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Policy Information and Cost-Recovery Fee FAQ's.
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Updated: May 8, 2009
Delta
Booking Policy
Notice
of Enforcement
To: All
users of the Amadeus, Travelport/Galileo, Sabre, Worldspan or an alternative
Global Distribution Systems (GDS), including, but not limited
to, all Delta Air Lines appointed Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC) Accredited
Travel Agencies, all Non-ARC Accredited Agencies and Travel Service Providers,
all agency affiliates, travel service providers and corporations with a CTD
designation, and all Non-Delta appointed Subscribers to or Users of the Amadeus,
Travelport/Galileo, Sabre or Worldspan GDS, located within the 50 United States,
the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (all such
users collectively referred to herein as the “GDS Users” and all
such GDS's collectively referred to herein as the “Distribution Providers”).
Effective June 1, 2008,
Delta will audit all GDS User transactions to identify Booking Policy violations. When
a violation is identified, Delta will charge the GDS User a $3.50 per passenger,
per segment
fee or a $15.00 per segment
fee, depending on the nature of the violation, plus a $50 administrative fee
per debit memo. Please
see http://www.delta.com/travel-agency for
more information on Delta’s Booking Policy. Delta bookings include all
bookings utilizing the “DL” or “DL*”designator codes.
Outlined below is Delta’s
enforcement policy:
- EFFECTIVE DATE
These policies and procedures apply to
all Delta bookings made on or after June 1, 2008.
- ACTIVITIES AND FEES
The following fees are effective April 1, 2009. Please
refer to Delta’s Online Agency Service Center at www.delta.com/travel-agents
for more information.
C. SETTLEMENT
Delta reserves the right to use ARC
Memo Manager as the debit memo process
to recoup fees associated with booking policy violations.
D. SUBSCRIBER ACCEPTANCE
Each GDS User’s acceptance of and agreement to these new terms and
conditions is a condition of such GDS User’s continued appointment
as a Delta travel agent and/or Delta’s consent to permit such GDS User
to make Delta bookings through the GDS, as the case may be.
The continued booking of Delta air transportation services and products will
be deemed to constitute each GDS User’s acceptance of and agreement to
these new terms and conditions, and each GDS User’s first Delta booking
on or after June 1, 2008, shall constitute such acceptance and agreement.
Delta reserves the right to modify or amend any of the terms and conditions
set forth herein at any time upon notice from Delta.
Avoiding Booking Policy violations and subsequent enforcement penalties
Fee Logistics
Avoiding Booking Policy violations and fees
Where are Delta and Northwest's Booking Policies
published?
The Delta Booking Policy is published on the Online Agency Service Center under
GDS
Booking Policy
The Northwest Booking Policy is published on the agency website WorldAgent
Direct
Does the enforcement of the Booking Policy
apply to all GDS subscribers?
Yes, the Booking Policy covers all GDS subscribers regardless
of location:
- For Delta, enforcement
will initially be focused on GDS bookings bookings made within the 50 United
States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands.
- For Northwest, enforcement will initially be focused on GDS bookings
made within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,
the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada.
Will violations for both Delta and
Northwest be included in the same debit memo?
No. While the
fee structure for the Delta and Northwest booking policies are being
aligned, the respective policies will continue to be administered separately
with debit memos being issued by each airline.
How will Delta handle the previously unbilled
periods October 2008 through March 2009?
The new lower fees will apply to all previously unbilled booking violations
from October 2008 going forward. The first billing cycle will be for the
4th quarter of 2008 (October to December) with plans to continue processing
previously unbilled booking violations in two month increments until current.
Delta’s goal is to implement a monthly billing cycle however; some
billing cycles may include more than one month.
Since Northwest/KLM booking violations processing is up to date, historical
data is not applicable and the new fees will be effective starting April
1, 2009.
Is there a way for a GDS User to avoid
fees?
Yes, GDS users
can ensure they are not engaging in any booking activities that violate
the Delta or Northwest Booking Policy by reviewing Delta's GDS
Booking Policy page or Northwest's WorldAgent
Direct website.
Are bookings made on Farelogix included
in this policy?
Yes.
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Fee Logistics
How does Policy Enforcement affect my agency?
All agencies are required to comply with all Delta or Northwest Booking Policies
and Procedures. Delta and Northwest will audit booking activity, evaluating
the results and take appropriate action when violations are identified.
How will the penalties be calculated?
See Booking Policy Notice.
Does
the Booking Policy and Enforcement apply to bookings in all fare classes?
Yes.
When did Delta begin assessing fees under this
policy?
Delta began assessing fees on bookings made on or after June 1, 2008.
When will Delta and Northwest begin
assessing fees under this policy?
Delta and Northwest will begin assessing the revised fees for Booking Policy
violations incurred within all bookings on/after April 1, 2009.
Is
enforcement of the Booking Policy applied to booked or ticketed segments?
The Policy applies to booked segments, regardless of whether
the itinerary is ultimately ticketed.
How will itineraries that are booked but never
ticketed or canceled be treated?
The Booking Policy and Enforcement applies regardless of whether the itinerary
is ultimately ticketed or not. Any “DL” and “DL*” or
NW and NW* segment booked and not canceled or not traveled is a direct loss to
Delta and Northwest not only in GDS fees but also lost inventory.
What do I do if I have a question or wish to
dispute a debit memo?
Debit Memos will be distributed through the ARC
Memo Manager Product. This
product contains the ability to question and/or dispute a debit memo in the
website.
Does the Booking Policy
and its enforcement apply to codeshare or interline itineraries?
Yes. The policy applies to all segments which contain Delta’s “DL” or “DL*” or
Northwest’s NW or NW* flight designator code.
How does Delta and Northwest monitor agency booking practices
in regard to GDS activity?
Delta and Northwest maintain auditing systems that provide the ability
to review all GDS bookings and identify Booking Policy violations.
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What types of transactions generate GDS segment
fees to Delta and Northwest?
The GDSs charge Delta and Northwest for almost all booking activity including,
without limitation, sell, passive, cancel, waitlist, inactive and schedule
change transactions.
Is it appropriate for GDS Users who maintain
more than one GDS to copy PNR’s between GDS Systems but ticket in
only one system?
No; PNR’s are not to be copied between GDS’s for any reason.
What about automation systems that continually
look for lower fares and seats? If
a lower fare is found the system will cancel and rebook to the lower fare. Does this impact
Delta’s costs?
We
are aware of software programs that search for lower fares or alternative
seats. This practice adversely impacts Delta’s costs and Delta
will assess fees in such instances.
If the passenger does
not provide a full first name, is the PNR subject to cancellation?
Yes, GDS
Users must use the passenger’s full first name. The
use of initials in lieu of the passenger’s full first name will subject
the PNR to scrutiny and ultimately cancellation.
Can
GDS Users create a PNR with Passive Segments to issue a client itinerary
or invoice?
No, creating a PNR with Passive Segments to issue a client itinerary or invoice
is a violation of Delta and Northwest’s Booking Policy and violations
of this nature will result in violation fees discussed above. Please contact
your GDS regarding non billable booking practices.
What
about reservations made for fares that require 24-hour ticketing and the
passenger is not ready to purchase the ticket?
If the passenger is not ready to purchase before expiration
of the 24-hour ticketing period, the PNR must be canceled. This releases
the inventory for sale to other customers who are ready to make their ticket
purchases. Holding inventory beyond the 24-hour ticketing period is a violation
of Delta and Northwest’s booking policies and directly harms the airlines
and other customers by preventing the sale of these seats to customers who
are ready to purchase.
What if a passenger is unable to provide a final
itinerary for their trip?
Passengers may hold a single reservation under the terms of the published
fare rules (e.g. 24 hour ticketing rules). Passengers may not hold duplicate,
overlapping space for the purpose of shopping or firming an itinerary (e.g.
alternate city/flight/date/class of service).
What is Churning?
Churning refers to any repeated booking or canceling of the same itinerary
in the same class or different classes of service across one or more passenger
name records or GDSs including, without limitation, to circumvent or extend
ticketing time limits, hold inventory or to meet GDS productivity requirements.
Can a name be changed on an already booked PNR?
In general, Delta and Northwest do not allow a name to be changed on an existing
PNR. The PNR would need to be canceled and a new reservation made using
the current availability. In instances where a name change is authorized,
it should be done through Delta’s Global Service Center or through
Northwest’s Sales Support or Reservation Center.
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Delta Booking Rules
Notice of Cost-Recovery Fee for Delta Bookings on Amadeus, Travelport/Galileo,
Sabre
and Worldspan
To: All users of the Amadeus, Travelport/Galileo & Worldspan, and Sabre Global
Distribution Systems (GDS), including, but not limited to, all Delta Air Lines
appointed Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC) Accredited Travel Agencies, all
Non-ARC Accredited Agencies and Travel Service Providers, all agency affiliates,
travel service providers and corporations with a CTD designation, and all Non-Delta
appointed Subscribers to or Users of the Amadeus, Travelport/Galileo & Worldspan, and Sabre GDS, located within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (all such users
collectively referred to herein as the “GDS Users” and all such
GDS's collectively referred to herein as the “Distribution Providers”).
From: Delta Air Lines, Inc.
Re: Cost Recovery Fee Effective August 1, 2007
Effective August 1, 2007, Delta is implementing a Cost Recovery Fee for all
GDS Users (as defined above) who choose to use higher cost Distribution Products
of the Distribution Providers (as defined above) to make Delta bookings. These
GDS Users will be required to share in Delta’s increased distribution
costs for such use. Delta bookings include all bookings utilizing the “DL” designator
code.
One of Delta’s objectives is to cost-effectively provide its content
across all distribution channels to its travel agency partners and corporate
customers so that they may use the vehicle of their choice to sell Delta. Travel
agencies and other GDS Users using Delta’s ‘Preferred Booking Products’ will
have access to Delta’s content and will be exempt from the Cost Recovery
Fee.
Delta recognizes that some travel agencies and other GDS Users may elect to
access Delta content through a product of a Distribution Provider that is not
considered a Preferred Booking Product. These ‘Other Booking Products’ are
more expensive to Delta and, as such, GDS Users who elect to use these channels
to book Delta content will be assessed a Cost Recovery fee in order to help
defray these higher costs. Also, at a later date, Delta may elect to withhold
content from GDS Users using one or more of these Other Booking Products.
Outlined below are Delta’s new policies and procedures
1. Eligible Agencies and Travel Service Providers
These policies and procedures apply to all Delta bookings made on or after
August 1, 2007 and originating by GDS Users located in the 50 United States,
the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
2. Cost-Recovery Fee
The following fee is effective August 1, 2007 (last update November
5, 2007)
| Booking Channels |
Products |
Per Segment Cost Recovery Fee
for Delta Bookings |
| Delta |
Preferred Booking Products
|
None |
Sabre
Galileo
Worldspan
Amadeus |
|
None |
Sabre
Galileo
Worldspan
Amadeus |
Other Booking Products
|
$3.50 |
*Please contact Delta Air Lines or the GDS for more product information.
3. Invoicing and Settlement
A. Invoicing
a. Eligible Bookings. GDS Users will be invoiced based
upon their net passenger segments (including billable passive segments) booked
through an Other Booking Product, using the booking data provided to Delta
by the applicable Distribution Provider. For example, if a GDS User uses the
Other Booking Product of a Distribution Provider to create a 2-segment PNR
for a single passenger to travel from ATL-LGA-ATL, this booking counts as two
gross passenger segments. If the Travel Agency cancels the final flight segment
(LGA-ATL), the Travel Agency would be charged only for creating one net booked
passenger segment.
b. Billing Periods. Billing periods begin on the first calendar
day of the month and end on the last calendar day of the month. Relevant periods
for purposes of the Cost-Recovery fees are: the "transaction month" (i.e.
the calendar month for which Cost-Recovery fees are being assessed); the "reporting
month" (i.e. the calendar month following the transaction month) and the "collection
month" (i.e. the calendar month during which settlement of the Cost-Recovery
fees shall be due from the GDS User).
c. Process. Normally, invoices for Cost-Recovery fees resulting
from the use of the Other Booking Product of a Distribution Provider will be
provided to the GDS User within 30 days after the conclusion of the transaction
month, generally on or about the last day of the reporting month. For example,
the invoice for the August transaction month will be sent on or about the beginning
of October.
B. Settlement
a. Payment Terms. The GDS User will have 30 days from the
invoice date to make full payment to Delta.
b. Enforcement. If payment is not received within 30 days
from the date of invoice, Delta will deduct the unpaid amount from any payments
due from Delta to the GDS User, including any incentive or override payments.
Additionally, failure to pay will constitute a violation of this Booking Rule.
If Cost-Recovery fees from Delta Air Lines Appointed Airline Reporting Corporation
(ARC) Accredited Travel Agencies remain unpaid or unresolved, Delta may (pursuant
to the ARC Agent Reporting Agreement and this Booking Rule), upon written notice
to the GDS User, immediately terminate the Delta appointment of such GDS User
and/or any agency location of such GDS User. If Cost-Recovery fees from Non-Delta
Appointed Subscribers. Non-ARC Accredited Agencies, or other GDS Users remain
unpaid or unresolved, Delta may direct the Distribution Providers to turn off
such GDS User’s ability to make Delta bookings. In addition, Delta may
also pursue any other remedies available.
c. Credits and Exceptions. Credits may be issued only when
Delta determines that a billing error has occurred. Credit memos will be issued
to GDS Users and such credit memos may be remitted to pay all or a portion
of the next invoice. No other exceptions are recognized.
C. Support
a. Invoices will include contact information for assistance with GDS
User questions about billing details and potential billing errors.
4. Subscriber Acceptance
Each GDS User’s acceptance of and agreement to these new terms and conditions
is a requirement for the continuation of such GDS User’s appointment
as a Delta travel agent, and or continuation of such GDS User’s ability
to make Delta bookings through the GDS, as the case may be.
The continued booking of Delta air transportation services and products will
be deemed to constitute each GDS User’s acceptance of and agreement to
these new terms and conditions, and each GDS User’s first Delta booking
on or after August 1, 2007, shall constitute such acceptance and agreement.
Delta reserves the right to modify or amend any of the terms and conditions
set forth herein at any time upon notice from Delta.
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Which GDS Users are subject to the Cost Recovery
Fee?
Which GDS's are subject to the Cost Recovery Fee?
Is there a way for a GDS User to avoid
the $3.50 per segment Cost Recovery Fee?
Is it possible for agencies to book directly on delta.com?
Is G2 a viable alternative at this time?
Content
If I pay the $3.50 per segment Cost Recovery Fee,
does that mean that I will have access to Delta’s "full content"?
Fee Logistics
How will my Cost Recovery Fee invoice be calculated?
How are "net segments" calculated?
Does the Cost Recovery Fee apply to bookings in all fare classes?
Is the Cost Recovery Fee applied to booked or ticketed segments?
When will agencies and other GDS Users receive their first invoice?
Does the Cost Recovery Fee apply to changes in itineraries?
How will itineraries that are booked but never ticketed or canceled be treated?
Will the Cost Recovery Fee apply to codeshare or interline itineraries?
If a booking is made in August and canceled in September, does the
Agency or other GDS User receive a credit?
Which
GDS users are subject to the Cost Recovery Fee (CRF)?
All users of the Amadeus, Travelport/Galileo & Worldspan, and Sabre Global Distribution
Systems (GDS), including, but not limited to, all Delta Air Lines Appointed Airline
Reporting Corporation (ARC) Accredited Travel Agencies, all Non-ARC Accredited
Agencies and Travel Service Providers, all agency affiliates, travel service
providers and corporations with a CTD designation, and all Non-Delta Appointed
Subscribers to or Users of the Amadeus, Travelport/Galileo & Worldspan, and Sabre
GDS, located within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico
and the U.S. Virgin Islands (all such users collectively referred to herein as
the “GDS Users.”
The GDS's are Amadeus, Travelport/Galileo & Worldspan, and Sabre (all such
GDS's collectively referred to herein as the “Distribution Providers”).
Is there a way for a GDS User to avoid
the $3.50 per segment Cost Recovery Fee?
Yes, the GDS User can book via one of the Preferred Booking Products
listed in the table.
Is it possible for agencies to book
directly on delta.com?
Yes. Travel agencies may book securely using their ARC/IATA numbers on Delta.com’s
Online Agency Service Center located at delta.com/travel-agency. In addition,
bookings made on Delta’s Online Agency Service Center are included in agency
incentive calculations for those agencies with which Delta has an incentive program.
Is G2 a viable alternative at
this time?
Yes. Travel agencies who are interested in learning more about this new,
alternative distribution provider are encouraged to contact G2 directly
at g2switchworks.com.
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Content
Delta reserves the right to withhold content from these ‘Other Booking
Products.’
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Fee Logistics
How will my Cost Recovery
Fee invoice be calculated?
The total Cost Recovery Fee invoice will be calculated by multiplying the number
of net passenger segments booked by the GDS User through the Distribution
Provider during the month by $3.50.
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How
are "net segments" calculated?
Net segments are the sum of all segments (including billable passive
segments) created during the billing period, less all segments canceled prior
to the applicable flight departure.
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Does the Cost Recovery Fee apply to bookings in
all fare classes?
Yes.
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Is the Cost Recovery Fee applied to booked or
ticketed segments?
The fee applies to booked segments, regardless of whether the itinerary is
ultimately ticketed.
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When will agencies receive their first invoice?
The first invoice will be for the August 1-31, 2007 billing period and will
be sent out on or about the beginning of October 2007.
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Does the Cost Recovery Fee apply to changes
in itineraries?
Yes. The Cost Recovery Fee will apply to all net segments, whether through
an originated or changed itinerary. If an agency books two segments, then cancels
one, the Cost Recovery Fee charged to the agency would be based on one net
segment. If the agent subsequently books two more segments, the Cost Recovery
Fee charged to the agency would be based on three net booked segments.
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How will itineraries that are booked
but never ticketed or canceled be treated?
The Cost Recovery Fee is based on bookings, not ticketed segments; therefore,
the GDS User will be assessed a Cost Recovery Fee on such unticketed and non-canceled
bookings.
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Will the Cost Recovery Fee apply to codeshare
or interline itineraries?
Yes. The Distribution Provider charges Delta for any segments which contain
Delta’s “DL” flight designator code; therefore, GDS Users
will be assessed a Cost Recovery Fee on those segments.
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If a booking is made in August and canceled
in September, does the Agency receive a credit?
Yes. The booking made in August would be included in the number of net segments
billed for the month of August, however, the cancellation in September would
decrease the number of net segments billed for the month of September by the
same amount.
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