Passenger Name Record (PNR): An Essential Guide

The Passenger Name Record (PNR)  is a digital record that has the itinerary and personal information of a passenger or group of passengers journeying together. It is an essential part of the travel and aviation industry

PNRs are indispensable in today’s travel scenario as they facilitate smooth coordination among airlines, travel agents, and government agencies across the globe. Read further to learn in detail about Passenger Name Record (PNR) and its importance.

What is a Passenger Name Record?

A Passenger Name Record is a 06-digit number that is generated automatically when a passenger books a train or plane ticket. A Computer Reservation System stores this PNR along with the other details of the passenger like the itinerary.

What Details are Included in a PNR?

Though there is no strict industry standard for the type of information to be included with a PNR, there are some priorities and common structures that are usually followed. The mandatory information fields in a PNR include:

• Passenger name
• Travel agent’s contact details
• Name of the person providing the details
• Details of the ticket
• The itinerary relates to at least one part of the trip

PNR Lifecycle

Here are the basic steps in a PNR lifecycle:

• The data regarding the trip is collected when a flight is booked via a travel retailer like a travel agency, a carrier’s website, etc.
• Then, the reservation data is sent to the airline’s central reservation system (CRS). Airlines don’t usually run their own CRS, but they host inventory and handle booking on any of the popular global distribution systems (GDSs) like Amadeus, Sabre, etc. These systems will work as data warehouses and aggregators.
• An authorised travel agent or carrier’s operator will access the CRS/GDS to create the PNR file with the essential elements.
• The system then generates a booking reference, which is usually a unique alphabet or an alphanumeric code. This acts as a digital address (assigned to the PNR file) in the airline’s database.
• The travel agent or retailer mails the PNR code to the passenger as confirmation of their booking. However, the air ticket will be shared only once the fare is paid.
• If required, new information or modifications are made to the record. The PNR is accordingly updated.
• Once the trip ends, the PNR is automatically archived.

PNR Number and Record Locator

People tend to interchange the PNR Number and Record Locator. However, they are different. Their difference essentially lies in their scope.

While the PNR Number refers to the full record of the passenger’s booking, including passenger and journey details, the Record Locator or reservation code refers to a unique 6-character alphanumeric code used to retrieve the PNR in the system.

Importance of Super PNRs

A CRS may lack the data to manage the entire itinerary when a trip involves multiple carriers or services (e.g., flights, car rentals, hotels). The initial CRS creates a Super PNR or Master Itinerary to manage this. This is shared with all providers involved. Each provider handles its segment, saves updates in its system with its record locator, and shares the record locator back to the Super PNR holder. This makes sure the updates are connected with multiple systems.

A single trip can result in multiple PNRs if different systems (e.g., Amadeus and Sabre) are used. However, if all providers use the same GDS, a single PNR with one record locator simplifies the process.

Conclusion

Passenger Name Record is an important part of travel booking systems. It acts as a unique identifier that holds all the important details of a traveller’s journey. Be it for  incentive travel or leisure travel, it is the PNR that streamlines the reservation process and facilitates smooth coordination between various travel providers. The PNR provides a single reference point for both passengers and travel service providers.

FAQS

What is a super PNR?

A master record that links together individual PNRs for different segments of a trip, especially when multiple airlines or reservation systems are involved. It streamlines the management of complex itineraries.

What is the difference between airline PNR and GDS PNR?

Airline PNR: 

A record stored within the airline’s reservation system contains specific details about that flight booking.

 GDS PNR: 

A record stored within a GDS, which is a computer network used to connect travel agents and airlines, hotels, and other travel providers.

How to check PNR confirmation

You can check your PNR confirmation status through various methods, including:

Visit the airline’s website