Cathay Agents
Country / Region - Language
Close
GDS Automated Refund Policy - effective 7th August 2024
Posted on {0}
1. Introduction
GDS Automated Refund is a refund tool in GDS product suite which helps to simplify the refund process. GDS Automated Refund uses the airline filed Category 33 (Voluntary Refund) rules to calculate the refund and apply the appropriate penalties automatically without human intervention.
As of 1st September 2022, Cathay Pacific has released Category 33 fare rule and implemented Automated Refund in the following GDSs :
- Abacus
- Amadeus
- Infini
- Sabre
2. Prerequisites
- Automated Refund is a GDS product, travel agents need to subscribe the functionality with GDSs. For details, please check with service providers.
- Automated Refund deployments and activations are controlled by GDSs by markets. For details, please check with service providers.
- Automated Refund guidelines, processing manuals and entries shall be provided by GDSs. For details, please check with service providers.
3. Important Notes for GDS Automated Refund
Agency using GDS Automated Refund should pay attention to these notes, which are based on IATA Resolution. Cathay Pacific would like to highlight the important notes for automated refund that travel agency must comply with.
- The Automated Refund must be a voluntary refund.
- Fare rules “Voluntary Refunds” category 33 must be filed to facilitate the calculation on refund and penalties.
- E-Ticket coupon status must be with at least one ticket coupon eligible for refunds, either as “O” (Open for Use) or “A” (Airport Control).
- E-Ticket must be issued through GDSs automated pricing and the ticket record is in GDS ticket database.
- E-Ticket cannot be refunded if the ticket coupons are not used in sequence. Automated Refund is not allowed at coupon level.
- Automated Refund is applicable for totally unused or partially used E-Tickets.
- Automated Refund supports original issued E-Tickets with single or multiple Form of Payments.
Tickets previously reissued once is also supported. Multiple reissue ticket is NOT applicable for Automated Refund. - Automated Refunds must be made in the country and currency of original collection.
- Automated Refunds is applicable for Published Fares and Private Fares (excluding net remit, it is not allowed in some of GDSs, please check the full details with your service providers).
- The refund amount should NOT be compensated by any unused taxes (include fuel surcharges) to offset penalties or cancellation charges. This practice shall be applied for both Manual Refund and Automated Refund.
- Automated Refund should be applicable for ticket with maximum of 1 year from the date of issue.
- Travel agents are not allowed to cancel the automated refund transaction.
- If Automated Refund is not successful, please process manual refund via GDSs as usual.
4. Frequently Asked Questions
- While auto refund launch, does it mean manual refund will be terminated?
No, it doesn’t. Both automated and manual refund will be available in GDSs.
- How can I get start to use GDS auto refund functionality?
You need to subscribe this functionality with GDSs. Please contact your GDSs, they will share the subscription, deployment, charges and entries/user guide.
- The E-Ticket is manual priced, can I apply auto refund via GDSs?
No, you can’t. E-Ticket must be auto priced via GDSs.
- The original E-ticket was auto priced and it was auto reissued last week via GDS system, can I apply auto refund for the reissued E-Ticket?
Yes, tickets previously reissued once are supported by GDS auto refund.
- Passenger is holding a round trip E-Ticket e.g. HKG CX SIN CX HKG, and request to auto refund outbound coupon only e.g. HKG CX SIN and he/she is going to use inbound coupon e.g. SIN CX HKG, can I process as passenger request?
No, automated refund is not allowed at coupon level and E-Ticket must be used in sequence.
- Passenger is holding an E-Ticket e.g. HKG CX BKK TG SIN CX HKG, somehow passenger used TG ticket coupon only e.g. BKK TG SIN and request refund the rest of CX coupons. Can I apply auto refund?
No, E-Ticket cannot be refunded if the ticket coupons are not used in sequence.
- Can I cancel a refund made by GDSs auto refund transaction?
No, it is not allowed.
- Currently, I’m using fuel surcharges to offset refund penalty during manual refund calculation, can you share the difference between current and future practices?
CX Refund Scenarios for Fuel Surcharges (YR):- Before 31AUG2022 – Allow YR to offset cancellation fee
- On/after 01SEP2022 – Not allow YR to offset cancellation fee
- Cancellation Fee Lower than Unused Fare Amount
Before 31AUG2022 On/after 01SEP22 Fare $1,000 $1,000 Taxes $200 $200 YR $100 $100 Total Ticket Amount $1,300 $1,300 Cancellation Fee -$200 -$200 Refund Fare $800 $800 Refund Taxes $300 $300 Total Refund Amount $1,100 $1,100
- Cancellation Fee equal to Unused Fare Amount
Before 31AUG2022 On/after 01SEP22 Fare $1,000 $1,000 Taxes $200 $200 YR $100 $100 Total Ticket Amount $1,300 $1,300 Cancellation Fee -$1,000 -$1,000 Refund Fare $0 $0 Refund Taxes $300 $300 Total Refund Amount $300 $300
- Cancellation Fee Great than Unused Fare Amount and YR can cover
Before 31AUG2022 On/after 01SEP22 Fare $1,000 $1,000 Taxes $200 $200 YR $100 $100 Total Ticket Amount $1,300 $1,300 Cancellation Fee -$1,100 -$1,100 Refund Fare $0 (outstanding cancellation fee $100 was offset by unused YR $100) $0 (fare < cancellation fee) Refund Taxes $200 $300 Total Refund Amount $200 $300
- Cancellation Fee Great than Unused Fare Amount and YR cannot cover
Before 31AUG2022 On/after 01SEP22 Fare $1,000 $1,000 Taxes $200 $200 YR $100 $100 Total Ticket Amount $1,300 $1,300 Cancellation Fee -$1,500 -$1,500 Refund Fare $0 (outstanding cancellation fee $500 was offset by unused YR $100) $0 (fare < cancellation fee) Refund Taxes $200 $300 Total Refund Amount $200 $300