Reservations & ticketing Travel technology glossary

OSIOther Service Information

Also called other service informationOSI elementOSI message

Definition

An OSI (other service information) is a free-text message in a PNR that gives an airline information about a passenger or booking without asking it to act. Typical uses include flagging a VIP, linking passengers travelling together in separate bookings, or adding details where no standard SSR code exists.

What OSI means

Airlines receive two kinds of passenger messages from agency bookings. A special service request asks for something and expects a reply. An OSI simply informs. Travelport's documentation describes OSIs as informational only, with no action or response normally required from the carrier.

Because OSIs are not coded requests, they are mostly free text addressed to a specific airline, or to every airline in the booking. In Travelport Smartpoint Cloud, for example, the airline code YY sends the message to all carriers in the booking file. Length limits vary by system; Travelport lists 1 to 99 characters of free text for Galileo.

The rule of thumb is to use an SSR wherever a standard one exists and keep OSIs for what is left. Travelport gives examples such as a VIP or elderly passenger, contact details for an unaccompanied minor's guardian, and, for some airlines, ticket numbers.

Airlines also use OSIs in their own procedures. Some ask agents to add specific OSI entries to mark corporate bookings, group-related bookings or rebookings under their disruption policies. Because the airline is not obliged to respond, agents should not rely on an OSI for anything the traveller needs confirmed.

How OSI works

An OSI is entered in the PNR and passed to the airline with the booking, without a status reply.

  1. Check for an SSR firstIf a standard SSR covers the need, use it instead, because only SSRs are designed to be actioned and confirmed.
  2. Choose the addresseeAddress the OSI to a specific airline code, or to all airlines in the booking using YY where the system supports it.
  3. Write the messageEnter short free text in the format the GDS expects, keeping within its character limit.
  4. Transmit with the PNRWhen the booking is ended, the OSI travels to the airline with the rest of the reservation data.
  5. Keep it up to dateAmend or delete OSIs when circumstances change, since stale messages can confuse airport and reservations staff.

OSI in practice

Example entries from Travelport Smartpoint Cloud documentation (format SI.[airline]*[text]):

  • SI.YY*1 CHLD AGED 5: tells every airline in the booking that a five-year-old child is travelling.
  • SI.KL*TCP4 with PNR 123ABC: tells KLM the passengers are part of a party of four, linked to another booking.
  • SI.KL*VIP ...: flags a VIP passenger to KLM.

Airline procedures also call for OSIs. British Airways' Worldspan group guide, for instance, asks agents to add an OSI with the main group locator when adding a few extra seats to an existing group, and Lufthansa Group's disruption policy requires a specific OSI entry when rebooking to an alternate airport.

Who uses it

Travel agenciesAgents use OSIs to give airlines context, such as linking split bookings or flagging a high-profile traveller.
AirlinesAirlines read OSIs for background that helps their staff, and some require specific OSI entries in their agency procedures.
TMCsCorporate travel teams add OSIs that identify company travellers or contract details where an airline asks for it.
Group desksGroup handlers use OSIs to tie extra seats or split PNRs back to the main group booking.

Advantages and limitations

Advantages

  • Gives airlines useful context that no standard code covers.
  • Simple free text that any agent can add without learning a code list.
  • Can be addressed to one airline or to all carriers on the booking.
  • Supports airline procedures that rely on specific OSI entries.

Limitations

  • Airlines are not required to act on or reply to an OSI, so nothing is confirmed.
  • Free text is harder for airline systems to process automatically than coded SSRs.
  • Character limits and formats differ by GDS.
  • Using an OSI where an SSR exists can mean the service is never provided.

Frequently asked questions about OSI

When should a travel agent use an OSI instead of an SSR?

Only when no standard SSR covers the information. SSRs are coded requests that airlines are expected to action and confirm. OSIs carry background details, such as a VIP flag or a link to another booking, where no confirmation is needed. If the traveller needs a service delivered, look for the right SSR first.

What does YY mean in an OSI entry?

YY is used in place of a specific airline code to send the message to every airline in the booking. Travelport's Smartpoint Cloud documentation gives the example of advising all airlines that VIP passengers are travelling. It saves entering the same OSI separately for each carrier on a multi-airline itinerary.

Will the airline reply to an OSI?

Normally not. OSIs are informational, so airlines do not send back a status code the way they do for SSRs. Some airline staff may act on the information, but agents should treat an OSI as a note to the airline, not as a confirmed request.

Run your agency on one booking platform

ReservationHub's Subscription Cloud Edition gives agencies GDS, NDC and low-cost content, B2B and B2C sales, and back office in one hosted platform.

See the SaaS platform

Sources and further reading

  1. Travelport — Other Service Information (OSI), Universal API
  2. Travelport — Other Services Information (OSI), Smartpoint Cloud
  3. Travelport — Special services (SSR and OSI), Smartpoint
  4. British Airways — Worldspan groups prompts
  5. Lufthansa Group — Schedule change and irregularity policy for travel agents (2023)