This document discusses how to calculate special IATA fares and deal with their restrictions. There are different types of special fares like excursion fares and advance purchase fares, with varying restrictions. To determine the applicable fare, analyze the itinerary against the restrictions in the fare rules, starting with the lowest fare. Restrictions include number of stopovers, minimum and maximum trip durations. Once the applicable fare is found, note the fare basis and establish the valid travel windows. Finally, explain the fare rules to the client and issue the ticket.

1. Special Fares
How to Calculate Special IATA Fares?
Magiel Venema
Revised 2017 Edition

2. 2
What are Special Fares?
• Reduced Fares, but with:
• Certain Travel Restrictions
– Stopovers
– Minimum Stay Requirement
– Maximum Stay
• Why: to fill up empty spaces
• Why Restrictions:
– To make them unattractive for full fare paying
passengers, like business travelers

3. 3
Types of Special Fares
• Excursion Fares (EE)
– Highest, least restrictions
• Purchase Excursion Fares (PX)
– Intermediate
• Advance Purchase Fares (AP)
– Lowest, most restrictions
• Late Booking Fares
– Last minute, internet fares

4. 4
To recognize them
• Fare Basis Code:
• Format:
• Class – Season – Fare Type – Max. Validity
– YLEE3M: Y L EE 3M
– YHPX1M: Y H PX 1M
– YKAP60: Y K AP 60

5. 5
Restrictions
• Number of Stopovers
• Maximum Duration of Journey
• Minimum Stay at Destination
• Moment of Booking
• Cancellation Penalties
• Only in Economy Class and only for Returns

6. 6
How to deal with them?
• See (Air Tariff or GDS) if there are any Special Fares
between origin and destination
• Note all the fares and their Rule number
• Analyze the trip in this order on these points:
– Number of stopovers
– Duration of Minimum Stay
– Duration of Total Journey
• Why in the above order: Stopover Restriction is in
most cases the strongest restriction

7. 7
How to count the number of
stopovers?
• Stopover is a scheduled interruption of the
journey of more than 24 hours
• It does not matter if it is on the demand of
the traveler or not
• Do not include in the count the point of
turnaround!
• Count outbound and inbound journey
seperately

8. 8
How to analyze the maximum
duration of the journey?
• Count from the day after departure to the
day of departure for the (last leg) of the
return journey
• Validity in months: to the same day of the
last month
– 3 months: November 30 -> February 28!

9. 9
How to analyze the Minimum
Stay?
• At what date is the departure from last
stopover point (including for this matter, also
the point of Turnaround)?
• Start counting from the day after departure
from Point of Origin to that date
• Compare number of days with the minimum
stay requirement
• Easy?

10. 10
Example 1: AMS – MAD – CAS –
LIS - AMS
• Departure AMS: July 16
• Arrival CAS: July 19, Departure July 24
• Departure LIS: July 25
• What is the last stopoverpoint:
• LIS
• How many days:
• 9 Days (Start counting day after departure
AMS until departure from LIS)

11. 11
Example 2: AMS – MAD – CAS –
X/LIS - AMS
• Departure AMS: July 16
• Arrival CAS: July 19, Departure July 24
• Departure LIS: July 25
• What is the last stopoverpoint:
• CAS (Point of Turnaround)
• How many days:
• 8 Days (Start counting day after departure AMS
until departure from last stopoverpoint = CAS)

12. 12
Structure of the Rules
• Each Special Fare has its own Rule
• Each Rule has 30 paragraphs (0 – 29)
• With the rules, only the paragraphs that are
different from the Standard Paragraph SC100
are mentioned
• Mentioned Paragraphs have precedence over
Standard Paragraphs

13. 13
How to go ahead
• Analyze the itinerary of the trip
• Go to the rule of the lowest Special Fare
• Check paragraphs 8 – 6 – 7
• If paragraph is not mentioned, then consult
Standard Rule SC 100
• Compare checks with itinerary
• If it matches, then use that fare
• If not, go to the next lower Special Fare and repeat
your checks
• Etc.

14. 14
Once you have found an
applicable Special Fare
• Check for the season (Paragraph 3):
• Day of departure decides which season is applicable
• Write down the correct Fare Basis
• Note date and city from which earliest return may
commence
• Note last date of validity
• Write down ‘Not Valid Before’ and ‘Not Valid After’
for the applicable segments of the journey

15. 15
Example Not Valid Before
Not Valid After
• Departure Date: 19JUN
• Fare Basis YHEE4M
• Minimum Stay Requirement: 6 Days:
– Earliest departure last stopover city is 25JUN
• Maximum Validity: 4 Months
– Latest day of validity is 19OCT

16. 16
Not Valid Before &
Not Valid After
NOT VALID
BEFORE
NOT VALID
AFTER
19OCT
19OCT
19OCT
25JUN 19OCT

17. 17
To sum it up:
• Look for the lowest Special Fare
• See which Rule is applicable (Y …)
• Check Rule against Trip Itinerary
• If a Paragraph is not mentioned, than SC 100
applies
• If you find something that does not comply,
abandon and
• Go to next lowest Special Fare
• See which Rule is applicable (Y…)
• Repeat check of Rule against Trip Itinerary
• When you have found a fare, note Fare Basis and
establish Season and Not Valid Before and Not
Valid After

18. 18
Finally
• Explain client the rules:
– Minimum Stay
– Maximum Stay
– Payment Pariculars
– Cancellation Rules
• Prepare and Issue Ticket