What Tour code means
Many fares are sold under a contract rather than at a public price: an inclusive tour fare for a package holiday, a bulk fare for a consolidator, or a negotiated corporate fare. When the ticket is audited later, the airline needs to know which contract applies. The tour code carries that reference.
Travelport's ticketing help describes the tour code as issued by an airline to identify a tour deal, entered as a ticket modifier so that the airline and local BSP can verify the fare's source and the agency's authorisation. In Travelport it can be up to 14 characters; another reservation system documents 3 to 15.
The code may be filed with the fare or added by the agent. Travelport's guide to ATPCO data says tour codes can be filed in Category 27 (Tours) or Category 35 (Negotiated Fares). When both are filed for the same fare component with different codes, the Category 35 code is the one that prints.
Tour codes are often paired with IT or BT fare box indicators. IT (inclusive tour) and BT (bulk tour) suppress the fare amount on the passenger receipt, so a traveller who bought a package or a net fare does not see the airline's price. Travelport notes that not everything printed in the tour code box is actually a tour code: commercial agreement references and value codes for net remit also print there.
The tour code is not the same as a ticket designator, which is attached to the fare basis of each coupon.
How Tour code works
A tour code moves from the airline contract to the ticket and then into settlement and audit.
- Airline issues the codeThe airline agrees a contract with the agency, tour operator or company and assigns a tour code to identify it.
- Code is filed or suppliedThe code is filed with the fare in ATPCO Category 27 or 35, or sent to the agency with instructions to add it at ticketing.
- Agent prices and adds modifiersThe agent prices the booking and, if not filed automatically, adds the tour code and any IT or BT indicator as ticketing modifiers.
- Ticket prints the codeThe tour code appears in the tour code box. With IT or BT, the fare amount is replaced by the indicator on the receipt.
- Airline audits the saleSettlement data carries the tour code so the airline can match the ticket to the contract and raise a debit memo if it does not fit.
Tour code in practice
Verified formats. Travelport Smartpoint shows a tour code entered as a ticketing modifier in the format TMU1TCXX123456, where XX123456 stands for the code. Finnair's agent pages show a corporate deal's IT code printed on the ticket as ITAYCORP123456.
Verified corporate use. American Airlines' corporate guidance says the traveller's ticket must contain the tour code required by the company's contract, in forms such as IN0000XX.
Illustrative. A tour operator sells a Maldives package. The airline fare is filed as an IT fare with a tour code for the operator's contract. The traveller's receipt shows IT instead of a price, while the airline sees the code and net amount in settlement data.
Who uses it
Advantages and limitations
Advantages
- Links each ticket to a specific contract, which simplifies airline audit and incentive tracking.
- IT and BT indicators let package and net fare sellers hide the airline price from the traveller.
- Filing the code with the fare reduces manual entry errors at ticketing.
Limitations
- Missing or wrong tour codes can lead to debit memos or lost corporate credit.
- Formats and maximum lengths differ between systems and airlines.
- Conflicting tour codes on different fare components can stop an itinerary from pricing.
- The tour code box also carries other data, so back-office systems cannot assume every entry is a tour code.
Frequently asked questions about Tour code
Where is the tour code on an e-ticket?
It appears in a separate tour code field of the ticket record, often shown on the receipt near the fare calculation area. It is not part of the fare basis. Agents can see it in the ticket display in their GDS, and airlines see it in the settlement data reported through BSP or ARC.
What do IT and BT mean in the fare box of a ticket?
IT stands for inclusive tour and BT for bulk tour. When used as ticketing indicators they replace the fare amount on the passenger receipt, so the traveller does not see the airline price. They are typically used for package fares and net or bulk fares sold under contract, usually with a tour code.
Who provides the tour code to a travel agency?
The airline does. It assigns the code when it agrees a contract with the agency, tour operator or corporate customer. The code is either filed with the fare so it applies automatically, or sent to the agency with instructions on when and how to enter it at ticketing.
Can a tour code be added after the ticket is issued?
Generally it must be present at issue, because it is part of the ticket record reported to settlement. If it was missed, the usual fix is a reissue or exchange under the airline's guidance, if the airline allows it. Check the contract instructions before reissuing.
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See the SaaS platformSources and further reading
- Travelport — Ticketing modifiers: tour code, IT and BT (Smartpoint help)
- Travelport — Cat27: Tour Code (fares and pricing help)
- Travelport — Net remit and tour code box (MIR help)
- KIU — Tour code: quotation and issuance
- Finnair — Corporate fares for travel agents
- American Airlines SalesLink — Corporate booking instructions and CLID FAQs