 ticket for which pricing was not modified during ticketing and (b) also meets all other Policy reimbursement requirements, forward the debit memo to the Air Pricing Operations team at Sabre Travel Network for consideration. (See Appendix C). You must submit the following: A clear copy of the agent issued ticket A clear copy of the complete airline issued debit memo PNR history (Phase 3.75 ticket only) Corporate Identifier (percent off fares and negotiated fares only) Agency PCC 3. Once the debit memo is received by Sabre Travel Network, a queue or message acknowledging its receipt is sent to the ticketing pseudo city code (unless a different queue address is otherwise noted on the agency s correspondence). 4. Sabre Travel Network strives to analyze and research debit memos within 60 days of their receipt. Depending on the facts and circumstances surrounding any particular debit memo, however, a longer period of time may be required before analysis of a debit memo can be completed and a final determination as to reimbursement can be made. 5. If Sabre Travel Network determines the debit memo meets the criteria for reimbursement, Sabre Travel Network will pay the air carrier directly. If Sabre Travel Network determines the debit memo does not meet the criteria for reimbursement, Sabre Travel Network will notify the agency. It will then be the agency s responsibility to resolve the debit memo with the carrier directly. Sabre Travel Network 3

4 reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion, whether a debit memo meets the criteria for reimbursement. 4

5 Frequently Asked Questions 1. What is Sabre Travel Network s Fare Guarantee Policy? The Policy is a set of procedures and guidelines describing under what circumstances Sabre Travel Network will guarantee the pricing accuracy of air-carrier tickets. If Sabre Travel Network determines a debit memo meets the Policy s criteria for reimbursement, Sabre Travel Network will pay the debit memo directly to the air carrier. Sabre Travel Network reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion, whether a debit memo meets the criteria for reimbursement. 2. Does the Policy cover debit memos issued for over-collection of commissions? No. Any debit memos associated with commissions are the sole responsibility of the agency. (See Appendix B). 3. Where can I obtain information regarding debit memo processing? a. Format Finder page locator whoov055 b. Debit.memo@sabre.com question and status request c. Sabre Travel Network Software Help Desk pricing and ticketing issues d. Your account executive or customer care team Policy application 4. Will I receive notification that Sabre Travel Network received my debit memo? Sabre Travel Network will notify the ticketing pseudo city (PCC) with a queue or message once the debit memo has been received. If you want the message to be sent to a different pseudo city, you must specify the appropriate PCC in your initial correspondence. 5. What is the timeframe for the conclusion of a debit memo? Sabre Travel Network strives to analyze and research debit memos within 60 days of their receipt. Depending on the facts and circumstances surrounding any particular debit memo, however, a longer period of time may be required before analysis of a debit memo can be completed and a final determination as to reimbursement can be made. 6. Why are agent-priced and handwritten tickets not included in Sabre Travel Network s Fare Guarantee Policy? Sabre Travel Network cannot be responsible for the use of formats that can be used to override fare rules. The use of these pricing formats compromise the accuracy of pricing, and Sabre Travel Network cannot be responsible for any resulting debit memos. 5

6 7. Who can I contact regarding questions about the Policy s application to a particular ticket? Before contacting Sabre Travel Network be sure to first verify that the ticket either has the FCI/FI indicator on the issued ticket for the auto-priced/auto-ticketed number (0, 2, or 6), or is a Phase 3.75 ticket for which pricing was not modified during ticketing. Next, determine if the debit memo meets the other reimbursement criteria listed in the Policy. If you still have questions about the ticket, call the Sabre Travel Network Software Help Desk or your account executive. 8. Will Sabre Travel Network guarantee under-collected fare amounts that the agency should have known were wrong? In situations where Sabre Travel Network determines a debit memo resulted from a fare that otherwise meets the Policy s requirements for reimbursement, but the agency should have reasonably known the fare listed in the Sabre GDS was wrong (e.g., LAX to LGA for $18.00), the debit memo is not eligible for reimbursement. This includes debit memos resulting from reservations made through automated means (such as Web site booking tools) which do not require a travel agency s intervention for ticketing. 9. What time period is covered by the fare guarantee policy? Debit memos received by Sabre Travel Network within either six months or twelve months of ticket issuance date, depending on the issuing agency s location and the travel destination (see Policy Highlights), regardless of the debit memo issue date, can be submitted for research. Debit memos received by Sabre Travel Network outside the appropriate validity period will not be eligible for consideration and will be returned to the submitting travel agency for reconciliation with the issuing air carrier. 10. Does this mean that air carriers will not issue debit memos for tickets older than six or twelve months? Air carriers set their own policies on this issue. 6

7 Appendix A Identifying the Auto-price Indicator (0,2,6) on a Ticket PASSENGER TICKET AND BAGGAGE CHECK SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT NOT TRANSFERABLE AGENT COUPON BOARDING PASS ARC FLIGHT FFF COUPON TOUR CODE AGENT CODE SUSIE JONES A ISSUED BY NORTHWEST AIRLINES PLACE OF ISSUE DATE OF ISSUE NAME OF ISSUING AGENT YYY AGENCY DENVER CO 20JAN98 ORD NAME OF PASSENGER PNR/CARRIER CODE FARE BASIS/TICKET DESIGNATOR FCI CARR ID 0MNL NW5 J 07FEBJ SUSIE JONES ABC123/AA J SIN SQ75 J11FEBJ XNRT NW8 J14FEBJ ORD NW6 J14FEBJ X/0 FROM **NOT VALID FOR** I SSUING AGENT ID X/O **TRANSPORTATION** P/ B4T0*90 **************************************************** **************************************************** ENDORSEMENTS/RESTRICTIONS **************************************************** FP MC / / FCCIO NW MLP19 **************************************************** SQ MIN NW X/TYO NW CHI 15M CHISIN J NUC **************************************************** END ROE1.00XT1.45XA3.00XFORD3 *************************************************** NOT VALID FOR TRAVEL XT FARE USD AA TAX YC 6.50 STOCK CONTROL NO.TX 889 CK CPN DOCUMENT NUMBER TAX XY TOTAL USD PASSENGER TICKET AND BAGGAGE CHECK SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT NORTHWEST ARILINES REF IN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN ONLY IATA YYY TRAVEL JONES/SUSIE MS 1FEB98 OTTAWA CANADA VOID VOID VOID MIAMI INTERNTNL NW JUN 100P OK CHO14VN 6JUN 6JUN 2PC MINNEAPOLIS ST PL NW JUN 300P OK CHO14VN 10JUN 10JUN 2PC USD 298.OO MIA NW MSP 149,00 NW MIA USD END CD AGTINV BSR CD / / 18889/ / / DO NOT WRITE OR MARK ON THE LINE ABOVE 7

8 Appendix B Debit Memos for the following types of fares and ticketing practices will NOT be considered by Sabre Travel Network:* 1. Fare quotes 2. Handwritten tickets 3. Phase 4.0 tickets 4. Phase 3.5 tickets 5. Phase 3.75 tickets when the ticket price was modified during ticketing 6. Invalid discounts 7. Errors in pricing caused by actions of the carriers and/or non-sabre Travel Network parties 8. Open segment itineraries 9. Airline schedule change messages not received by the agency 10. Add-collects made to customers due to a change in itinerary from the original ticket 11. Ghost tickets, printer problems and outages, refund penalties 12. Failure to report a ticket during a sales reporting period 13. Credit Card charges made by the airline for incorrect credit card authorization codes, use of incorrect credit card, over-extending floor limits, or use of black-listed or stolen cards 14. Tickets that are manipulated and subject to the overrides listed below: Tax exemptions Travel agency is responsible for showing proof of tax exemption status to the airline Endorsement violations Canceled and Re-booked itineraries for the purpose of extending the ticketing limit as defined by the air carrier Passive Segment bookings and fees - usage of passive status codes (e.g., GK or BK) Commission Plating fees as defined by air carrier s plating agreements Point beyond ticketing when passenger did not travel as ticketed Back to back ticketing as defined by the air carriers Validation override 15. Misuse of the Sabre system, intellectual property theft, fraud or any other noncompliance with the Sabre Subscriber Agreement 16. Service fees, administrative fees and processing fees assessed by an air carrier 17. Paper ticket fees 18. Tickets priced using third party supplier or vendor data with no intervention by Sabre Travel Network 19. Shortfalls resulting from refunded or exchanged tickets 20. Penalties assessed by an air carrier 21. Future travel 22. YQ/YR taxes and fees 23. Fare that was a clear undercharge * The types of fares and ticketing practices not subject to reimbursement under the Policy are not limited to the examples listed above. The foregoing list may be amended at any time by Sabre Travel Network without notice and in its sole discretion. 8

9 Appendix C Air Pricing Debit Memo Team contact information FAX: Attention: Debit Memo Team MAILING ADDRESS: Sabre Air Pricing 3150 Sabre Drive Mail Drop 7801 Southlake, TX Attn: Debit Memo Team Debit.Memo@sabre-holdings.com 9