Automated refunds can be a hassle for travel agents. At Amadeus we have made the process to refund documents simpler. In our latest Amadeus Tip, we show the procedures to refund documents in graphical mode.
Automated refunds can be a hassle for travel agents. At Amadeus we have made the process to refund documents simpler. In our latest Amadeus Tip, we show the procedures to refund documents in graphical mode.
In order for an automated refund to be permitted on a document, it is important to note that the sale of the document must be confirmed. This is indicated by an asterisk after the sequence number of the e-ticket or EMD in the query report (see screenshot below)
Firstly, check the fare conditions applied during issuance. The e-ticket or EMD image must also be displayed so as to crosscheck coupon statuses on documents. Once this has been done, only then can an automated refund be processed and/or confirmed. Issued documents may be refunded in full or partially.
Five different types of refunds may be processed:
- The basic refund: this permits you to refund fully open or partially flown documents. All remaining coupons (with status O for Open or A for Airport Control) will be refunded.
- The full refund: allows you to automatically process refunds only on fully open documents (i.e. completely unflown documents) without displaying the refund record. Documents processed utilising this option will be refunded in full as issued (i.e. it is not possible to include the cancellation fee using this module).
- The no report refund: This allows you to process a refund with an airline without displaying the refund record first. Automated refunds processed through this will not appear on sales reports.
- The tax only refund: This functionality allows you to refund taxes only on documents
- The zero refund: this option allows you to process a refund at zero value (i.e. the fare will be considered as used, and taxes may be added prior to processing the refund).
To process a refund in graphic mode:
i) In the ‘Main Page’, go to retrieve ‘e-Ticket or EMD’ and select the type of document being refunded
ii) On the right hand side of the screen, specify the document number and then click on search
iii) The system will display your document. Once the document has been displayed, click on ‘refund’. This will provide with different refund options you may wish to use.
iv) Select your preferred refund option, and then click on continue refund record.
(NB: Some refund options – e.g. full refund option – will not give option to continue to refund record but will give option to go ahead and process refund).
v) The refund record or refund mask will permit you amend information already populated.
- The fare paid has automatically been pulled through from the document database. It may be amended provided it doesn’t correspond with what was issued.
- The fare used box may be populated to indicate the portion of the fare that has been used on the document. If a document has been completely unflown the fare used box may be left blank
- NB: Once the fare paid and fare used boxes have been updated, click on ‘Save Changes’ on the bottom right hand side. This will update the refund subtotal
Collapse the breakdown of your taxes and update them as applicable. These are automatically populated from the document database. In the event that you require to add an additional tax, this may be done through the add tax link. Once you have updated your tax, click on ‘Save Changes’ on the bottom right of the mask. This will update your mask.
- In some cases, some taxes listed may be non-refundable. These may be removed through the delete link next to the relevant tax.
- Update the cancellation fee and miscellaneous fee boxes. The cancellation fee box is where you will specify your cancellation penalty as obtained through the fare rules. This cancellation penalty may be specified as an amount of a percentage. Ensure you select the relevant option next to cancellation fee.
The miscellaneous fee box can only ever be listed as an amount. In this box, you may specify any other fee (other than the cancellation fee) that an airline charges to process a refund (e.g. airline refund processing fee if applicable). If not applicable, this box may be left blank. Once this has been updated, click on ‘Save Changes’ to update your refund mask.
- Insert the tourcode (where applicable) in the tourcode box. In the event that there was a difference between the published fare and the net fare, the net fare may be populated in the net fare refund box. Once this information has been populated, you may click on save changes.
- Because you have been updating the refund mask through the ‘Save Changes’ button, your Form of Payment Box would have been updating each time you clicked on ‘Saves Changes’. The form of payment field must always balance with the total refundable amount just below the cancellation and miscellaneous fee boxes. If the two do not balance, a refund cannot be processed. Click on ‘Save Changes’ once updates have occurred
In the event of a split payment, subsequent forms of payment may be added through the ‘Add FOP’ link. Again all amounts listed in the form of payment boxes have to balance with the total refundable value.
- NB: A refund can only ever be processed to the form of payment corresponding to the document. Therefore, if the form of payment on the document was cash, the refund has to be processed as cash. Specifying any other form of payment could result with agency debit memorandums.
The final phase is to update commission values on the refund mask. These will be auto-populated from the document database. Bear in mind:
- Commission is entirely an arrangement between the airline and the travel agent and thus does not involve Amadeus. It is therefore imperative for you to find out from the airline the commission values to be inserted on the refund box.
- Typically, if a document was issued with a specific commission value, the same commission value has to be specified when processing a refund (i.e. commission is only applicable on flown coupons only)
- Some airlines may offer commission on cancellation fees. In this case the value of the commission on the cancellation fee may be specified in the Cancellation Fee Commission box
You may also wish to add notes on the refund being processed. These may be added in the Remarks box, under ‘Additional information’.
To confirm your refund, go ahead and click on ‘Save and Confirm’. This will provide with a success message that confirms a refund has been processed successfully. In this case, your refund will also be registered on the sales report.
NB: In the event that you would like to cancel your refund, you may do so by accessing the refund on the same day of issue through the sales report. Use the normal document voiding input commands. Do however note that not all carriers will permit the voiding of refunds.
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