In an effort to reduce distribution costs without compromising the many services we offer to our customers, China Southern Airlines (CZ) has implemented a formal GDS booking policy. The policy is intended to reduce the costs associated with inactive segments and other booking-related practices which cause negative inventory consequences.
This policy applies to all GDS subscribers including travel agents (Accredited and Non-Accredited) . ( IATA and NON-IATA agents)
- Booking and ticketing policy terms
- Irregularities ticket handling operation
When the agent uses GDS to make reservations on CZ’s flights, the flight seat reservations and sales shall be carried out in accordance with the regulations of CZ. The following behaviors shall not occur:
- False ticket number
- False passenger information
- One ticket or one passenger name for multiple seats
- One passenger’s multiple flight trips that are not possible at the same time
- One passenger repeatedly booking and cancellation on same travel dates and OD
- Refund whilst holding inventory
- Invalid ticket whilst holding inventory
- Other irregularities ticket handling operations
- Removal of non-productive status codes
(1) During booking, agents should leave passengers’ contact or agents’ mailbox information in PNR. When the agent receives Q message concerning schedule change or flight cancellation, the agent has the responsibility to inform passenger as soon as possible through effective ways, such as email, phone call or messages on APP.
(2) GDS agents should promptly remove all non-productive segments with status codes of HX, NO, UC, UN, HL, SC, TL, TN, UU, US, PN ,WL, WN ,DL, DS, IX, MM, RM, GL from the PNR.
- Punishment on violation
- Accredited agents ( IATA )
For violation on ITEM 3 and cost unnecessary booking fee of GDS, the agent should compensate for the loss as below:
- In case that agents fail to inform the passenger of a schedule change or flight cancellation which leads to passenger complaints, agents should pay 1000 RMB compensation or equal local currency per ticket.
- Duplicate booking - Multiple seats for a passenger, including but not limited to multiple seats with the same origin and destination, or multiple flight trips that are not possible at the same time, and duplicated booking in different GDS. The agent should compensate for $8 per flight segment for duplicate booking.
- Churning - More than 3 times of cancellation and booking on the same passenger name, flight date, and itinerary. 5 US dollars compensation for each segment since the fourth time.
- Inactive Segments - It is agent’s responsibility to monitor the queues and release inactive segments with HX, UN, UC, NO, SC, TK, TL, TN, UU, US, PN, WL, WN, DL, DS, IX, MM, RM, GL or WK status codes from the booking. Fail to remove these segments in 24 hours before departure would result in a 5 US dollars compensation for each segment.
- Fictitious Name - pay 8 US dollars per flight segment for compensation.
- Any other violations - 5 US dollars compensation for each segment.
- Non accredited agents (NON-IATA)
If more than 3 times violations are found, the agent will be blocked according to the BIDT billing audit data. If the agent applies for unblocking, it must compensate for the loss according to the violation standard of the accredited agents beforehand.
China Southern Airlines will monitor all transactions to identify booking abuses and practices which are not in line with this policy.