Messages Module

The Messages Module is intended for working with incoming and outgoing messages. Incoming messages, containing information about booking for flights subject to check-in, arrive to the system from the Reservations Systems (RES systems). Outgoing messages about the actually departed flights are sent to the reservations systems and destinations (airports) of the flight.

It is possible to work with messages for the current date, the next date and for 15 days preceding the current date.

Actions with messages:

Viewing incoming messages
Viewing outgoing messages
Generating outgoing messages
Editing outgoing messages
Dispatch of outgoing messages
Recording messages on a hard drive
Downloading messages from the hard disk
Printing messages.

Incoming messages

The system can accept and process two types of incoming messages: PNL (Passenger Name List) and ADL (Additions and Deletions List), according to the IATA Recommended Practice 1707/1708, which come from the reservations systems.

PNL message contains information about the number of passengers booked for the flight by destinations and classes, it may also contain passenger names, special service remarks and further related information. PNL message containing only the number of passengers (without names) is called a numeric message; the message containing passenger names is called name message.

ADL message contains information about amendments in the list of passengers booked for the flight and full data about the number of passengers as of the moment of the message generating. ADL can also be numeric and name message.

It is recommended to sent the messages as follows: A numeric PNL message 24 hours before the departure for preliminary estimation of the loading. Then, 4 hours before the departure (i.e., directly before check-in opening), a name PNL message and then ADL message in case of changes due to sales or returning tickets.

The messages arrive only for departing flights. There are no incoming messages for arriving flights.

Particularities of acceptance

Each incoming PNL or ADL message may be divided into several parts if it is too large (requirement for data transfer through SITA channels). The information about it is contained inside the message. Amber system forms a single message from several parts and then analyzes information contained in it. For this purpose the system has two independent processes. The first process is responsible for the acceptance of message parts, the other process is responsible for combining and analysis of messages. The latter process also associates the message with a particular flight from the DFP (Daily Flight Plan).

If two or more identical messages (parts) are accepted, only the first one will be processed, the rest will be ignored.

PNL and ADL messages contain information on the basis of which the message may be attributed to (associated with) the flight on a particular date. In particular, a message contains flight number and date. The process of analyzing includes the continual DFP scanning in order to find the addressee of not associated massages when the flight date in the message is more or equal to the current date. Then the process stops for such messages and they will be classified as undetermined.

The outline of the process is as follows:

acceptance of parts > combining parts > association with the flight on a particular date > analysis.

Processing

The PNL and ADL messages processing rules are as follows:

Upon receipt of messages the system compares the time of their generating and updates the loading info using the latest data;
As any PNL or ADL message contains complete data about the number of passengers (flight load), the load calculations will be updated in the system upon receipt of messages (you can see this info in the Check-in Preparation Module);
After name PNL message is accepted, the passenger names contained in all further name PNL messages from the same address will be ignored, but the load calculations will be updated;
Before the name PNL messages is accepted, all received ADL messages will wait for the passenger names processing (!load calculations will be updated at the moment of ADL message acceptance!);
Upon receipt of the name PNL message, all ADL messages waiting for processing will be processed and the amended data will be registered by the system.

The outline of the message processing is as follows:

numeric PNL > …> numeric PNL >name PNL > ADL > … > ADL

Outgoing messages

The system can generate and dispatch the following outgoing messages: PTM (IATA Recommended Practice 1718), BTM (IATA Recommended Practice 1745, sections 1-3), PFS (IATA Recommended Practice 1719), PSM (IATA Recommended Practice 1715), LDM (IATA AHM 583), MVT (IATA AHM 780), as well as free format messages.

The list of message types is stored in the Message Type reference table.

Description of messages
MSG abbreviation	English	Addressee
`BTM`	Baggage Transfer Message	Destination airports on the route
`BSM`	Baggage Source Message	Airport baggage system (BRS - Baggage Reconciliation System)
`LDM`	Load Message	Landing airport
`MVT`	Aircraft Movement Message	Destination airports on the route
`PFS`	Passenger Final Sales	Reservations System
`PSM`	Passenger Services Message	All airports
`PTM`	Passenger Transfer Message	Each airport
`FTL`	Frequent Traveler List	Airline
`ETL`	Electronic Ticket List	E-ticket server
`PRL`	Passenger Reconcile List	Other check-in systems
`AHL`	“Advise if Hold”
`COM`	Message for SITA load balancing	Weight and Balance Software
`SOM`	Seat Occupied Message	Other check-in systems

Outgoing messages for departing flights

Messages of all types may be generated and dispatched directly after the take-off.

PTM message (Passenger Transfer Message): Contains information about passengers and baggage subject to the transfer from the flight stations. PTM message may be without passenger names and contain only the total amount of the transfer baggage by flights. In this case it is considered to be numerical. PTM message to be generated separately for each destination airport. The message is generated automatically, it is not accessible for editing.

BTM message (Baggage Transfer Message): Contains the detailed information about the baggage subject to transfer from the landing stations. BTM message to be also generated separately for each destination airport. This message can not be numerical. The message is generated automatically, it is not accessible for editing.

PFS message (Passenger Final Sales message) provides the Reservations Systems with the information about passengers actually departed with the flight. All passengers will be divided into categories based on the check-in status and PNL and ADL messages data received from the respective reservations system. Numeric variants of messages contain only the number of flown passengers by landing stations and classes. PFS message is generated for each reservation system separately. The message is generated automatically, it is not accessible for editing.

PSM message (Passenger Service Message): Contains special service remarks and the same message is sent to all stations of the route. This message can not be numerical.

LDM message (Load Message): Contains aircraft load information along the whole route of the flight and the same message is sent to all route stations upon the take-off.

MVT message (Aircraft Movement Message): Contains information on departure or arrival and is sent immediately upon the take-off or landing of the aircraft.

FTL message (Frequent Traveler List) contains information on the frequent flyers on the flight. To be sent to an airline.

ETL message (Electronic Ticket List) contains information about the passengers with electronic tickets. To be sent to the electronic tickets server.

PRL message (Passenger Reconcile List) contains information on the passengers actually checked-in and flown. To be sent to other check-in systems.

SOM message (Seat Occupied Message) contains information about seats occupied by transit passengers along the whole route of the transit flight.

The free format message contains user-defined information.

Outgoing messages for arriving flights

MVT message (Aircraft Movement Message): Contains information on departure or arrival and is sent immediately upon the take-off or landing of the aircraft.

AHL message contains information on the missing baggage.

The free format message contains user-defined information.

Modes of generating and dispatch of messages

Outgoing messages in the system may be generated and sent in two modes: automatic and manual. Automatic or manual mode of the certain messages generating to be defined in the Automatic Message Dispatch Table (described in the System Administrator Instruction).

Modes of outgoing messages generating
Message	Generating mode
`AHL`	Manual
`BSM`	Automatic upon each change of passengers and baggage (when working with Check-in, Boarding, etc., modules)
`BTM`	Automatic upon the take-off
`COM`	Automatic upon completing check-in and check-in close
`ETL`	Automatic upon the take-off
`FTL`	Automatic upon the take-off
`LDM`	Manual
`MVT`	Manual
`PFS`	Automatic upon the take-off
`PRL`	In accordance with the rules specified by the airline or airport
`PSM`	Automatic upon the take-off
`PTM`	Automatic upon the take-off
`SOM`	Automatic upon input of the fact of flight depature
`Free format`	Manual

The special system process traces the rules of message generating in the automatic mode, according to IATA recommended practice. The addresses of message recipients are specified in the 7 numeric format generally accepted in SITA.

Messages are generated and dispatched based on the Message Addresses Table (described in the System Administrator Instruction). In case if no address is found for some message, the message will not be generated.

Two system processes ensure the outgoing messages generating and dispatch: The first process is responsible for message generating in automatic mode, the second one - for their dispatch. Taking into consideration the requirement of the standard for data transmission through SITA communication channels, a large-sized outgoing message will be generated as a range of smaller parts (similarly to incoming messages).

Manual generating of messages is described in detail in section Generating an outgoing message

Thus, the Automatic Message Dispatch Table is a flexible tool for generating messages in the automatic mode. Messages of the same type for the same flight may be generated and dispatched in different modes simultaneously. Moreover, it is possible to temporarily disable the automatic dispatch of messages by changing Disable function.

Addresses of each outgoing message should be specified according to the Message Addresses Table; please pay attention to the following boxes: A/L, Flight, From, To, Lat, Numeric.

Other sections:

Messages Module

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