Interline is where order-based retailing proves its worth-or falls apart. Two airlines must agree on what was sold, how much it cost, and how to settle, even when only one of them issued the offer. Here’s a pragmatic look at making interline work with orders instead of pure ticket coupons.
Share offers deliberately
When the operating carrier provides content, include machine-readable provenance: which carrier priced it, refresh timestamps, applicable settlement agreements. If the marketing carrier adjusts the offer (adding ancillaries or discounts), record the adjustments in an audit trail so settlement can reconcile later.
Structure the order for multiple parties
- Partition order items by owning carrier with clear fulfillment status.
- Include settlement references (SIS line item IDs, proration references) while keeping traveler-friendly descriptions.
- Tag servicing rights: who may rebook, who handles refunds, and how status updates propagate.
Messaging flows
Adopt event-driven messaging or APIs for order updates, but fall back to legacy messages where partners are not ready. Map your order events to PADIS or Type B messages (e.g., an order change event may still produce a PNR update for the partner’s host). Keep correlation IDs across all formats.
- Agreed proration logic documented (mileage, sector, revenue share).
- Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) or SIS references generated from the order without manual spreadsheets.
- Dispute workflow defined-who raises a charge, timeframes, communication channel.
Handling disruption cooperatively
During irregular operations, share re-accommodation offers quickly. The order record should show which carrier initiated the change and the traveler’s response. Automate notifications so the marketing carrier knows when the operating carrier has rebooked or reissued vouchers.
Interline with orders is about transparency. When every adjustment is recorded with ownership and settlement context, disputes shrink and the traveler sees a single consistent story across carriers.