Benefits and Need to Know

Benefits

• Rail passive segments can be passed through to the global distribution system (GDS).

  • Note: Amadeus functionality does not currently support GDS write back of rail segments. If rail is enabled on an Amadeus site, the reservation is only viewable online; no GDS PNR is created.

• If rail is configured on your Template site, the configuration will clone over to all new sites.

  • If the client does not require rail services, you can disable rail by unchecking rail within each Service Rules. Once disabled under Service Rules rail will not be offered to the client and all other configurations will not trigger.

Need to Know

• If this is the first time the TMC has programmed Rail, please open a Deem Support Case.  Deem will assist you with programming your site. If there are other scripts you may need please add them to the case.

• Deem currently cannot support multiple rail services under the same Agency Setting. Meaning you are unable to combine Amtrak and Via Rail under the same configuration. For Via Rail, the Sales Location must be within Canada.

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• Supported GDS

  • Sabre

  • Galileo (Apollo)

  • Worldspan

  • Amadeus (No passive segment PNR write back).

• Reward membership program/number will be applied to the booking.

• Companies can manage train costs with policies and take advantage of negotiated rates.

• Company Site card being used?: Yes, You will need to open a Deem Support case, Deem will need to contact Silverrail on your client’s behalf to set up Customer Identifiers.

• Individual credit card being used?: Yes,You will not need to open a Deem Support case, you can use your TMC Customer Identification information.

  • Note: If this is the first time you have enabled Via Rail please open a Deem Support Case to establish your TMC Customer Identification information.

Configuring Agency Settings

• Best practice to add your TMC Customer Identification information within your template site. When you create your site, the information will clone during cloning process. 

  • If the client does not require rail services, you can disable rail by unchecking rail within each Service Rules. Once disabled under Service Rules rail will not be offered to the client and all other configurations will not trigger.

• Only need to change the Customer Identification information, if the customer is purchasing with a Site Payment Card. 

  • In this instance you will need to open a Deem Support Case. Deem will work with Silver Rail to obtain the client’s Customer Identification information. Deem will then update the case with the information, or you to update the client’s site.

  • See attached template (top of the Wiki Article): You complete and attach to the Deem Support case.

See below instructions on how to configure Agency Settings.

• On the Services tab, select Travel Agency.

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• Select Agency Settings.

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• Select active Agency Setting.

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• Sales Location: Must be a Canadian airport code for Via Rail services to be offered.

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• Channel: 

  • Enter the Deem-supplied Channel code (all capital letters). 

• Agency Identifier:

  • Enter the Deem-supplied Agency Identifier (all capital letters). 

• Customer Identifier:

  • Enter the Deem-supplied Customer Identifier (all capital letters).

• Agency Identifier:

  • Enter the Deem-supplied Customer Identifier (all capital letters).

• Customer Identifier:

  • Enter the Deem-supplied Customer Identifier (all capital letters).

• Client ID Number:

  • Enter the number to be used when optional reporting is required.

• Customer DK Number:

  • Enter the number to be used when optional reporting is needed.

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Via Rail Specific Support: Follow these steps:

• Add passive train segment to primary GDS?: Select Yes or No

  • A passive segment is a set of trip information entered into the GDS that does not cause a ticket to be issued by the GDS. For example, a user may be taking a train between cities, and although you do not use the GDS to issue the train ticket, you may want all of the trip information to be in one place for the user's benefit, and so that agents can generate itineraries or make notes. 

  • By default, no information is saved in the GDS unless you select Yes. 

    • See below for examples of passive segments.

• Message for Train support procedure and phone numbers: 

  • Enter the message to appear to the user on the purchase page and on confirmation messages.

    • Note: Do not include HTML tags or travel lingo.

• Train support phone number for mobile client:

  • Enter the phone number to appear in the mobile client if the number is different from other support numbers.

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• Scroll to the bottom and Select Save.

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PNR Mapping

• Clones over from Template site.

• Deem has provided scripts you can add to template and existing sites. Please click link for further information around Rail PNR Editor Scripts.

Rail Private Rates

• Clones over from Template site.

• Click link for further information around Rail Private Rates.

Travel Policy

• Clones over from Template site.

Note: For Acela to appear you must allow users to book Business Class.

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• Click link for further information around Travel Policy.

Display Configurations

• Clones over from Template site.

• Click link for further information around Display Configurations.

Service Rules

• Clones over from Template site.

Note: To enable users to book rail, you must enable it within Service Rules.

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Note: You can have all of the above steps completed, but if you do not go to service rules to enable rail the client will not have the ability to search for or book Via Rail.  

• Click link for further information around Service Rules.

Commit Changes and Test

• Commit changes.

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• Test to ensure you are seeing rail bookings and that they are being processed properly.  

Note: Book refundable rates if you intend to complete a test booking.

Segment Example

Breakdown

0RAL2VGK1NYPBOS19DEC-LV-900A/AR-100P/NA- TRAIN 66/SI-BKD ONLINE/CF-123ABC

• 0RAL = constant

• 2V = Rail code – 2V is Via Rail code

•  GK1 = Constant

•  NYP = Departure Station

•  BOS = Arrival station

•  19DEC = Travel date

•  -LV- = Constant

•  900A = Departure time /DT-=Constant

•  19DEC = Arrival date

•  /AR- = Constant

•  100p = Arrival time

•  /NA- = Constant

• Via Rail = Carrier code

• 66 = Train number

• SI-BKD ONLINE/CF- = Constant

• ABCDEF- = Record Locator

Segment Example

Breakdown

02V95Y24SEPNYPPHLBK1/1035A1157A

• 02V = Constant

• 95Y = Train number and class

• 24SEP = Departure Date

• NYP = Departure Station code

• PHL = Arrival Station code

• BK1/ = Constant

• 1035A = Departure Time

• 1157A = Arrival Time

Segment Example

Breakdown

TN2VMK1TRN24MAR/CC1-NYP/CC2-WAS/AN-VIA RAIL 1229/TD-1000AM/TA-1130AM/CF-1234234

• TN = Constant

• 2V = Carrier Code

• MK1TRN = Constant

• 24MAR = Departure Date

• /CC1- = Constant

• NYP = Departure Station code

• /CC2- = Constant

•  WAS = Arrival Station Code

• /AN- = Constant

• VIA 1229 = Carrier Name <sp> Train number

•  /TD- = Constant

•  1000AM = Departure Time

•  /TA- = Constant

•  1130AM = Arrival Time

•  /CF- = Constant

•  1234234 = Via Rail Record Locator