With literally billions of possibilities for the conditions of any airline ticket, how is it possible to keep all that data standardized, easy to understand, and organized?
The options for airline tickets are incredibly complex, and the more you learn about them, the more there are! Is a Saturday-night stay required? Do you have to be a member of the military? How many days in advance do you have to buy a ticket, and what’s the window for changing it for free? If you’re bringing a baby, do they get their own seat? Questions like these are just the beginning.
When ATPCO digitized all this information in the 1990s, we had to sort out these billions of possibilities into a manageable system. We set up an organization that would leave room for the industry to grow and handle new options when they became necessary. And that’s how ATPCO’s famous “cats” were born.
So, what are ATPCO fare rules categories? Let’s dive into what ATPCO fare rules categories are, the purpose they serve, and what each category covers.
What are ATPCO fare rules categories?
ATPCO fare rules categories make up a structure within ATPCO’s Automated Rules system to help airlines organize conditions of travel for fares. These categories (or rules) are necessary to convey special requirements set by an airline, or to meet government regulatory requirements for fares in the market. Remember, a fare is the charge a passenger pays to fly from origin to destination and the rules are the conditions of travel for those fares. These rules are organized into categories by type of travel condition that needs to be conveyed (more on that later).
What are all the ATPCO fare rules categories?
We currently use 32 categories to organize airline fare rules. Here are the names of each category and an explanation of the rules they entail.
Category 1 – Eligibility: Defines identification requirements, age range, and locality for a specific passenger type if those elements exist. For example, only students, seniors, or employees of a certain company may purchase the fare.
Category 2 – Day/Time: Defines times and/or days when travel is or is not permitted. For example, a specific day of the week or time of day.
Category 3 – Seasonality: Defines the seasonal dates for a fare. It is assumed that the seasonal date applies from the origin portion of the fare (origin of the priceable unit), implying that the seasonal level in effect for the origin portion of the fare is used for all subsequent travel regardless of date, unless stated otherwise.
Category 4 –Flight Application: Reflects information that is the flight number or flight pattern oriented, which can be defined by non-stop, one-stop, multi-stop, or direct. For example, a fare may only be valid on certain routes, specific flights, or with partner airlines.
Category 5 – Advanced Reservations/Ticketing: Defines reservations and ticketing requirements that are applicable to a fare. For example, how far in advance a ticket must be purchased.
Category 6 – Minimum Stay: Specifies the first time return travel may begin. For example, a Saturday night stay is required.
Category 7 – Maximum Stay: Specifies the last time return travel may begin or be completed by. For example, a maximum of 30 days is permitted.
Category 8 – Stopovers: Defines the conditions when a stopover(s) is permitted or required within the fare component or pricing unit and the applicable charges, carriers, and locations associated with those stopovers. For example, layovers or breaks in travel and how much they cost.
Category 9 – Transfers: Defines the conditions or restrictions under which transfers may occur and the applicable chargers, carriers, and locations associated with them. For example, whether a passenger can transfer in a certain city on the outbound and inbound for no charge.
Category 10 – Permitted Combinations: Specifies how a fare can be combined with other fares, including different ticket types or fare classes for outbound and return journeys, open jaws (flying into one city and returning from another), and circle trips (flying to multiple destinations and returning to the starting point). For example, combining a one-way ticket in economy class with a return flight in business class.
Category 11 – Blackout Dates: Defines single dates or date ranges when travel is not permitted. For example, during holidays or peak travel periods.
Category 12 – Surcharges: Defines the conditions when surcharges are applicable and the corresponding charge. For example, fuel charges, security fees, or airport taxes.
Category 13 – Accompanied Travel: Qualifies that travel with one or more passengers is needed to qualify for the fare. For example, requiring someone to travel with a parent, guardian, or another passenger type.
Category 14 – Travel Restrictions: States specific travel date restrictions. These include the dates when the fare may first be used, travel commencement, travel expiration, or travel completion.
Category 15 – Sales Restrictions: Is used when the sale of the fares is restricted by various conditions. These conditions include reservation and/or ticketing dates, countries and/or currencies of sale, form of payment, method of ticketing, who may sell the fare, and where the sale can be made.
Category 16 – Penalties: Describes applicable penalties and charges for display and manual ticket changes. It is also used to specify the conditions under which rerouting may take place or tickets may be reissued. This category is less used now that automated changes (Category 31) and refunds (Category 33) can be processed.
Category 17 – Higher Intermediate Point/Mileage: Negates assumptions when stopovers or connections are made at specific locations, or a Higher Intermediate Point rule applies. For example, an airline may charge more when stopping at a city along your route that is farther away or more expensive than your destination.
Category 18 – Ticket Endorsements: Indicates ticket endorsement requirements, containing text to be used and the ticket location required for endorsement. For example, a ticket can be transferred or endorsed to another airline.
Category 19 – Children’s Discounts: Provides either a specific fare amount or the information for calculating a fare as defined in a rule to qualify a child passenger for a discount. For example, children fly for a certain price.
Category 20 – Tour Conductor Discounts: Provides either a specific fare amount or the information for calculating a fare as defined in a rule to qualify a tour conductor for a discount. For example, tour guides fly for a certain price.
Category 21 – Agency Discounts: Provides either a specific fare amount or the information for calculating a fare as defined in a rule to qualify an agent for a discount. For example, travel agents fly for a certain price.
Category 22 – All Other Discounts: Provides either a specific fare amount or the information for calculating a fare as defined in a rule to qualify all other passenger types other than children, tour conductors, or agents for a discount. For example, military persons or corporate travelers fly for a certain price.
Category 23 – Miscellaneous Provisions: Contains miscellaneous information that is not category-specific. It should not be used to create unpublished fares or constructed fares; for proration, refund calculation, or currency adjustments; or as proportional fares.
Category 25 – Fare By Rule: Creates fare records using the FareManager Rules system and supports the creation of the following types of Fare By Rule fares:
- Specified: Fare amount is a specified amount. Data is self-contained within Category 25.
- Calculated: Fare amount is calculated from a base fare in a published tariff.
Category 26 – Groups: Defines the requirements to qualify for group fares. For example, minimum group size, type of group, substitutes, travel together, or individual travel restrictions like ten or more passengers traveling together.
Category 27 – Tours: Specifies the tour requirements for a fare. For example, minimum package and nights, minimum price, or the tour number or tour type that can sometimes be bundled with hotel or car rental.
Category 28 – Visit Another Country: Reflects the requirements to qualify for a “visit another country” fare. For example, country of residence, distance from destination country, and ticket purchase.
Category 29 – Deposits: Indicates whether there are deposit requirements to qualify for a fare. For example, deposit amount, days required prior to ticketing/travel, refund of deposit conditions, or waivers for the deposit requirements.
Category 31 – Voluntary Changes: Defines the conditions and applicable charges under which voluntary changes are permitted. In the absence of voluntary changes data or when no applicable provision is matched, then a change is permitted at no charge and with no restrictions for that fare.
Category 33 – Voluntary Refunds: Defines the conditions and applicable charges under which voluntary refunds are permitted. In the absence of voluntary refunds data or when no applicable provision is matched, then a refund is permitted at no charge and with no restrictions for that fare.
Category 35 – Negotiated Fare Restrictions: Identifies the ticketing security and fare creation requirements applicable for negotiated fares and may also be used for other private fares.
Category 50 – Application and Other Conditions: Used in every rule, this category contains the rule title, geographic application, capacity limitations, rules not applicable, journey types/types of transportation, and other conditions for display purposes only. For example, who can use the fare, which route it applies to, etc. This category has no impact on itinerary pricing.
Why are ATPCO fare rule categories important?
Airline fare rules and ATPCO Rules categories keep all the data in databases accurate so airline offers can be consistently and correctly offered to customers. Fare rules as they currently operate are complex, there’s no doubt about it.
Even as the industry moves to a world of offers and orders to achieve true modern airline retailing, these foundational concepts are still going to be required somewhere in the process. No matter whether an airline offer is created traditionally or dynamically, airlines will still need to consider what’s allowed and what isn’t as they create offers their customers are searching for.
That’s why ATPCO is here—we're driven by passion to solve complex problems for the entire airline industry, no matter how you’re creating offers or thinking about their conditions. Recent trends in technology, retail, and consumer expectations point to a future that embraces personalization and recognition of customer value—which is at the core of dynamic pricing. We're helping the industry to work out how to serve many business needs and models, and invite you to get involved in our community of design teams.
