In making a reservation with a TMC/CTO travel agent, the traveler first provides their name to the agent. Upon learning the name of the traveler, the agent will pull up the traveler’s profile, which pre-populates the relevant fields in the Passenger Name Record (PNR) or travel record. The traveler then tells the agent the basic requirements of their trip, including, but not limited to: origin; destination; time preferences; dates; lodging preference; car rental; and any other requirements the traveler may require.
Upon gathering the aforementioned basic travel information from the traveler, the agent will use the GDS to search for the appropriate air, lodging and car rental. The government rules and regulations are scripted into the GDS in a master profile for all travelers in a government agency or office. The software prompts the agents if they try to make any arrangements outside of the policy. Experienced government travel agencies will also have first hand knowledge of many of the government policies and can work with the traveler to put them into compliance. When the traveler approves of the air, lodging, and car rental that has been made on their behalf, the TMC/CTO agent will perform all quality control checks. The agent then transmits the PNR for ticketing, reporting, accounting and any other preferences the traveler may have, including seat assignments and/or car preferences, among others.
The traveler always receives an email with the itinerary and receipt, along with a notice that the ticket will be issued electronically 2 to 3 days prior to departure. The traveler should double check the email to confirm the itinerary. Anytime prior to ticketing, the traveler will have the option to make numerous changes provided they used a CPP fare. All changes are free of charge during this period. If the traveler calls within 24 hours after ticketing, the TMC/CTO is allowed to void the ticket and reissue another one, as per the traveler’s request. However, the traveler should be aware that there is usually a TMC/CTO fee every time a ticket is issued.
By: Ian Petrulli