Glossary for the airline industry
From A-Z, this glossary covers definitions and explanations for common airline industry terminology.
As defined by ATPCO, a carrier is generally an airline (scheduled or chartered), but may also be a rail company or car rental company. It is the owner or service provider for a fare and is identified by an industry-standard alphanumeric code.
A standardized, automated collection, distribution, and pricing method that provides marketing carriers (carriers that appear on the flight coupon) the ability to control and collect fees at the sector (coupon), at the portion of travel (multiple sectors), or on the journey.
The carrier code that will appear on the flight coupon of the ticket (typically used for code share).
- The carrier whose baggage rules will apply on journeys.
- For journeys that are required to follow DOT reservations, it is the first most significant marketing carrier on the journey, as determined by these conditions, and charges for these journeys are applied per direction:
a. For travel between two or more Tariff Conference areas, the carrier performing carriage on the first sector on the passenger's journey that crosses from one area to another. Exception: TC123 only, the carrier providing carriage on the first sector on the passenger's journey that crosses between TC1 and TC2.
b. For travel between Tariff Conference sub-areas, the carrier performing carriage on the first sector on the passenger's journey that crosses from one sub-area to another.
c. For travel within a Tariff Conference sub-area, the carrier performing carriage on the first international sector on the passenger's journey. - For all other journeys, it is the most significant operating carrier for each checked portion, and charges for these journeys are applied per checked portion:
a. For travel between two or more Tariff Conference areas, the carrier performing carriage on the first sector on the checked portion that crosses from one area to another. Exception: TC123 only, the carrier providing carriage on the first sector on the checked portion that crosses between TC1 and TC2.
b. For travel between Tariff Conference sub-areas, the carrier performing carriage on the first sector on the checked portion that crosses from one sub-area to another.
c. For travel within a Tariff Conference sub-area, the carrier performing carriage on the first international sector on the checked portion.
d. For travel within a single country, the first carrier on the checked portion.
The carrier actually providing flight service (it is not necessarily shown on the ticket).
The carrier who owns or publishes the fare. Also called publishing carrier.
A tariff where the carrier who has data in the tariff also owns the tariff. This means they have full access to all data in the tariff.
See validating carrier.
The carrier who owns or publishes the fare. Also called owning carrier.
The carrier whose ticket stock was used to issue the ticket. This carrier is commonly the holder of the money for the ticket. Also called plating carrier.