For airlines and tour operators, collecting passenger data is a normal part of daily operations. However, since the EU Passenger Name Record (PNR) directive came into effect in 2016, data management challenges have reached a whole new level.
The PNR directive requires airlines to hand over PNR data to Passenger Information Units (PIUs) in each of the 28 EU member states 24 hours in advance of flight departure. The fact that booking data is often received at the last minute makes this particularly challenging. Airlines are left with little time to process data, let alone deliver it in the required format prior to departure. The extra administration involved in maintaining daily compliance is costly, time consuming and complicated.
What can airlines do to overcome these burdens and ensure efficient PNR data management? Read on to find out.
What kinds of PNR data must be submitted?
There are a total of 19 different types of PNR data that airlines are required to submit to Passenger Information Units (PIUs). The most important types of PNR data are:
- Passenger data
- Flight details
- Payment details
- Boarding status
Download our guide and read the full list of required PNR data types.
How to overcome PNR data management challenges
Since airlines cannot produce the required PNR report format from their Departure Control System (DCS), in order to rise above PNR data management challenges, they ultimately need an airline passenger management system that allows data files to be structured in a way that meets reporting requirements. Here are three essential system features to look for:
Booking data consolidation
The solution should be capable of consolidating data from any booking file format. This means that it must be able to merge PNR data from various sources—including airlines, tour operators, travel agents, airports and authorities—and then convert that data into the required format.
Handle baggage and boarding details from DCS
The solution must be able to process boarding and baggage data sent from the DCS in IATA standard format, and then merge it with existing booking data. All of which is then forwarded to the each of the EU member state PIUs.
Report delivery in required PNR format
The solution must enable reports to be formatted in the required EU standard format and make it possible to schedule report deliveries to each of the PIUs, according to their requirements.
Our solution for PNR data management
At Paxport, our solution to PNR data management challenges is Paxportal. Do you want to know more how it can help you and your business? Contact us for a demo or sign up for our free webinar “How to master PNRGOV with Paxport“.
