Simplify Split Ticketing with Iris: A Smarter Way for Travel Sellers to Build Flexible, Multi-supplier Itineraries
Introduction
Travelers today expect fast, accurate, and highly personalized itineraries, especially during peak periods when availability is tight and fare conditions are strict.
Complex requests, such as flying out on one carrier and returning on another, or combining a full-service airline with a low-cost option, often overwhelm traditional booking tools, resulting in manual work, delays, and missed savings.
Iris solves this by making split ticketing simple, consistent, and scalable for high‑volume agencies.
What is Split Ticketing and why it matters?
Split ticketing allows travel sellers to construct an itinerary by issuing separate orders for each leg rather than a single end‑to‑end transaction. This approach unlocks flexibility, price advantages, and broader supplier reach.
Consider a request like: “Need to fly from Singapore to Melbourne on December 23rd with Singapore Airlines (SQ) and return on December 28th with Qantas (QF).”
An agent creates two one-way orders within a single master order: one for SQ (from Sabre) outbound and another for QF (NDC) inbound. The result is a cohesive itinerary with discrete fulfilment, pricing, and servicing per segment.
The Iris Portal provides functionality for creating split‑ticketed bookings:
- same supplier – same validating carrier
- same supplier – different validating carrier
- different supplier – same validating carrier
- different supplier – different validating carrier
Key Benefits of Split Ticketing:
- Increased Flexibility: Allows for combining different carriers, such as booking Air India outbound and Emirates on the return flight, to meet client preferences or optimize timing.
- Cost Optimization: In cases where one–way promotional fares or specific branded fares’ variations exist, two one–way tickets can be more cost–effective than a single return ticket as airlines may price similar routes differently.
- Supplier Combination: Enables the use of multiple suppliers for a single itinerary, which is crucial for agencies with access to various GDSs and direct connections.
The Iris Advantage: Seamless Multi-Supplier Combinations
Traditional systems force agents to juggle multiple screens and manually compare results. Iris centralizes this process, offering unique flexibility in combining suppliers:
Important Note: Iris currently supports combining various GDSs and some *LCC/NDC suppliers.
Addressing the Pain Points of Traditional Systems
For high-volume travel sellers, the challenges of manual split-ticketing are significant:
- Fragmented sourcing: Agents must compare GDS, Airline/NDC portal, and LCC websites
- Manual rule check: Split segments require checking of branded fares, baggage rules, refund/change penalties, combinability restrictions.
- Carrier Preference Limitations: Traditional tools do not handle mixed-carrier itineraries well, limiting the ability to meet specific client requests.
- Missed Savings Opportunities: Without checking every source manually, agents frequently miss cheaper combinations, discounted one-way fares, or seasonal promotions.
- Slow Quote Turnaround Times: Manual processes often take 30–45 minutes per quote, impacting service level agreements (SLAs) and client satisfaction.
- Servicing Complexity: Re-shop, re-issue, and refunds across multi-order tickets are a major operational pain point. This requires repricing each order, validating supplier-specific rules, tracking different PNRs, and handling asynchronous updates.
How Iris Makes Split Ticketing Effortless
Iris brings split ticketing into a centralized, intuitive interface designed for efficiency and accuracy:
- Iris lets you compare supported suppliers and issue multi-order tickets:
- GDS (Amadeus & Sabre)
- Selected NDC carriers(where capabilities allow)
- Selected LCCs (with supported combinations)
- End-to-End Servicing: Once confirmed, agents can manage changes directly in the platform—without reissuing through a GDS or contacting the airline.
Key Functionalities in Iris:
- Issue Ticket: Easily issue tickets for multiple orders within the split-ticketed booking. The system tracks the status of each order and coupon.
- Reissue: Seamlessly re-shop and reissue the ticket with itinerary changes. Iris handles the repricing and validation for both segments, ensuring a smooth update process.
- Refund: If a passenger chooses to cancel one segment of their journey, simply select the corresponding ticket number and initiate the refund; just one click is all it takes.
Conclusion
Split Ticketing with Iris empowers large travel sellers to:
- Deliver complex, multi-carrier itineraries quickly.
- Reduce manual errors and improve operational efficiency.
- Unlock potential savings and better timing options for clients.
- Provide superior, tailor-made service for demanding corporate travelers.
Ready to stop building quotes the hard way? Book a demo and let us show you how Iris simplifies even your most complex client scenarios in real time.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Can I combine any two suppliers using Iris Split Ticketing?
Iris supports combining various GDS and LCC/Direct Connect suppliers, such as GDS + GDS, or GDS + LCC, GDS + NDC.
2. Does Iris support post-booking servicing for split tickets?
Yes. Once the booking is created, Iris supports end-to-end servicing, including re-shop, reissue, and refunds across the multi-order booking, significantly reducing the operational pain points associated with traditional systems.
3. Can split ticketing always save money?
Not always. Many airlines offer:
- Discounted one-way fares
- Seasonal one-way promotional offers
- Fare brand variations are only available on one segment
- Lower pricing on mixed-carrier combinations
In these cases, two one-way tickets can be cheaper than one return ticket.
4. Is Iris easy to use for agents unfamiliar with split ticketing?
Absolutely. Iris is browser-based and intuitive, even for first-time users.
