Overview

This document will detail how the Fare Hold Time feature works on the Desktop, Web.  This feature is enabled when Business Rule 717 'Enable_TTL' is set to Y. For it to work in the desktop, however, BR 209, Auto Hold, also needs to be set to Y.  (GDS, web are not affected by BR 209; API's dependency with BR209 is based on the distribution channel used). 

This feature allows reservations to be placed on hold based on fares.  To calculate the reservation fare hold time: (1) calculate individual PAX hold times based on fares;  (2) compare the individual PAX hold times and the most restrictive (shortest hold time) becomes the reservation's hold time.  The additional rule is for the desktop when there is no hold time on a reservation, a 30 min hold time will take into effect (BR TTL=Y, BR209=Y), giving time for agent to create reservation, fill PAX information and pay for reservation.  

When the following changes occur, the hold time is re-evaluated for a reservation:

• Add PAX:

  • From reservation page

  • Check In page

• Cancel PAX

• Add Leg

• Edit Leg

• Cancel Leg

You can also change a PAX's fare manually (by going into the Reservation Screen > Charges > Selecting the fare and clicking 'Edit'.

Business Rules

This table will detail how the business rules applicable to Fare Hold work.

Setup Fare Hold Times

In the AmeliaRes Desktop, navigate to Utilities/Inventory Setup. The 'Hold Time' button will be enabled once a fare is selected.  Clicking Hold Time, will open the Fare Hold Time screen.

Utilities/Inventory Setup Screen


Fare Hold Time Screen


Clicking the 'Add' button will allow you to create a fare hold time within specific date ranges. Clicking 'Delete' will remove a selection from the grid. In both cases, the changes will only save when clicking the 'Save' button.
Latest Advanced Booking (days): The value entered here specifies what date range the fare hold time applies to.
Time after booking (mins): This specifies how long after a booking is created that the reservation will be put on hold for. You can enter 0-9 digits, or leave the field blank.
Time before STD (mins): This specifies how long the reservation will be put on hold before the flight departs. You can enter 0-9 digits, or leave the field blank.
Earlier/Later: This value will be enabled only if both the Time after booking (min) and Time before STD (mins) are set.

• Earlier: When 'Earlier' is selected, the most restrictive (I.E. whatever value provides the least amount of hold time) will be selected between that row's Time after booking (min) and Time before STD (mins).

• Later: When 'Later' is selected, the least restrictive (I.E., whatever value provides the most amount of hold time) will be selected between that row's Time after booking (min) and Time before STD (mins).

Using the above picture, here is a breakdown of each row:

• 29 days (or more): The booking could be held for 10080 minutes after booking time. There’s no restriction for time hold before flight, so the booking could be held until flight departure time.

• 16 days - 28 days: Hold time based on booking time is not applicable. The booking will be held until 60 mins before flight departure. 

• 8 days - 15 days: The booking could be held for 4320 minutes and not exceed flight departure time - 60 mins. Because we have 'Earlier' selected, it will pick the more restrictive option (whatever offers the least amount of hold time).

• 0 days - 7 days: Hold time for fare class is not applicable and will be assumed to be 0.

Below is an example of how Earlier/Later works:

A booking is created and the fare hold time says:

→ When hold times are specified as both a time after booking and time before STD:

•  

  • “hold it for 3 hours after booking”

  • “hold it until 2 hours before departure”

• Scenario 1: You create a booking four hours before STD, the booking will be held until two hours before flight departure. This is because Earlier forces the most restrictive (least amount of hold time). In this case, Time before STD is a hold time of two hours (Four hours after booking - two hours before STD).

• Scenario 2: You create a booking 10 hours before STD, the booking will be held until three hours before flight departure. This time, the most restrictive option is the Time after booking hold of three hours compared to the Time before STD hold of eight hours (10 hours before STD - two hours before STD). 

• Scenario 1: You create a booking four hours before STD, the booking will be still be held until two hours before flight departure. The hold time doesn't change compared to before, because we are not able to hold beyond two hours before departure. That means although Time after booking would allow us to hold for three hours, it is restricted to two.

• Scenario 2: You create a booking 10 hours before STD, the booking will be held until eight hours before flight departure. This time, the least restrictive option is the Time before STD hold of eight hours (10 hours before STD - two hours before STD). Since Time after booking only will hold for three hours, the system will choose the eight hour hold time instead.

It is likely that different fares will have different hold times set. This means that a reservation could have two passengers or several legs all with different fares (and thus different fare hold times).
In these situations, the most restrictive (least amount of hold time) will be selected among the relevant fares on the reservation.

Desktop

On the Fare Hold Time screen, if no hold time is set, then the reservation will default to a 30 minute hold time based on BR 209 = Y. Otherwise, the Fare Hold Time will be what is indicated in the Fare Hold Time table.

Utilities/Inventory Setup

The hold time for a reservation will be recalculated each time a passenger is added or cancelled. Likewise, the hold time will also recalculate each time a leg is added or removed. The hold time will also be adjusted if you edit a leg to a different day or change its fare.

You can also change a PAX's fare manually (by going into the Reservation Screen > Charges > Selecting the fare and clicking 'Edit'.

Reservation Charges Screen

Charges Edit Screen


This will give the PAX a new fare for that segment, but will not cause a fare hold time revalidation.

If a passenger is Split from a reservation, the original reservation will not change its hold time, even if that removed PAX had the most 'restrictive' hold. The newly created reservation will have a hold time applied (if applicable) as usual.

Web

The fare hold times apply to the Web bookings, regardless of BR209. However, the reservations will still be put on a short hold even if a fare with no hold setting is chosen. This allows the user time to make a payment, so that the reservation doesn't cancel immediately after booking.
Public, User Profile, and Agent bookings are all capable of using the fare hold times (so long as they have the ability to pay later/put the reservation on hold).

LEGACY IBE	SOAR AGENT

LEGACY IBE	SOAR AGENT
Open	The following permissions must be granted for agents to place reservations on hold.   Open Once the permission is granted, the hold option will be displayed as one of the payment methods

Once the booking is created, you will be able to see the hold time on the Itinerary.aspx page, or the EditRes.aspx page for your reservation.
Itinerary.aspx

EditRes.aspx

Like in the Desktop, adding a PAX or a Adding/Removing/Editing a Leg will cause the hold time to recalculate. If you add a PAX with a fare hold time of 50 hours (compared to the 100 hours currently applied to the reservation), then the hold time will change to 50 hours because that is more restrictive.

Similarly, if you have three legs on the reservation, with 24, 48, and 72 hours of hold time respectively:

• If you cancel the leg with 24 hours of hold time, the reservation will use the 48 hours as the next most restrictive option.

• If you then cancel the 72 hours of hold time, the reservation will verify, but because 72 hours was less restrictive than 48, the hold time will not change.

• If you edit the 48 hour fare hold time leg to a fare with a different hold time, then the hold time will also change as that is the only segment left on the reservation, and so it is by default the most restrictive.