Reminder: Ethiopian Airlines Does Not Accept Anonymous Prepaid Cards

Ethiopian Airlines does not accept anonymous prepaid cards. These are cards that are typically not reloadable, and not issued to individual cardholders.

Agents should update their card acceptance procedures to ensure they do not these cards. Full details of the Ethiopian Airlines payment policy are available at ethiopian-payment-policy-2021.pdf (ethiopianairlines.com). 

If you have any questions, please contact Ethiopian Airlines.

Tip of the Week: How to Auto-Populate Partial Exchange Values in IAR

You are probably familiar with the IAR error message: “ERROR - Amount required in -Old Fare-.” It is one of the most common IAR errors that happens whenever a partial exchange is issued without using a GDS’s automated re-pricing tool. To clear the error, you must manually enter the unused base fare, tax codes, tax values and total for the old document being partially exchanged.

Unless an old document is a full exchange (all coupons of the old ticket are returned), IAR is unable to determine unused values of individual coupons in a partial exchange (not all old coupons returned).

IAR has two different workarounds to help with these partial exchange errors.

The first workaround is based on the “point-of-origin” exchange repricing logic which is used by GDS auto repricing tools. This is different than “point-of-interruption” repricing logic that relies on calculating the actual unused values of each coupon. Point-of-origin logic simply values the new ticket in the exchange at the same full value as the partially exchanged old ticket. Here is how it works in IAR:

Workaround # 1 – Populate all original values of the old document

On the Exchange Support screen where the “ERROR - Amount required in -Old Fare-” is displayed:

  • Enter the full settled value of the old document that is being partially exchanged in the “Old Total” field, then press Enter.

  • When the “Old Total” matches what was originally reported on the old document, IAR will autofill the Exchange Support screen with all of old ticket values including the old fare, tax codes, tax values and commission. When successful, IAR also displays the message: “IAR separated the old fare/taxes for you based on your -Old Total-.”

  • You may then modify any of the old values and taxes as needed. If not already present, you will also need to add the ESAC and the penalty amount (if applicable).

  • Press Enter or click NEXT to move to the Exchange Summary screen for review before ending the transaction.

The second workaround can be used when point-of-interruption pricing was used to issue the new exchange. It is meant to help you see the original tax codes from the old document. You will still need to enter the old fare, old total and tax values. Returning just the tax codes is meant to ensure that you report the return of the correct taxes on the old document to avoid a debit memo. Here is how it works in IAR:

Workaround #2 – Populate the tax codes of the old document

On the Exchange Support screen where the “ERROR - Amount required in -Old Fare-” is displayed:

  • Enter an amount that is less than the full settled value of the old document that is being partially exchanged in the “Old Fare” and “Old Total”, then press Enter.

  • IAR will autofill only the old tax codes of the original document along with the message: “Please review taxes - Leave -Tax Amt- blank if not required for exchange.”
  • You may then enter the correct unused Old Fare and Old Total values along with the unused tax values for any applicable tax codes, and any commission being returned. If not already present, you will also need to add the ESAC and penalty amount (if applicable).
  • Press Enter or click NEXT to move to the Exchange Summary screen for review before ending the transaction.

Remember: When issuing a partial exchange, it is recommended that you use your GDS’s exchange repricing tool so that the exchange enters IAR without the partial exchange error. Please check with your GDS representative for more information on their automated exchange repricing functionality.