When will the CAT files be accelerated?

The Expedited Reporting project is planned to be implemented on Monday, January 13, 2025.

On January 13, 2025, ARC will output three CAT (Carrier Accounting Transmission) files for Cycles 4, 5 and 6 for the Period End Date (PED) of January 12, 2025, to update the CAT cycles to the Expedited Reporting schedule. After that, the CAT cycles will be processed and output from Wednesday (Cycle 1) to Tuesday (Cycle 7).

What changes are part of Expedited Reporting?

Expedited Reporting accelerates settled data output to all carriers by accelerating the CAT file transmission. The current and proposed future transmission schedules are outlined below:

Are there any changes to the CAT file structure?

No. The CAT file structure and data elements will remain the same. Only the delivery schedule for CAT file(s) will change.

Is the CAT file header record changing?

 No. The CAT file header record will continue to follow the same format as before (Refer to TIES Chapter 8 (Carrier Accounting Tape (CAT)) – Section 5.3: TCH/02 Header Record). However, for the new schedule of the CAT file delivery, the Scheduled Output Date (SODT) on the header record will depict the following date:

•                     CAT Cycle 1 — Wednesday Date
•                      CAT Cycle 2 — Thursday Date
•                      CAT Cycle 3 — Friday Date
•                      CAT Cycle 4 — Saturday Date
•                      CAT Cycle 5 — Sunday Date
•                      CAT Cycle 6 — Monday Date
•                      CAT Cycle 7 — Wednesday Date

Are there any changes to the Credit Billing output schedule?

The Credit Billing output schedule for Early Credit Billing (ECCB) and Credit Card Billing (CCB) will remain the same, between noon – 2 p.m. ET daily. However, to meet the Expedited Reporting schedule changes, the ECCB and CCB cycles will change as outlined below:

Are there any changes to the Credit Card Billing File - Carrier Copy?

For carriers who receive the carrier copy of the ECCB credit card billing file, they will continue to do so. However, to meet the Expedited Reporting schedule changes, the cycles on the ECCB credit card billing file will be updated as outlined below:

Have there been changes to the weekly cash disbursements?

No. Weekly cash disbursements will remain on the current schedule, i.e., each Friday after the PED. However, the carriers will be able to access their Disbursement Advice on Wednesday evening instead of the current Thursday evening.

The OCR reports will now be published on My ARC on Wednesday evening instead of Thursday evening.

ARC will continue to notify airlines of their Shortage Advice on Wednesdays via email.

Will ARC publish a new proposed 2025 Holiday Schedule?

The Holiday Schedule can be found on the ARC website.

Will the changes be updated on TIES?

Yes. ARC will update the relevant chapters and sections in TIES (Transaction Information Exchange Standards) to reflect the changes proposed for Expedited Reporting. For reference, the following chapters and sections will be updated:

Refer to TIES Chapter 8 (Carrier Accounting Tape (CAT)) – Section 1.4: Transmission Schedule

Refer to TIES Chapter 4 (Area Settlement Plan) – Section 5: ARC Reporting and Processing Schedule

How will Expedited Reporting implementation week be structured?

Expedited Reporting implementation is planned for January 13, 2025. The implementation week schedule is outlined below:

What will the CAT transmission schedule be when an ARC-observed holiday falls on a Monday or Tuesday?

How can I contact ARC’s Airline Help Desk for assistance?

You may email the Airline Help Desk (AHD) at ahd@arccorp.com.

If your concern is time-sensitive, please call AHD at 1-855-816-8007 and reference your case number, if applicable.

AHD Hours: Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET