Volantus

The Fare LoaderVolantus Fares User Document

 

 

Overview

 

Volantus Fares is a fare loading tool that allows aAirlines, travel agents and consolidators to create, modify, querycreate airline fares and check availability of fares with Amadeus. The loading tool also includes consolidator fares from Travelpack and Unijet. Imagine being able to enter your own fares and also query Travelpack and Unijet fares and pick the cheapest fare for you customer, and then be able to check to see if the flight is still available. All this is possible with Volantus Fares, the most comprehensive and most cost effective fare loading tool on the market.

 

In summary Volantus Fares has the following features:

·        Contract entry, modification and deletion

·        Fare Querying- for example query all fares from MAN to LAX on 15/Dec/02

·        Availability – check if fares are available with Amadeus

·        Travelpack, Unijet consolidator fares

·        Updating -complex updating of all fares - for example the addition of $10 to all fares from MAN to LAX

·        Deleting -complex deletion of contracts and routings. For example delete all fares from MAN to LAX flying BA

 

 

 

 

and need a tool in which to store, query and update them. For example an airline might create a contract with a fare from MAN to LAX for $100 on BA in April. An agent may want to look up this fare in order to book it for a client. Also, in the future the airline may want to add $10 to this fare. The fare loader allows these tasks to be completed using one simple tool.

 

The Fare Loader is designed for:

QUser friendly front end for the loading of fares

QDesigned for complex itineraries

QSimplifies and speeds up contract loading

QIs generic, thus allowing worldwide use

QIs XML based, allowing for standardised data transfer between the Fare Loader and the databases.

QFare loading across intranet and internet using COM and SOAP servers

 

This document shows users how to use the Fare Loader and assumes the user is familiar with common travel terminology.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

1.      Logging in

 

2.      Global Values

 

3.      Routings

 

4.      Rules

 

5.      Creating, Saving and Deleting Contracts

 

6.      Opening an existing contract

 

7.      Default and Current

 

8.      Restrictions

 

9.      Seasons

 

10.  Add-ons

 

11.  Open Jaws

 

12.  Groups

 

13.  Return Grid

 

14.  Layered Contracts

 

15.  Left Handed Contracts

 

16.  Vice Versa’s

 

17.  Buy-Ups

 

18.  Proofing

 

19.  Queries

 

20.  Updates

 

21.  Deleting Contracts and Routings

 

22.  Exporting

 

23.  Archive

 

24.  External Contracts

 

25.  Modifying and View Tables

 

26.  Options

 

27.  Administration

 

28.  Markups

 

29.  Volantus Fares Problem Reporting

 

30.  Contract Storage

 

31.  Travelpack Import

3. Routings

 

4. Restrictions

 

5. Default Seasons a) Weekend supplement

b) Pricing grid

c) Tax

4. 6. Add-ons

 

5. Layers

 

6. Left/Right Handed Contracts

 

4.Buy-ups

 

 

4. Current and how it works

 

4.Saving a contract

 

4.Exporting

 

4.Archive

 

4.Open an existing contract

 

4.External contracts

 

4.Modifying and viewing tables

 

4.Technical Issues a) Fare loading across internet/ intranet

b) the Fare Loader to Search Engine Issues

c) Search Engine

 

1. Logging in

 

When the Fare LoaderVolantus Fares is first executed a login screen appears as below:

 

 

 

The login is password protected and therefore allows a record isto be maintained of the person entering a contract.name of the person who entered the contract. A new user can be added by entering a new user name and then entering a new password.

 

The users name and password will be stored as encrypted XML.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.Global Values

This is the first screen that appears. It contains parameters that are used by the whole contract, for example currency.

 

 

 

The following is a list of the global values:Airlines in Use Provides the ability to open for an existing fare reference by

airline.

 

Fare Ref A unique fare reeference, which distinguishes the contract.

 

Ticketing Airline The airline, which is providing the contract.

 

Description Provides a description of the fare reference to facilitate

the search for a particular contract.

 

Currency Specifies the currency in which the fares are stored.

 

Fare Type The type of fare, E-Economy, C-Club, F-First

 

Origin Details of the supplier, who provides the contracts and tickets.

 

ATOL/License The ATOL or license number of the supplier, providing the contract and the tickets.

 

Apex The period of time in days/months/years that applies to the

Advance purchase of a ticket.

 

Contract Settings

By default the simpleist type of contract can be entered without distractions such as stopovers, buyups and blackouts. For more complicated contracts the user can click these check boxes to make it possible ffor more complicated contract entries (eg buyups).

these parameters to be entered.

 

 

 

Outbound and Inbound flight restrictions signify that there will be flight number restrictions. Layers signifies that there are can multiple levels of restrictions and seasons. Left handed signifies if a contract is left handed or not and taxes and net remit allow contracts to contain tour codes and taxes. Further explanation will be given in the document regarding these parameters.

 

Journey Type

 

 

Return If checked is a return fare otherwise is oneway

 

Vice Versa Indicates that either of the above are valid vice

versa, providing the parameters are identical.

 

Student

This panel is visible when the 'Student Youth' check box is checked in the 'Contract Settings' group box.

 

Minimum age The minimum age of the student or youth

 

Maximum age The maximum age of the student or youth

 

Type Student or Youth – this activates the display of the rules relevant

to either a student or youth fare.

 

3. ROUTING

The routing section of Volantus Fares allows the departure, arrival points and via points to entered for a given fare. In the example shown below the contract has the following flights:

 

MAN via MEL to JKF

MAN via MEL to LAX

MAN via SYD to JFK

MAN via SYD to LAX

	Routing Grid

 

 

The routing grid allows combinations of flights to be entered without the user having to enter each combination by hand.

 

Via Points

In the example above the fare has via points MEL and SYD. To add a via point column to the routing grid click on the ‘Add Via’ button at the bottom of the routing grid. To delete a via column, click on the via column then click on the ‘Remove Via’ button.

 

Or Groups

Volantus Fares also allows separate routings to be entered in the routing grid. For example, a contract may have flights from MAN to JFK and LAX (with via points MEL or SYD) and also a direct flight from MEL to SYD. To create separate routings OR groups can be used. For example:

 

 

In the example above the MAN to JFK, LAX and MEL to SYD fares are separated by an OR group. To add an OR group click on the ‘Add Or’ button. To delete an OR group click on the OR group to delete and then click on the ‘Delete Or’ button.

 

Copying Sectors

It is possible to copy one sector to another. For example you may wish to copy the sector LAX to another OR group. All the seasons and restrictions for that sector will be copied. To copy a sector click on the airport in the routing grid and click on the Copy menu item in the menu. To paste the sector in the routing grid, click on the cell you wish to paste the sector then click on paste in the menu item.

 

The following is a summary of the columns in the routing grid:

 

From The three letter airport code which specifies the main departure point n of the itinerary or a group code, which represents a previously created group of airports.

 

 

To The three letter airport code which specifies the arrival point or a group code, which represents a previously created group of airports.

 

Via Provides an additional columns for entering via points.

 

Each sector of the journey provides fields to enter information regarding the two

Letter airline code and the specific class to be reserved for this fare.

 

A Airline on that sector

 

C Class on that sector

 

The routing grid allows for combinations of departure, via and arrival points. The example above represents LAX to LHR on BA class C and the journey, MEL to SYD on VS class G.

 

Add Or Enables the user to show additional combinations for example

class, via points and destination airports which do not apply across the board. The ‘Add Or’ button creates a line between each group as indicated in the above routing box above.

 

When parameters are variable, they are left blank on the default page and entered on the current page linked to the specific airport. In this way a user can easily set information that applies to the whole contract within the default frame.

 

43. Rules

The rules panel allows a user to set the free rule text for the current contract. A user can create a library of rules for a given airline and these rules can be used by other contracts with the same ticketing airline. Also a rules can be entered for a contract only and not for use by other contracts. In the example below the contract BA/037485 is using the rule code BA/037485 which is one of the rules available to all BA contracts.

 

 

Rule Grid

 

The rules panel allows a user to set the free rule text for the current contract. A user can create a library of rules for a given airline that can be used by other contracts with the same ticketing airline. Also a rule can be entered for a given contract that is not part of the library and is used solely by the contract it is entered for. In the example above, contract JTCOTHR is using the rule code JCOTHR which is one of the rules available to all OS contracts.

Entering Rule for a Contract

Rules can be entered solely for the contract you are working on. To enter such a rule click on the Rules item and enter the rule free text.

 

Adding, Deleting and Assigning Rule Codes

Contracts can be assigned a rule codes rather than entering a rule text for a given contract. This is useful if multiple contracts use the same rules. If the rule code rule is modified then all contracts using the rule code will also have the change. Rule codes are assigned to a free text rule for a given airline. To create a new rule code, right click on ‘Add Rule’ in the airline tree, under the airline you wish to create the rule code for. For example:

 

Click on Add Rule to add a rule and enter the rule code name. Once a rule code is created it will appear under the rules item in the tree. If you click on it you can then edit the rule code. In the example below the user has entered the rule code BA/037485. To save the rule code click on the close button on the top left hand corner of the rules section.

 

 

 

To delete a rule, click on the rule to delete in Rules folder of the airline tree and right click on the ‘Delete Rule’ menu item.

 

To assign a rule code to a contract, again right click on the rule code under the rules item and the ‘Assign Rule to Contract’ menu item will be visible. Selecting this menu item assigns the rule code to the contract that is currently loaded.

 

Unassign Rule Code

If a contract has a rule code assigned an ‘Unassign Rule Code’ button will appear in the rule frame. Click on this button to unassign the current contracts rule code. The contents of the rule will be copied into the rule but will not longer