Newsletter. Editorial. Saudi Arabia. Issue 17 > September Get your Pocket Reference Guide! Send to

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1 Issue 17 > September 2009 Newsletter RAMADAN KAREEM Saudi Arabia PAGE 2 - News Section Amadeus Saudi Arabia records increase in market share. Editorial Dear Travel Industry Partner, Happy Eid, We are pleased to thank you for being loyal partners, your precious partnership has let us achieve #1 position in KSA with almost 39% of market share. If this partnership moves to the same direction, I am sure we together will reach yet another milestone. Apart from that, Amadeus has participated at Arabian travel market (ATM) in May In May 2009 Amadeus has also signed with AL-Fursan travels, one of the biggest travel agencies in the Kingdom. Al-Fursan will benefit from Amadeus s latest technology to enhance their efficiency, productivity and ultimatly their profitability. Adding to that, Amadeus has also introduced Amadeus Premium-Loyalty program which was effective from 21st June till 21st august 2009 to reward the agents. Moreover, Amadeus Saudi Arabia also launched the Amadeus SMS product which enables travel agents to alert travellers to essential trip details conveniently via their mobile phones. More can be found in this newsletter. Well, there is a lot more information in this newsletter such as popular Quiz, Products Information, Hints and Tips etc... I hope you enjoy reading! Nashat M. Bukhari General Manager SAS Group and Amadeus strike long term full content agreement Amadeus Saudi Arabia participated in Arabian travel market (ATM) PAGE 3 - Products Section Amadeus Quality Control Amadeus Service Fee Manager Amadeus Check my trip private label PAGE 4 - Products Section Amadeus SMS Amadeus Backoffice Solutions (Cash X) Amadeus Internet Engine (e-power) PAGE 5 - Hints and Tips Section Reservation Guidelines Important Do s & Don ts PAGE 6 - Announcement Section Guidelines For Non-Acceptance Of TKNM Entry Amadeus Continues to Hire Travel Industry Professionals Amadeus Premium Quiz Get your Pocket Reference Guide! Send to sales@amadeus.com.sa

2 2 Amadeus Saudi Arabia Records Increase In Market Share! Saudi Arabia, a leading technology provider to the travel & tourism Industry, announced that it has further expanded its business operations and achieved an increase in market share in 2009 as compared to the previous year. As per its half yearly figures for 2009, Amadeus achieved almost 39% of the GDS (Global Distribution systems) market share in Saudi Arabia year-todate in This achievement positions Amadeus as the sole market leader and preferred GDS provider in the Kingdom. (NO.1 Position in KSA). According to Eng. Nashat M. Bukhari, General Manager, Amadeus Saudi Arabia, Amadeus Innovative, result oriented technology solutions and competent customer services are some of the key factors that have contributed to the company s success in the region. Our focus has always been and remains on delivering Amadeus core values to our partners in Saudi Arabia, we regularly assess the value that we bring to our partners and our efforts have always been to provide them with sustainable technology to support their business, said Nashat Bukhari. Furthermore, Amadeus long standing partnership with Saudi Arabian Airlines is a key market differentiator which allows travel agencies to have access to unique preferred treatments such as, airline s full range of content, Passenger Name Record (PNR) Claim functionality, etc. These features enable the travel partners to make bookings with increased confidence while providing efficient services to their customers. In the recent months, Amadeus has also seen a rise in number of travel agency partners migrate to its platform. The company experienced organic growth through key partner migration including local travel agencies, who have implemented Amadeus technology due to it s extensive product offerings and services. SAS Group and Amadeus strike long-term full content agreement! Amadeus, a global leader in technology and distribution solutions for the travel and tourism industry, has signed a five year full content agreement with the SAS Group, guaranteeing its travel agents access to the full range of fares and inventory of SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Widerøe, Blue1 and Estonian Air. The agreement ensures that the airlines schedules, fares, last seat availability and associated inventory available through Amadeus will be the same as through the airlines other sales channels worldwide. This agreement provides the customer with the confidence that they have access to the widest range of fares through Amadeus and demonstrates SAS Group s commitment to the travel agencies channel. This agreement is of very significant importance in order for SAS to offer very competitive products and services to our customers worldwide, says Robin Kamark, SVP and Chief Marketing & Sales Officer, SAS Scandinavian Airlines. Over 70% of all airline bookings made through Amadeus travel agencies are on airlines which have signed full content agreements with Amadeus, says Philippe Chérèque, Executive Vice President, Commercial, Amadeus. We are delighted with this latest development in our long-standing distribution relationship with SAS Group. Amadeus Saudi Arabia Participated In Arabian Travel Market! (ATM) Amadeus, a leading travel industry technology provider and the leading global distribution system (GDS), participated in Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which was held in Dubai Trade Centre from 5th-8th may Commenting on the new distribution platform, Mr. Abdullah Abu Kamseen Director KANOO Travel, said We chose to partner with Amadeus as their broad portfolio of travel solutions suited our needs and offered better business results. Most recently as a result of an agreement with 13 AACO leading carriers, Amadeus entered in a strategic joint partnership with Saudi Arabian Airlines. As per this agreement, Amadeus Saudi Arabia has been appointed as the technology partner of choice of the flagship carrier, being also the exclusive distributor of Amadeus products and solutions in the kingdom. Many leading travel agency partners from Saudi Arabia had the opportunity to grasp the benefits of the solutions presented by Amadeus. Complete Portfolio Our full offer for Business Travel Agencies includes a complete range of core products and services, designed to benefit every area of your business and help you to survive in today s tough economic climate. In addition, you can also take advantage of a selection of recommended options. I need to offer my clients the best air content

3 3 Amadeus Service Fee Manager Welcome to Amadeus Service Fee Manager The Service Fee engine at your fingertips! In the context of commission capping and changing business models, Amadeus Service Fee Manager is the right tool to control your revenues. Grow Your Revenues Amadeus Service Fee Manager allows you to determine and increase your revenues per sale; you can charge service fees in line with business policy, all the more important in light of disappearing commissions. This feature also reduces unprofitable sales since your agents can focus on high contribution transactions. Amadeus Quality Control Amadeus quality control is the new flexible solution for travel agencies to better manage their business practices and guarantees the total quality of every reservation. Amadeus quality control total quality for every reservation every time! Increase Productivity Automatic calculation of services fees during the consultation and booking process guarantees the total price concept without, for example, requiring a manual switch between front and back office systems. Thus, overall booking time is reduced. Improve Customer Service Service Fee Manager is used early in the sales process; it enables your agents to calculate both the fare and the service fees in the consulting process. It also increases the transparency to the customer when justifying the fees. Services offered around Amadeus Service Fee Manager Functional Assistance testing of product, support on administration and point of sale modules. Functional Consulting development of price schemes, process integration, data integration, revenue optimisation. Additional Services Available custom development, payment handling, ongoing maintenance. Amadeus Service Fee Manager key features Point of sale >ˈAutomatic service fee calculation and display of fee. >ˈAutomatic storage of fee details in PNR. >ˈCompatible with any Amadeus front office. Administration >ˈFlexible rules engine for sophisticated fee models. >ˈIntegration with Amadeus customer profiles. Check My Trip >>> Private Label Check my trip is a service that gives all the travellers, with an Amadeus reservation, access to display their itinerary. By connecting to internet address or via Amadeus subscriber s website, full real time details of their reservation are presented to traveller. Benefits for Amadeus Subscribers Extended Services Check my trip is available through the internet from any where in the world at any time. Opening hours of offices or call centers are no longer a limitation. > Cost Saving Any query to the online itinerary function possibly saves a call to the call center. It should also free up more resources to handle more complex enquiries. > No Investment Amadeus provides this function centrally for all travellers and subscribers. There is no cost associated to this function. Subscribers wishing to integrate the Check my trip service more closely with their existing web services can do so by licensing a private label copy of Check my trip. This allows comprehensive HTML customisation and functional adaptation. Benefits for traveller > Ease of use All the travellers needs to do is enter the Amadeus record locator (PNR) and his last name. > Complete display of the entire itinerary The traveller may visualise the complete itinerary at once. The data is decoded in the language of traveller. The right information at the right time! Amadeus quality control ensures accurate, consistent and complete booking information every time. Maximise the efficiency of every sale Integrated with Amadeus selling platform Amadeus quality control helps to increase the productivity of your agents through the systematic checking of every PNR at the time of booking. With Amadeus quality control agents are free to focus more on their core activities serving the customer! Adapted to your business needs 100% customisable, Amadeus quality control is managed centrally, thus allowing an agency to enforce workflows and business practices across one or multiple agencies. It also gives you the flexibility to manage your business and quality processes your way. Services offered around Amadeus quality control Implementation and Integration Support Services functional help, technical help, custom maintenance services and etc Educational Services customised training to increase your agent s and technical team s productivity. Key Feature -easy to use > Interactive quality checks can be run manually on demand at any time. > Intuitive graphical user interface. For Further Products & Solutions inquiries, please send to: sales@amadeus.com.sa

4 4 Amadeus SMS Now Available... Amadeus SMS is a function in the Amadeus system that enables you to alert travellers to essential trip details conveniently via their mobile phones, including travel itineraries, e-tickets, flight information, Passenger Name Record (PNR) data and any changes to ticketing times. Easy to use Simple Amadeus SMS is completely integrated into Amadeus Selling Platform, meaning once the PNR is open, you simply click on a Smart Tab to access it. Here you will be automatically able to retrieve the passenger s complete travel information (flight number, time, origin and destination) through Amadeus SMS, It offers a number of predefined messages including flight confirmation, flight cancellation and PNR details. These predefined messages can be modified to suit your business such as contact numbers, agent name or free text of your choice. Fast Access Amadeus SMS through a simple click on a tab, choose or write a message of your choice and click send. The entire process takes only a few clicks and not longer than 30 seconds saving your valuable time in the selling process. You can send your final SMS in just three clicks! Reliable Amadeus SMS retrieves automatically all the information about a passenger (flight number, time, origin and destination ) making it unnecessary to re-enter information and leaving no margin for error. Through the usage of the predefined messages, you can be sure that the times, flight numbers and any other information are correct. Improve Customer Service We always have a mobile phone with us, making it the ideal platform to communicate in advance, flight information, to your customers such as confirmations and reminders. Now you can enhance your service to your customers by systematically confirming their reservations! Contact your customers regardless of their location! By contacting your customers via SMS, you can provide them with important information about their journey, regardless of their location. It is the most convenient method to contact a traveller while they are already travelling, on domestic or international travel. Contact your customers at any time! From the moment that you receive the information, it will take you less than a minute to pass that information on to your customers. This way, customers are instantly advised of any incidents, delays, cancellations etc that may occur. Contact your customers in the most comfortable way for them A customer can read their text messages at their convenience, and can therefore receive and store information they need, without it having to be printed. Amadeus Agency Internet Engine (e-power) Amadeus Internet Engine is Amadeus unique contribution to help you move your business online. While you take care of travel, we take care of the technology. With Amadeus Agency Internet Engine (e-power) a branded and fully customised solution is created for you, ready for integration into your website. Product Features > Real-time availability and reliability of the Amadeus System. > Fast time to market and quick and easy implementation. > Ability to book air, cars and hotels online. > Fully integrated into agency s own website. > Market leading low fare search tool (Master Pricer). > Ability to upload agency s own special offers. > Online (credit card) or offline payment options. > Electronic Ticketing. > Local functional and technical support. > Total price displayed, including service fee. > Fully customisable to agency s own look and feel. > 128-bit SSL Encryption. For Products and Solutions inquiries, please send to: sales@amadeus.com.sa Amadeus Backoffice Sales & e-commerce solutions (CashX) BOS - Introduction > A Strong application designed to automate and streamline Travel Agency s accounting and administration processes. > Enables accuracy, comprehensive reporting and analysis, complete customer profile, quick and convenient inventory and invoicing. > Integrated Solution Seamless dataflow between mid & back office Integration with Amadeus Selling Platform Single application for all point of sale needs > Integrated Management Fee > Supplier Management. BOS -Development Tools Technology behind the system, using RDMBS, with strong reporting applications: > RDBMS MS SQL Server 2005 > Application Development Tool ASP.net 2005 > Report / Document Editors Crystal reports > Application can work on internet / intranet Networks. BOS Modules > Security Module ˈ BOS System security Module ˈ Creating Users ˈ Grant of access rights to users ˈ > Transaction Module ˈ Mid-Office processes ˈ Integration with Amadeus A.I.R. ˈ Booking Module ˈ Invoicing, Refunds, Payments & Receipts ˈ Bank Tracking System ˈ > Finance Module ˈ GL Processes ˈ Chart of Accounts ˈ Ledger Accounts ˈ Trial Balance ˈ Many other features Finance Module ˈ > Management and Finance Reports ˈ Sale reports ˈ Ledger Statements ˈ Profit Reports ˈ Supplier Reports ˈ Bank reports ˈ Many other Backoffice Features > Integration with Amadeus PNR > Booking Module > Exchange Orders > Multiple service single invoice > Customer Profile with Discount / Fee Master > Passenger Profile maintenance > Multiple stock types and inventory > Bank Reconciliation > Strong Credit Control With Approval Process > Corporate Booking Request Module > Multiple Bank Cheque Inventory System > Misc. Service definition Master > BOS integrates wide range of Accounting features. (Receipts, Payment, ADM / ACM, Creation of Ledgers)

5 5 Reservation Guidelines -Important Do s & Don ts Air PNRs- Name Change > Don t use fictitious passenger names or speculative segments to block space to facilitate future booking requests. > Ensure passenger names are identical to travel documents & passports. > Please check GGPCALNCC and also GGAIRXX (or direct with the carrier) for name change policy and to gain name change authorities for each carrier in the PNR. > Amadeus will not be held responsible for any cancellation of bookings by the airlines, as a result of illegal name change. Flight Segment > Don t cancel an HL (Waitlist) segment and rebook the same flight as HK (confirmed) in one transaction as it may cause confusion and reject in the airline s system. It is recommended to do this in two separate transactions. > Don t cancel and rebook segments for the purpose of extending the airline s ticket time limit as it is considered system abuse by carriers and may result in PNR cancellation. > When making last minute bookings or changes ensure Record Locator Return in the PNR and ticket numbers are present prior to the flight going under airport control (depends on airline access level). > Don t create passive (PK) segments unless there is genuine need for ticketing. > Don t modify Segments when PNR is localized or taken over by airlines. > Never rebook a flight which has already been rejected as UN, NO, or UC status. > Delete (DL) rather than cancel (XE) all inactive segments with status codes HX/NO/UC/UN. Ticket Time Limit (TKTL) > Ensure you don t miss the airlines auto-ttl by changing your TKTL to a date prior. It is recommended you advise ticket numbers well in the advance of the airline s auto- TTL in case of messaging delays. In cases of last minute booking we recommend you contact the airline directly with ticket numbers. > Those airlines without auto-ttl, suggest to create an OSI/SSR element to advise of your intended ticketing date. Example OSYY TKTL 15SEP OR OSAI TKTL 1200/15SEP SROTHSYY-TKTL15SEP OR SROTHSMH-TKTL1200/15SEP (YY - to advise all airlines / MH - for specific airline only) Ticket Number Advice > Don t insert duplicate ticket number in SSR/OSI, if FA/FH element already exist. > Refer to either GGPCALFUN or GGPCAxx to check if the airlines in your PNR accept Ticket Number Transmission. If they do, ensure that an FA element with the ticket number is returned to your PNR before you make any PNR modifications. If the FA is not returned please contact your Amadeus Help- Desk. PNR Split > Don t make any modifications to a PNR in the same transaction as a split. > Ensure you have received the RLR from airline after split prior to modifying. > If RLR is not received contact your local Amadeus help desk. Record Locator Return > Most carriers return a RLR with in 4 hours, except standard access carriers which may take up to 12 hours. > If a RLR isn t returned please contact your Amadeus help desk. > Check with airline if PNR contains more than one RLR from the same airline. > Check time of RLR history (RLH) and PNR history (RH) to ensure modifications have been acknowledged by airline. > In case airline locator is not returned, don t create new PNR as it would lead to dupes in the airline system when the PNR is synchronized later, Also refrain from cancelling PNRs that have not received the airline locator. Report such cases to your helpdesk for further investigations. SSR/OSI > Don t use any of these special characters / symbols (*..,;:$) in AP, OSI & SSR fields in the PNR. They are not recognized by the airline s systems; hence they can be rejected upon transmission. > Cancel all inactive or unwanted SSR, OSI & RM elements in PNR to prevent confusion. > Contact numbers should be put in OSI YY. Duplicate Booking > Please ensure that no duplicate bookings are already created for same passenger. > Verify passenger s name by RT/PAX NAME. >It is recommended to query your customers if they have already made booking else where before commencing your PNR. >All multiple bookings where it seems impossible or unlikely that the passenger takes both flights be considered as duplicate in airline s systems. PNR Re-use > Don t re-use an inactive PNR which has expired. > Instead, you may use the RRP entry to copy the passenger s data to create a new PNR. Direct Access > Use the direct access availability display to book a seat on the airline participating in Direct Access (*) level. The seat is guaranteed upon end transaction (ET). Example 1XXAD 24MAR KULJKT (XX- two letter airline code). Standard Access > Don t use SB entry to rebook flights originally booked in Standard Access. Cancel and Rebook in two transactions. (Recommended) > The seat will be guaranteed 12 hours after bookings were made. The airline may have the rights to reject sales with status code -US- with in 12 hours. Refer to GGPCAXX for access level. Passive Booking > Ensure that name and flight details exactly match the airline s PNR. > If you wish to cancel the live booking you will need to contact the airline office, not just XE the passive segments. Test PNRs > Don t create test PNRs only for pricing purposes, Instead you can create PNRs with GK segment or use the Amadeus pricing by mask functionality (FQP/S option). Queue > Check queues regularly, The command to see the Queue Bank is QT.

6 6 Guidelines For Non-Acceptance Of TKNM Entry! Please note that effective 16TH AUGUST 2009 Saudi Arabian Airlines will only accept auto generated E-tickets (TKNE) for all its flights. Any other format such as manual input of ticket number is not accepted (TKNM) and, therefore, the booking will be cancelled if you try to issue tickets using these formats. Please ensure that tickets are issued as E-tickets to avoid any booking cancellations. Refer to the following guidelines for your reference: > Automated ticketing is the only acceptable ticket field for ticketed PNRs > (TKNM) indicated on the SSR and OSI will not be recognized and PNR will be cancelled automatically > Any change of booking will result in re-issue of the tickets without collecting sundry charges. > Re-issue charges will continue as normally applicable in case of re-issue for class change / re-routing or ticket renewal and change of reservation if penalty required as per the fare rules. Amadeus Premium - Announcement Dear Travel Partner! Amadeus would like to inform you that it has extended the Amadeus Premium date for claiming gifts till 25th October 2009 Don t miss the opportunity! Quiz Winners (March - Issue 16) Mr. Rodel V. Reus Quiz (Win a Digital Camera) Answer: WM/FWD/EML what is the command to print the E-Ticket copy without displaying PNR? Please your answers to: quiz@amadeus.com.sa to enter our Draw competition. Only one winner will be selected and notified by . Amadeus Saudi Arabia Congratulates Mr. Nashat M. Bukhari for completing EMBA degree from KFUPM! Mr. Nashat, completed his EMBA degree from KFUPM (King Fahad University of Petroleum & Minerals) this year. After his EMBA, he is keen to put all his learning, trainings, new thoughts and efforts to carry on Amadeus Operations more effectively & efficiently, and also to reshape the service excellence to our customers. Congratulations & Best of Luck to you Mr. Nashat Regards, Amadeus Saudi Arabia Amadeus Continues To Hire Travel Industry Professionals! Arman Sarang- Products & Solutions Manager Our new Product & Solutions Manager heading this department joined in July He brings 14 years of enormous experience from Airlines, GDS, Travel Technology & LCC side of the business covering all aspects of Aviation & Travel Industry business. His experience in ME markets will assist customers to deploy various Amadeus products & solutions in Saudi Arabia. His Quote as follows We Amadeus Saudi Arabia look forward to deploy broad spectrum of Products & Solutions that will change the way Travel business running today will be the year full of Products & Solutions to our customers that will help grow their business, increase profits and efficiencies Mujahed Aldhubaibi- Key Account Manager Our new Key Account Manager joined Amadeus Saudi Arabia in August He is appointed in Central region. Mr. Mujahed has more than 13 years of experience in Travel Industry. He has served Elite Travel Yemen as General Manager, Qatar Airways as Senior Sales Executive & Counter supervisor. His work diversity can be very beneficial for Amadeus. Amadeus Welcomes it s new members, and wish them Best of Luck. Newsletter Editor: Mohammed Asif Hakeem Ext: 1102 marketing@amadeus.com.sa