Lufthansa has become the first airline to earn IATA One
Order certification.
The certification came after the completion of a one-year
pilot project.
One Order is an IATA-backed IT initiative under which airlines
will consolidate a passenger's personal information and purchases (fare and
ancillaries) within a single record.
At present, when a customer books a ticket, the airline
creates the passenger name record (PNR) document, which houses information such
as the traveler's identity and itinerary. The PNR does not record payment
information, however; that's the function of the e-ticket, which is issued at
the time of purchase.
In addition, if a flyer purchases an ancillary product, such
as an assigned seat, it too is recorded separately in what is known as an
electronic miscellaneous document (EMD).
A manifestation of the current complexity is that the
average airline ticket contains multiple reservation codes. In a One Order
world, there would be just one confirmation code, making problem-solving for
both agents and passengers simpler.
Once fully developed, One Order will also enable the
inclusion of third-party services, such as hotel reservations and car rentals,
under the single confirmation code.
Lufthansa joins Sabre as trailblazer when it comes to One
Order. In February, Sabre earned IATA certification as One Order-capable for
flight transactions, making its passenger service system (PSS) the first to
obtain that designation.
"We congratulate the Lufthansa Group on becoming the
first airline group to earn our One Order certification," IATA director of
industry distribution programs Yanik Hoyles said in a prepared statement. "With
their [New Distribution Capability] and One Order involvement, the Lufthansa
Group is helping to take our industry further along the road to a modern
digital retail experience."