ARC Sees Big Jump in EMD Transactions

The processing of electronic miscellaneous document (EMD) transactions by ARC got a big boost in the first half of August, growing from a total of four to more than 2,000.

ARC said that over a 16-day period, it processed 2,087 on behalf of American Airlines for sales of American’s Preferred Seats by Priceline.com, the first online travel agency to sell the option.

The seats were sold through the airline’s direct connect technology provider, Farelogix.

EMDs enable the tracking and paperless fulfillment of ancillary sales.

Preferred seats
Priceline.com has been selling tickets through American’s direct connect since January 2011 at the rate of about 2,000 per day. It became the first online travel agency to sell the carrier’s Preferred Seats – “desirable” seats toward the front of the main cabin – at the end of July.

Passengers may also have been spurred to purchase the seats because American offered them at a 25% discount on Priceline.com and AA.com for the first week they were available in Priceline.

American has said that its ancillary products and services will be available to travel agencies only if they use the direct connect.

ARC noted that it has been EMD-ready since October 2010, “prepared to accommodate various ancillary charges within a single transaction and link them to multiple legs of an airline ticket.”

But for 10 months, nothing happened. ARC processed the first EMD – a pre-paid bag check on Air New Zealand, sold through Sabre – in August 2011.