ATPCO Baggage Calculator makes baggage policies easily accessible at time of pricing, reservations, and check-inFor immediate release Now that IATA Resolution 302 has gone into effect, ATPCO has launched a suite of automated baggage solutions to make it easier for travelers and airline employees to find out whose baggage rules apply, what bags are allowed free, and how much it costs to bring along extra bags. ATPCO’s new baggage calculation engine not only creates a more transparent experience for passengers who are checking bags on airline trips, but also enables airlines to better protect their revenues, especially those resulting from interline and alliance travel. In preparation for Resolution 302, which sets forth a standard process for determining which airline’s baggage rules apply on interline travel, ATPCO has been working in close cooperation with IATA to establish an industry database of Baggage Allowance and Charges. More than 280 airlines—representing nearly 90 percent of the world’s global traffic—have contributed their baggage policies to ATPCO so far, making its database the most comprehensive source of baggage information in the world. With the Baggage Allowance and Charges data solution, airlines can update their baggage policies any time they want through ATPCO’s Internet-enabled user interface. They can also request that ATPCO update baggage policies on their behalf. All new and updated policies are then made available for distribution every hour on the hour to the airline pricing systems. In addition to building its Baggage Allowance and Charges database, ATPCO was driven by the airlines’ need for more advanced tools to support their pricing, reservations and departure control systems and created a real-time, XML-based method of calculating the actual price of checking extra bags. Using ATPCO’s new Baggage Calculator products, airlines, systems, online travel agencies, travel management companies, and other travel resellers can establish a back-end connection to the ATPCO system or they can submit manual queries to the new calculation engine. Both Baggage Calculators provide 24/7 access to accurate and real-time baggage data quickly and easily; they only differ in their access method. The Baggage Calculator Integrated is a dynamic XML-based Web service that an airline can incorporate within its own pricing, reservations and departure control systems, while the Baggage Calculator Online is a Web-based version of this solution that can be accessed from any Internet-connected computer. Together, these products offer solutions for airlines, systems and travel companies of all sizes. With the delivery of ATPCO’s Baggage Allowance and Charges database, airlines have an industry-approved method of implementing Resolution 302, and, with the release of ATPCO’s Baggage Calculators, they also have a ready-made and sophisticated software solution to process and price their baggage data, saving the industry a significant amount of time and money. |
Contacts Darin Jones Jackie Allder |
