What is a PNR? The story behind this travel technology
PNRs (Passenger Name Record) have been the predominant technology in travel booking. They were created in the 1960s when American Airlines, in collaboration with IBM, developed Sabre, one of the first centralized reservation systems for airline tickets. This was the starting point for the use of PNRs as a standard in the airline industry for managing reservations and passenger information.
Initially created for airline flights, they have evolved to include travel itinerary information, contact information, contact preferences, frequent flyer information, payments, and medical information. Eventually, they included hotel reservations, car rentals, train reservations, and everything else related to travel.
It is a unique identifier, composed of five alphanumeric characters (numbers and letters), and each change can maintain the same code or generate a new one.
The PNR is the legacy system that has dominated the industry for decades, storing reservation information in multiple separate records.
Concept and Fundamental Structure of PNR
The Passenger Name Record (PNR) is a digital record stored in computer reservation system (CRS) databases containing the complete itinerary of a passenger or group of passengers traveling together. This system was initially introduced by airlines to facilitate the exchange of reservation information when passengers required flights on multiple airlines to reach their destination, a process known as “interlining.”
The technical structure of a PNR requires five mandatory components before completing any reservation: the passenger’s name, contact details for the travel agency or airline office, ticketing information (ticket number or time limit), itinerary information for at least one segment, and the name of the person providing the information. These elements form the minimum basis according to IATA/ICAO standards, although in practice, PNRs can contain up to 999 different data elements in systems like Amadeus.
Operational Process and Data Management
When a passenger books an itinerary, the travel agent or website user creates a PNR in the reservation system they use, typically one of the major global distribution systems such as Amadeus, Sabre, or Travelport. This PNR is called a “Master PNR” and is identified by a unique record locator. When portions of the trip are not provided by the master PNR holder, copies of the PNR information are sent to the CRSs of the airlines that will provide transportation.
The system maintains a complete history of all modifications, and the record locators of copied PNRs are communicated back to the CRS that owns the master PNR, keeping all records linked. This architecture allows for the exchange of updates when the trip status changes in any of the CRSs involved.
Advantages of the PNR System
The PNR system offers several significant advantages that explain its long-standing dominance in the airline industry. It establishes a consolidated standard that has been widely adopted by airlines, travel agencies, and GDS systems for decades, providing operational stability and predictability. This technological maturity means that industry personnel are familiar with its operation, reducing training costs and learning curves.
PNR’s universal compatibility with existing infrastructure allows airlines and travel agencies to operate without massive investments in new technology. Furthermore, the system facilitates the efficient exchange of information between airlines for connecting flights and interline services, a crucial aspect for the functioning of the global aviation network.
Drawbacks and Limitations of PNR
The PNR system faces significant limitations that have prompted the search for more modern alternatives. Technological limitations represent a major obstacle, as the primarily EDIFACT-based format does not allow for the easy incorporation of rich content such as images, detailed product descriptions, or personalized services.
Data fragmentation is another key problem, as passenger information is distributed across multiple separate records (PNR, e-ticket, EMD), creating opportunities for inconsistencies and errors. This separation complicates customer service processes and can lead to confusion during itinerary changes or operational disruptions.
Privacy concerns have become increasingly relevant, especially with regulations like the GDPR in Europe. PNRs can contain sensitive information, including medical details, religious food preferences, and details of physical conditions—information that traditionally doesn’t receive the same protection as medical or financial records. Furthermore, regulatory compliance challenges arise when airlines must navigate between conflicting border security requirements in one country and the data protection laws of another.
