Passenger Name Record - Parts of A PNR

Parts of A PNR

From a technical point, there are five parts of a PNR required before the booking can be completed. They are:

• The name of the passenger(s).
• Contact details for the travel agent or airline office.
• Ticketing details, either a ticket number or a ticketing time limit.
• Itinerary of at least one segment, which must be the same for all passengers listed.
• Name of the person providing the information or making the booking.

Other information, such as a timestamp and the agency's pseudo-city code, will go in to the booking automatically. All entered information will be retained in the "history" of the booking.

Once the booking has been completed to this level, the CRS will issue a unique alpha-numeric record locator, which will remain the same regardless of any further changes made (except if a multi-person PNR is split). Each airline will create their own booking record with a unique record locator, which, depending on service level agreement between the CRS and the airline(s) involved, will be transmitted to the CRS and stored in the booking.

A considerable amount of other information is often desired by both the airlines and the travel agent to ensure efficient travel. This includes:

• Fare details, and any restrictions that may apply to the ticket.
• The form of payment used, as this will usually restrict any refund if the ticket is not used.
• Further contact details, such as agency phone number and address, additional phone contact numbers at passenger address and intended destination.
• Age details if it is relevant to the travel, e.g., unaccompanied children or elderly passengers requiring assistance.
• Frequent flyer data.
• Special service request code (SSR) such as special meal requirements, seating preferences, wheelchairs, and other similar requests.
• "Optional Services instruction" (OSI), information sent to a specific airline, or all airlines in the booking, which enables them to better provide a service. This information can include ticket numbers, local contacts details (the phone section is limited to only a few entries), and other details such as a passenger's language or details of a disability.
• Vendor Remarks. VRs are comments made by the airline, typically generated automatically once the booking or request is completed. These will normally include the airline's own record locator, replies to special requests, and advice on ticketing time limits. While normally sent by the airlines to an agent, it is also possible for an agent to send a VR to an airline.

In more recent times, many governments now require the airline to provide further information included to assist investigators tracing criminals or terrorists. These include:

• Passengers' gender
• Passport details- nationality, number, and date of expiry.
• Date and Place of Birth.
• Redress Number