Transpacificflyer

This requires that the lead person contacted responds. Currently, there are enough people who do not co-operate in a timely manner such that contact tracing can not deliver on its intent and in some regions is ineffective. Canadians have a smugness when it comes to how the country has responded, and sad to say, the numbers of people who do not comply with self isolation and other low tech methods of infection containment, is high enough in too many regions to allow for continued community transmission.

SparseFlyer

Ouf, not an IT guy so can't say much. But I believe it would be a field (similar to an SSR - it would have a category like phone/mobile/email, and may or may not be passenger related).

Normally, it's a phone number, and the first field is never passenger related.

canadiancow

I think it might be in the OSI section.

CTCE (email), CTCP (I think? Phone?), etc.

So yes, similar to SSR.

tcook052

Suddenly everyone's a TA and knows all the PNR codes and functions.

Other Service Information (OSI) and Special service request (SSR) are very different functions as the latter provides a way to request special items or services for a passenger such as VGML (Vegetarian meal) and requires immediate action and/or a reply from the receiving airline whereas the former provides a method of storing and transmitting service information to airlines without any action being required such as an corp. status i.e CEO or an alternate contact number not already stored in the main phone field in a PNR.

canadiancow

Suddenly there's a reason for all us not-quite-TAs to reveal our knowledge

It just rarely comes up

canadiancow

Okay so CTCM is (m)obile phone, I presume. CTCM and CTCE (email) were added when I checked in.

SparseFlyer

Can the confirmed-is-and-always-have-been-TAs confirm that you can save a PNR with only an email as contact?

I'll pay you the $1 in fees.

tcook052

Those codes were introduced as an update to IATA Resolution 830d went into effect 1st June, 2019 requiring travel agents (except in the US) to pro-actively ask customers if they wish to provide their contact information to airlines in the itinerary to allow the them to contact the passenger in the event of an operational disruption (IROP). Where the passenger wishes to have their contact details provided the mobile number (SSR CTCM) and/or email (SSR CTCE) are entered into the PNR however if the passenger refused to provide either, this is recorded on the PNR (SSR CTCR) as well. Those passengers refusing to provide this info are reminded that they may not receive timely updates in case of flight cancellations, delays or schedule changes.

No, not AFAIK as a passenger phone number (home, mobile or business) is a mandatory field while email field is optional.

canadiancow

There were no relevant SSRs on my PNR. There was absolutely nothing about contact information before OLCI. And I was logged in and entered all fields during purchase on AC.com.

These are OSIs, not SSRs.

Of course, I'm talking specifically about my bookings, and nothing in general. I certainly have not investigated this outside of AC and 1A.

tcook052

And I answered only what TA's do and why and can't speak to what airlines do as they are different things.

SparseFlyer

Would you care to try the following?

1. Create PNR as normal with a phone and email, and save
2. Remove the first contact/fone field (the mandatory phone number)
3. The email should move to the first field. Make sure it's not passenger related (so not related to P1 nor P1-2 etc), then save.
4. Report to HQ.

Unless you're using a specific GUI preventing you from doing this, I think it'll save the PNR.

tcook052

No, I wouldn't as many fields can be manually overridden but were wandering further away from the thread topic which is what info AC is or is not willing to provide to relevant health authorities, most especially files made directly with the airline on ac.com.

SparseFlyer

I think this just started with posts making the assumption certain PNRs didn't have contact information, and some that said phone numbers may very well not be good for messaging vs email; PNRs contact is mandatory, and PNRs can wave and push to airline systems with an email as the first contact info line.

So all is possible, and AC is either not sharing all information due to legal/privacy issue, or deliberately holding it (because it actually has the information).

I see no reason why it would be the latter more than the former be honest. Let's not forget the airline is still run by real people that are just as concerned about COVID as anyone else.

tcook052

All is possible but not plausible as just because it can be done is not evidence that's how it always is done.

Yes, this is the far more important topic for discussion and not the technical workings of a res. system few if any here actually use.

Fiordland

I think the issue is which Quarantine Act. The federal act deals primarily with boarder control issues and provides a mechanism for limiting where someone goes until a determination can be made if it is safe to let the person into the general population.

The Quarantine limits on someone already legally in the country is a provincial issue and each province has its own Quarantine act that governs how that works. For example, Dr. Henry is the chief medical office for BC and when she issues a quarantine order it is under authority that comes from a provincial act.

As for why AC and Dr. Henry are having this discussion through the press instead of or in addition to directly is a completely different question. What would be better is if AC just called up each of the health officers in each province and asked what do you need to make this work and then just did it.