Cryptic entries are short typed GDS commands. The core booking flow is the same everywhere: check availability, sell seats, add name, contact, ticketing arrangement and received-from, then end the transaction. Amadeus uses AN, SS, NM, AP, TK, RF and ET; Sabre uses 1, 0, -, 9, 7TAW, 6 and E; Galileo uses A, N, N., P., T., R. and E.
What are cryptic GDS entries?
A cryptic entry (also called a native or host format) is a short typed command that tells the GDS exactly what to do. AN15DECDXBLHR in Amadeus, for example, asks for seat availability from Dubai to London on 15 December. Each GDS has its own grammar, so the same task looks different in Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport.
All three vendors now offer graphical desktops: Amadeus Selling Platform Connect, Sabre Red 360 and Travelport Smartpoint. Agents still use cryptic entries alongside them for three reasons:
- Speed. An experienced agent can build a PNR in a few lines faster than clicking through screens.
- Coverage. Some functions are only reachable, or easier to control, in the cryptic window. Amadeus's cryptic training for its Altéa reservation desktop, for example, covers actions that are not available in the graphical interface.
- Portability. Training, airline instructions and helpdesk answers are usually written as cryptic entries, so knowing them makes those instructions usable.
Travelport's Smartpoint even includes a translator app that helps agents find equivalent entries across the main GDSs, which shows how common it is to work in more than one system.
How to read this cheat sheet
Each table lists the entry and a worked example. City pairs, dates, names and record locators in the examples (such as DXBLHR, SMITH or ABC123) are illustrative; the structure of every entry comes from the vendor or airline guides listed under Sources.
- Formats vary. Entries can differ by GDS version, desktop, agency configuration and market. Your office profile may also make some fields mandatory or automatic.
- Graphical and NDC workflows differ. NDC offers and some low-cost carrier content are often booked through graphical flows or separate entries, and many classic EDIFACT entries do not apply to them. Check your GDS's own NDC guidance.
- Check the built-in help. Where a cell shows "—", we could not verify a single entry in vendor material, so use the GDS help system instead of guessing.
A PNR is not saved until you end the transaction, and most systems require name, contact, ticketing arrangement and received-from before they will save it.
Amadeus commands
Amadeus entries start with two-letter codes that are easy to remember once you know them: AN for availability, SS for sell, NM for name, FX for pricing.
| Task | Entry | Example and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sign in | JI | JI0001AA/SU: sign and initials, then duty code |
| Sign out | JO | JO* signs out of all work areas |
| Encode / decode a city | DAN / DAC | DANPEORIA returns the code; DACPIA returns the name |
| Encode / decode an airline | DNA | DNAAIRCANADA / DNAAC |
| Availability | AN | AN15DECDXBLHR; add /AEK for one airline |
| Timetable | TN | TN15DECDXBLHR/AEK |
| Sell from availability | SS | SS1Y1: one seat, Y class, line 1 |
| Name | NM | NM1SMITH/JOHN MR |
| Contact / phone | AP | AP DXB 04 5551234-A; APE- adds an email address |
| Ticketing arrangement | TK | TKTL12DEC/1200 sets a time limit; TKOK when no time limit applies or the ticket is issued |
| Received from | RF | RF MARIA |
| End transaction | ET / ER | ET saves and closes; ER saves and redisplays |
| Retrieve PNR | RT | RTABC123 by record locator; RT/SMITH by surname |
| Display fares | FQD | FQDDXBLHR/15DEC |
| Price itinerary (informative) | FXX | Prices the PNR without storing a TST |
| Price and store | FXP | Prices the PNR and stores a TST (transitional stored ticket) |
| Display fare rules | FQN | FQN1: rule menu for line 1 of a fare display |
| Cancel segment | XE | XE2; XI cancels the whole itinerary |
| Queues | QT / QS | QT shows the queue bank with counts; QS2C30D1 starts queue 2, category 30, date range 1 |
| Help | HE | HE TK opens help on the ticketing element |
Sabre commands
Sabre relies heavily on single characters: a leading 1 for availability, 0 to sell, - for a name, and numbers for PNR fields such as 9 (phone), 7 (ticketing) and 6 (received from).
| Task | Entry | Example and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sign in | SI* | SI*1234: agent ID after the asterisk |
| Sign out | SO* | Signs out of all areas; SO signs out of the current area |
| Encode / decode a city | W/-CC / W/* | W/-CCLONDON / W/*LON |
| Encode / decode an airline | W/-AL / W/* | W/-ALSWISS / W/*LX |
| Availability | 1 | 115DECDXBLHR |
| Timetable (schedule) | S | S15DECDXBLHR |
| Sell from availability | 0 | 01Y1: one seat, Y class, line 1 |
| Name | - | -SMITH/JOHN MR |
| Contact / phone | 9 | 904-555-1234-A; suffix shows the type, such as -A agency, -B business, -H home |
| Ticketing time limit | 7TAW | 7TAW12DEC/: PNR is queued for ticketing on that date |
| Received from | 6 | 6MARIA |
| End transaction | E / ER | E saves; ER saves and redisplays |
| Retrieve PNR | * | *ABC123 by record locator; *-SMITH by surname |
| Display fares | FQ | FQDXBLHR15DEC; add -EK for one airline |
| Price itinerary | WP | Prices as booked; WPNC finds the lowest available fare |
| Price and store | WPRQ | Prices and retains the result as a price quote; PQ retains the last WP response; *PQ displays it |
| Display fare rules | RD | RD1: rules for line 1 of a fare display |
| Cancel segment | X | X2 |
| Queues | QC/ / Q/ | QC/ counts all queues; Q/40 opens queue 40 |
| Help | — | Use Format Finder, opened from Tools in the Sabre desktop |
Travelport Galileo (1G) commands
Galileo, now part of Travelport+, uses a letter followed by a full stop for most PNR fields: N. for name, P. for phone, T. for ticketing and R. for received from. Smartpoint offers scripts for most of these too.
| Task | Entry | Example and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sign in | SON/Z | Followed by your sign; Smartpoint normally prompts for sign and password |
| Sign out | SOF | Open booking files must be completed or ignored first |
| Encode / decode a city | .CE / .CD | .CELONDON / .CDLHR |
| Encode / decode an airline | .AE / .AD | .AEAIR BALTIC / .ADQF |
| Availability | A | A15DECDXBLHR; add /EK for one airline |
| Timetable | TT | TT15DECDXBLHR; without a date, TT shows the next 28 days |
| Sell from availability | N | N1Y1: one seat, Y class, line 1 |
| Name | N. | N.SMITH/JOHN MR |
| Contact / phone | P. | P.DXBB*04 5551234: city, type letter (B business, H home), number; P.T* adds the agency number |
| Ticketing arrangement | T. | T.TAU/12DEC queues the booking for ticketing on that date; T.T* is the minimum entry |
| Received from | R. | R.MARIA |
| End transaction | E or ET / ER | E saves; ER saves and redisplays |
| Retrieve PNR | * | *ABC123 by record locator; *-SMITH by surname |
| Display fares | FD | FD15DECDXBLHR; FD15DECDXBLHR/EK for one airline |
| Fare quote (price itinerary) | FQ | Quotes all passengers and segments in the class booked; FQBB looks for the best available fare |
| Price and store | FQ | The same entry stores a filed fare; *FF lists filed fares |
| Display fare rules | FN* | FN*1: fare notes menu for line 1 of a fare display; FN*1/ALL shows every note |
| Cancel segment | X | X2; XI cancels the whole itinerary |
| Queues | QCA / Q/ | QCA counts all queues; Q/10 opens queue 10 |
| Help | H/ | H/AVAIL, H/TT: help on a topic |
Same task, three GDSs
These ten everyday tasks show how differently the three systems express the same action. Free text and numbers are illustrative.
| Task | Amadeus | Sabre | Travelport Galileo (1G) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retrieve a PNR by surname | RT/SMITH | *-SMITH | *-SMITH |
| Add a general remark | RM PAX PREFERS AISLE | 5PAX PREFERS AISLE | NP.PAX PREFERS AISLE |
| Add a frequent flyer number | FFNEK-123456789 | FFEK123456789 | M.EK123456789 |
| Request a wheelchair (SSR) | SR WCHR | 3WCHR | SI.P2S5/WCHR (passenger 2, segment 5) |
| Show the seat map for segment 1 | SM1 | 4G1* | SA*S1 |
| Flight details for PNR segment 2 | DO2 | VI*2 | TTB2 |
| Price at the lowest available fare and rebook | FXB | WPNCB | FQBB, then FQBBK |
| Delete all stored fares | TTE/ALL | PQD-ALL | FXALL |
| Place the PNR on queue 40 | QE40 | QP/40 | QEB/40 |
| Cancel the whole itinerary | XI | XI | XI |
The pattern is consistent: Amadeus favours two-letter mnemonics, Sabre favours single characters and numbers, and Galileo uses a letter plus a full stop for PNR fields. Once you know which convention a system follows, unfamiliar entries become easier to guess and then confirm in help.
Key terms and related guides
The entries above all act on a handful of core concepts. If any are new, start here:
- PNR (passenger name record): the booking file every entry builds or changes.
- PCC (pseudo city code): the office identifier that controls which PNRs and queues you can access.
- GDS queue: where PNRs wait for action, such as ticketing or schedule changes.
- Ticketing time limit: the deadline set by the TK, 7TAW or T. field.
- Fare basis and fare rules: what you read with FQN, RD or FN*.
For the bigger picture, read what a GDS is and how it works, and compare the three systems commercially in Amadeus vs Sabre vs Travelport.
Where ReservationHub fits
ReservationHub has Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport pre-integrated, as listed on our integrations page. Accredited agencies can use their own GDS credentials and queues, so agents who prefer cryptic entries keep working in their GDS while bookings also flow through the platform. Non-IATA agencies can sell through consolidator connections.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Amadeus command to retrieve a PNR?
Use RT followed by the six-character record locator, for example RTABC123. To search by passenger surname, enter RT/ followed by the surname, such as RT/SMITH. If several bookings match, Amadeus shows a list and you pick the line you need.
What is the Sabre command to price an itinerary?
WP prices the itinerary as booked. WPNC searches for the lowest available fare, and WPNCB books it. To keep the result in the PNR as a price quote, use WPRQ, or enter PQ straight after a WP response.
How do you end a transaction in Travelport Galileo?
Enter E or ET to save the booking file, or ER to save it and redisplay it. The booking must contain the mandatory fields first, including name, phone, ticketing and received-from, or Galileo will return an error.
What does TKTL mean in Amadeus?
TKTL is the ticketing time limit option of the Amadeus ticketing arrangement element. An entry such as TKTL12DEC/1200 records when the booking must be ticketed. TKOK is used instead when no time limit is needed or the ticket has already been issued.
Do travel agents still need to learn cryptic GDS commands?
Not for every booking, because Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport all offer graphical desktops. Cryptic entries remain faster for experienced agents, reach functions that are harder to find in screens, and are the language used in training, airline instructions and helpdesk advice.
Do these GDS commands work for NDC bookings?
Not always. NDC offers are often booked through graphical workflows or dedicated entries, and many classic EDIFACT entries do not apply. Formats also vary by GDS version, agency set-up and market, so check your GDS help for NDC-specific steps.
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Book a meetingTerms in this guide
Consolidator · EDIFACT · Fare basis · Fare rules · GDS queue · LCC · PCC · PNR · SSR · Ticketing time limit
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Sources
- Travelport — GDS Format Comparison Guide (Travelport+, Worldspan, Apollo, Amadeus, Sabre), 11 March 2025
- Travelport — Format Guide: Travelport+ (Galileo), October 2025
- Amadeus Indonesia — Quick card: Basic Reservation (May 2022)
- Amadeus — Light ticketing booking entries (sales sheet)
- Amadeus — Amadeus Reservation and Ticketing Cryptic Certification (course sheet)
- Scoot — Welcome to Amadeus: Basic Reservation Guide
- easyJet — Amadeus card for travel agents
- Sabre Travel Network Middle East — Sabre Quick Reference Guide (2007)
- Sabre — Basic Sabre Formats and Functions Training Guide (2006)
- Virgin Australia — Amadeus clue card
- Virgin Australia — Sabre clue card
- Virgin Australia — Galileo clue card
- Delta Professional — Where to find GDS information for booking, pricing and ticketing