VIA Rail Configuration

Owned by Malissa Olofernes
Last updated: Jan 16, 2024 by Meredith Russell
4 min read

You must configure VIA Rail in Deem if you want users to be able to book trips with VIA Rail.

Note: Rail services must be enabled; see Rail Services Configuration for steps to enable/disable.

 

Benefits and Need to Know

VIA Rail services are integrated with Deem’s online travel booking process. You can set up spending policies, take advantage of negotiated rates, and guide users to appropriate train options. Reward membership programs/numbers are applied to rail bookings. Tickets can be picked up at a station kiosk or emailed. 

Important: Deem does not support multiple rail services under the same Agency Setting, which means you cannot combine Amtrak and VIA Rail under the same configuration.

Important: You will need to open a Deem Support Case for VIA Rail configuration if any of the following apply:

  • This is the first time this TMC has enabled VIA Rail with Deem. The support case enables Deem to establish your TMC Customer Identification information. Complete the attached template (pending) and add to your Deem Support case.

  • You want to enable a company site card for use with VIA Rail. Deem will contact SilverRail on your client’s behalf to set up customer identifiers. (Not required if you are using only individual credit cards; you can use your TMC Customer Identification information.)

If you have configured rail services on your template site, those settings clone to all sites you create from your template site. Best practice is to add your TMC Customer Identification information in your template site. You need to change the Customer Identification information in a site cloned from your template only if that site will use site payment cards (see above section for details on opening a support case if so).

Rail passive segments are passed through to your GDS. The following GDSs are supported for VIA Rail:

  • Sabre

  • Galileo (Apollo)

  • Worldspan

  • Amadeus (No passive segment PNR write back; if rail is enabled on an Amadeus site, the reservation is only viewable online and no GDS PNR is created.)

Configuring Deem Settings for VIA Rail

To set up VIA Rail, from your TMC partner dashboard, take the following steps:

  1. Navigate to the Agency Configuration Settings page:

    1. At the top of your Partner Dashboard, click the Services tab.

    2. From the Travel list, click the Travel Agency link.

    3. Click the Agency Settings link.

    4. Click the link for your active agency site.

The Agency Configuration Settings page opens.

  1. In the Host Information section, set the Sales Location per the example below. Important: VIA Rail services require a Canadian airport code here.

image-20240116-025035.png

 

  1. In the Train Support section, complete the following fields using capital letters for all letter entries:

    1. Channel: Enter the Deem-supplied channel code.

    2. Agent Identifier: Enter the Deem-supplied agent identifier code.

    3. Customer Identifier: Enter the Deem-supplied customer code.

    4. Client ID Number: Enter the number to be used when optional reporting is needed.

    5. Customer DK Number: Enter the number to be used when optional reporting is needed.

  2. In the VIA Rail Specific Support section, complete the following fields:

    1. For Add passive train segment to primary GDS?, select either the Yes or No button. By default, no information is saved in the GDS unless Yes is selected.

    2. In the box for Message for Train support procedure and phone numbers, enter the message that will display for the user on the purchase page and on confirmation messages. Do not include HTML tags or use travel lingo.

    3. If the train support number for mobile clients is different from other support numbers, enter that mobile support number in the field for Train support phone number for mobile client.

  3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Save button.

  4. Settings on the following tabs are cloned from your template site; you may want to verify settings in the following places these but no additional configuration should be necessary. The links below provide more information on these settings.

  • Rail PNR Editor Scripts for Deem scripts you can add to your template site and existing sites.

  • Rail Private Rates: Click the Services tab. Under Private Rates, click Train Rates.

  • Service Rules: Click the Rules tab, the Service Rules link, and click Edit in the Travel column for each group to edit.

  • Travel Policy: Click the Services tab and then the Travel Policy link. Important: For Acela to appear you must allow users to book Business Class: Under Travel Policy, click the Policy Sets link, select the policy set to edit, and select the policy name. In the Train Policy section, select Yes for Travelers are permitted to book business class per the example below.

image-20240116-023704.png

 

  1. Commit all changes: At the upper-right of the screen, click the link noting the changes not applied to access the Commit Changes page, and click the Commit button.

  1. After committing changes, test a booking to ensure you are seeing rail bookings and that they are being processed properly. Be sure to book refundable rates if you intend to complete a test booking.