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Glossary for the airline industry

From A-Z, this glossary covers definitions and explanations for common airline industry terminology.

TCN

1. Transaction control number. 2. ATPCO's Ticket Exchange Service.

TCR

Tariff/Carrier/Rule.

technical standards

An established norm or requirement for a repeatable technical task. It is usually a formal document that establishes uniform engineering or technical criteria, methods, processes, and practices. The standardization process may be by edict or may involve the formal consensus of technical experts.

terminal points

Fare break point; the ends of a fare component. Typically used when a fare has not yet been assessed for the fare component.

third freedom

The right for an air carrier to put down in the territory of another state passengers, freight, and mail taken up in the state in which it is registered.

through fare

A fare applicable for travel between two consecutive fare breakpoints via an intermediate point. A through fare can be a published/specified fare or a constructed/unpublished fare.

ticket-related services

An optional service that must be associated to a specific passenger ticket, though not necessarily a specific flight. For example, a service for lounge access might be provided only if the passenger holds a ticket confirming travel into or out of the airport where the lounge facility exists.

ticketed point

Point shown in the "good for passage" section of the passenger's ticket. Can be a connection, stopover, or fare breakpoint.

ticketed point mileage

The number of miles between pairs of cities as published in the Ticketed Point Mileage Manual.

ticketing

The issuance of an accountable document, which serves as a record of the product purchased by the customer, and gives a record to all airlines involved in the itinerary of the services paid for and expected to be delivered.

ticketing airline

A ZED/MIBA member that issues reduced-rate tickets to its eligible persons according to the ZED/MIBA agreement for transportation over the routes of another party (or parties) to the ZED/MIBA agreement. See also transporting airline.

ticketing amount

The amount on the passenger coupon in the Base Fare Box.

ticketing code

A code used to replace the fare class code on the ticket when it is issued and possibly on the fare display.

Ticketing Fees

ATPCO product that provides a standard process to instruct pricing systems on how to collect ticketing and credit card service fees on a carrier's behalf when they are the ticketing or validating carrier. This product supports both public and private distribution needs and provides options to define fees by passenger type, journey, fare basis, and date.

TMC

Travel management company.

TPM

Ticketed point mileage.

transaction

A fare record. A set of data defined in a fares batch that determines the components of a fare.

transaction file

Records in a batch that have not been updated.

transborder

Transportation between the 50 US states, including the District of Columbia and Canada.

transfer

A change of service from the service of one carrier to the service of the same carrier (online) or to the service of another carrier(interline). This includes stopovers and connections. See also interline transfer.