South America Travel Tips

This post is intended for use by travel agents who use the Amadeus Computer Reservation System to book flights.  The general public will not understand this post.  Travel agents can use these Amadeus tricks to book flights for much less than the airline wants you to.  Travel agents will undoubtedly earn $1000’s extras for their businesses using these tricks.  These secrets probably shouldn’t be in the public domain, but for the moment I’m posting them. Any travel agency who uses Amadeus can use this tricks to book flights for much less than they should be - this information is totally priceless.

Note - the Iberia, Varig and American Airlines techniques are the easiest to master - scroll down for details and maybe start with these ones.  The Lufthansa technique is variably useful, slightly complicated, easy once mastered but highly profitable. The KLM manipulation technique is extremely, extremely difficult to master, but once cracked the profit margins are huge.

I’ve used the following tricks to book flights for clients at up to £300 ($600) less than the airline technically permits.  Amadeus can be used to manipulate prices with a range of airlines, including Lufthansa, KLM, Alitalia, American Airlines, Varig, Aerolineas Argentinas and Iberia.  There may well be other airlines that similar processes can be used for. Likewise these tricks may be transferable to other CRS such as Sabre. Some of these tricks are more complicated than others - the KLM manipulation technique is the hardest to master.  However, the potential profit margins involved are huge.

I last worked with Amadeus in September 2007, and all of the following techniques worked an absolute treat. I am aware that Amadeus (and the airlines) change their systems over time to avoid such manipulation - use these tricks while they are still valid. If you don’t fully comprehend this article re-read it until you do, because you will save a hell of a lot of money. If any section is poorly described, please do contact me with your queries and I will try to re-write in a more easily interpretable style. My speciality is flights to South America, so if experimenting (and you do have to experiment - this is a highly creative method of booking flights with a CRS) - try from London to South American destinations, and develop your own variables personally, according to where you are…

Lufthansa Technique

Lufthansa is easy to manipulate through the Amadeus CRS. The airline often releases different class seats (eg. Q, H) from different destinations on the same dates.  For example, from London (LON) via Frankfurt (FRA) to Buenos Aires (BUE) on a certain date, only M class might be available.  On the same date, a lower class (eg. Q class) will invariably be available from a far eastern destination (such as Singapore - SIN - or try others such as KIX, HKG, TYO etc - experiment as it changes over time ).  To book the flight from London to Buenos Aires in Q class, one must first book the flights in Amadeus from a Far Eastern destination to BUE, and then cancel the Far East to FRA flight, leaving only the FRA-BUE flight in the desired (Q) class.  The LON (or wherever) to FRA leg is subsequently added, giving London to Buenos Aires flights in a much lower class than should be permitted.  Cancelling the Far East - FRA leg is the tricky bit, here is an example of how to do it:

1. Enter the command: SDLH15DECSINBUE (Enter)

At this stage, hopefully Q class (or the desired class) will be available on the FRA-BUE leg. If not, try a different far eastern destination until you find the availability.

It is important that the SIN-FRA flight has one class that has no availability (Amadeus will show a letter next to the class such as C or W I think, rather than a number representing seats - the number 0 won’t work.)  If this is not an empty class, try a different Far Eastern destination.

Let us assume that in this scenario, having entered the command above, W class is unavailable on the SIN-FRA leg, and Q class (or the desired class) is available on the FRA-BUE leg. You are ready to proceed.

2. Enter the command: SS1WQ1 ENTER ENTER.

NB. SS = Seat Sold, or book the seat. The first 1 refers to the number of seats you want to book (you can change this of course). W refers to the empty class in SIN-FRA, Q refers to the desired seat / class FRA-BUE and the final 1 refers to the line on your screen that you are using.  It is important to enter the command, then hit ENTER, wait for the system to respond and a couple of seconds later hit ENTER again (ie. You hit ENTER TWICE). Then cancel the SIN-FRA segment, to leave FRA-BUE in Q class.

By attempting to book an unattainable class on the SIN-FRA flight plus an attainable class on the FRA-BUE leg, then hitting ENTER twice, one should be left with the FRA-BUE flight in the class you desire (normally Q, or W, or Z for business class).

Next, search for the London (or wherever) to Frankfurt flight and book it in the class you want (availability is rarely a problem for this leg: enter the command SDLH15DECLONFRA and book the appropriate feeder flight to Frankfurt.

You should be left with a LON-BUE flight in Q class for both segments.  Use the same process for the return flight - search for BUE-SIN, cancel the FRA-SIN leg in the same fashion as detailed above, and simply add the FRA-LON leg.

Finally, store the fare using the FXP/R,U or FXP/R,VC-LH,U command.

This Lufthansa trick works an absolute treat.  Once mastered, it’s very quick to book cheap flights. In the above examples, Singapore (SIN) was used, but if there is no availability from SIN-BUE in the desired class, other cities can be checked such as HKG, TYO, BKK, THR, SHA and KIX to name a few.  The key is to experiment, and to hunt around from different cities until you find the lowest possible class.  The trick works extremely well when availability (eg. over the Christmas period) is limited.

Alitalia Technique

Alitalia can be manipulated through Amadeus in a similar fashion.  A similar process is used to book, for example, a Hong Kong (HKG) via Milan (MXP) to Sao Paulo (SAO) flight,  cancel the HKG to MXP leg, and subsequently add a LON (or MAN, PAR or wherever) to MXP leg, to produce a final LON-SAO flight in a lower class (ideally N class).  The only difference is the process by which the unnecessary HKG-MXP flight is cancelled.  As with the Lufthansa technique outlined previously, a simple cancel flight command (using the command XE+segment number) doesn’t work.  I will attempt to outline the process by which the unwanted leg is cancelled.

In this scenario, let us suppose we are seeking a LON-SAO flight in N class (but when we search in a normal fashion, N class is not available). So, enter the command:

1. 1AZAD16DECHKGSAO (ENTER)

Ideally, N class will be able for both the HKG-MXP and the MXP-SAO flight.  (If N class is not able, try changing HKG for different Far Eastern or Eastern Europe or African cities where Alitalia fly.)

Let us assume N class is available throughout.  You only need the MXP-SAO flight in N class though, so

2. Book the HKG-SAO flights in Y class, ENTER.

3. Again enter the command 1AZAD16DECHKGSAO (ENTER), and book the HKG-SAO flights in N class this time.

On your Amadeus screen you should now see four flight segments (HKG-MXP in Y class, HKG-MXP in N class, MXP-SAO in Y class and MXP-SAO in N class). The latter mentioned leg is the one you are interested in, you now need to try to cancel the other three legs that are of no use. No one techique will always work - there are various ways to cancel the unnecessary flight segments.  95% of the time, there will be a way to cancel the three unnecessary flight segments, leaving the MXP-SAO flight in N class that you seek.  Use an of the following techiques, try experimenting, and if none work wait an hour an then try again:

Try the command SBN (ENTER), then cancel the three unwanted legs / segments at the same time (ENTER).

Try the command SBN (ENTER) then cancel two unwanted legs (ENTER) and then cancel the final unwanted leg (ENTER).

Try using the command SBY/segment number (eg. SBY/S1) related to the HKG-MXP segment that is in N class, then cancel the unwanted legs.

Try the command SB25APR ENTER (or any other date) and relate the change only to the 3 unwanted flight segments, then cancel those same segments.

If none of these work, try playing around with a combination - remember that here you are trying to confuse Amadeus with regards to which segments are the “married segments”.

Once just the MXP-SAO flight in N class is on your Amadeus screen, simply add the LON-MXP flight in N class.  Use the same process for the return flights. Store the fare with the FXP/R,U command.

KLM Technique

The KLM Amadeus manipulation technique is extremely, extremely complicated.  A couple of years ago, KLM’s manipulation was far easier.  KLM & Amadeus have since tightened the system, but it is still open to abuse. My advice would be to master the Alitalia and Lufthansa techniques before attempted to manipulate the KLM system.  Once you understand how Amadeus treats “married segments” with regards to Lufthansa and especially Alitalia, you will be in a better position to try tackling KLM’s system, as follows.

No one technique always works. Experimentation is the key. Let us imagine the scenario that we seek a London (LON) to Lima (LIM) flight on 16 December in Q class. Try searching various routes such as KIX-LIM using the command 1KLAD15DECKIXLIM (note the KIX-AMS flight would need to be a day earlier) until you find Q class available. Let us suppose that this command offers us Q class available for both flight segments.  However, you are only interested in the AMS-LIM leg in Q class. How do you cancel the segment?  Try any of the following techniques:

Book KIX-LIM in B class (or whatever),  then in Q class. Change classes, or the dates of the unwanted segments, and then cancel the unwanted segments in different orders (two at a time) to see what works.

Try the same process above, but book KIX-LIM in three different classes at first, change the classes to Q class, then cancel legs two at a time (this technique often works best).

Use a similar process, but, for example, book KIX-LIM in Q class, plus SIN-LIM in a different class, then change classes / dates and cancel unwanted segements (two segments at first, then cancel the final unwanted segment).  Even try adding a third flight routing to this technique from a third far eastern destination to Lima.

I probably haven’t explained the KLM manipulation technique with as much clarity as the previous techniques.  It’s an extremely complicated technique, and very difficult to put into words. Experimentation is the key. An important command to use is the RTIM command (which brings up information in Amadeus with regards to which segments are married segments at that time).  Practice and experimentation is the key - once mastered, this technique is one of the best as you can book flights for £hundreds ($hundreds) less than they should be. Then, of course, you mark up the flights and make a huge profit for your travel agency.

American Airlines Technique

Thankfully, the American airlines manipulation technique is quite easy to master.  Let us suppose that you seek LON-LIM in L class on 16 December.  If you search for LON-MIA and then MIA-LIM as separate flight segments, L class might be available for both.  You can book the LON-MIA flight in L class, but when you try to add the MIA-LIM flights in L class, Amadeus will either prevent you from doing so (a message with regards to married segments will appear), or when you search for the MIA-LIM flight once you have already booked the LON-MIA flight (ie. it’s booked on your amadeus screen, then you search for MIA-LIM)  the L class doesn’t appear.  Herein lies the problem, but there is a simple solution:

Try booking MEX to LIM via MIA (the command would be 1AAAD16DECMEXLIM/XMIA).  Book both flight segments in L class. Then book LON-MIA in L class. Then change the MEX-MIA flight segment to Y class (using the command SBY/S1 - ie. segment related). Then cancel the MEX-MIA flight that is in Y class.  You are left with two flight segments - LON-MIA and MIA-LIM in L class. Bingo. And it’s quite easy too.

NB. in this example, Mexico City was used for the manipulation of married segments, though if the desired class is not available, try other American Airline destinations such as those in Central America or the USA mainland.

Iberia Technique

There is a very simple technique with Iberia that only works when flight availability is extremely limited. The technique is basically used to book the last single seat in a useful class. Simply enter the command AN16DECLONRIO/AIB (Enter)  or SDIB16DECLONRIO.  If availability is limited, Y class might only seem to be available. On occasions, there might be a “floating” seat that is up for grabs that Amadeus doesn’t visually offer. If there is a LETTER rather than the number 0 next to a class, for example, K or M class, just try booking it (one seat only), and Amadeus will often allow you to book this “floating seat”.  The Iberia technique won’t always work - maybe 30% of the time, if there is a letter (I’ve forgotten which letters they are) rather than the number 0, book it and the flight will show as HK1 confirmed in Amadeus.  It’s like waitlisting flights with Iberia  -the flight will often immediately confirm is there is a floating seat up for grabs.

Varig Technique

The Varig technique worked in 2006 before the airline almost went down under.  I assume it still does.  Again, it doesn’t always work, but is always worth a shot.  Search for a flight AN15MARRIOIGU/ARG, it might only be available in H class. Book it. Then use the command SBQ (or SBV) and the booking class might magically change to that lower class. An alternative would be to search Varig flights using the command SDRG15MARRIOIGR, which sometimes will offer lower classes than is the regular AN15MARRIOIGR/ARG command is used.

Aerolineas Argentinas Technique

This is a simple technique, again it won’t always work but very often does. If flights seem overpriced, as they often do with the dreaded Aerolineas, it often works. Lets imagine that a published fare for a return flight from Buenos Aires to El Calafate is $450 as offered by Amadeus. If you book the very same flights, plus add a Buenos Aires to Montevideo (or Punta del Este) flight a week later, the published fare for the three flights will often be less than the fare for the standard return to El Calafate from Buenos Aires. Don’t ask why, just know that this is often the case!

A Final Note

So ends this post. If you are a travel agent who uses the Amadeus system, by using these techniques you can make a huge amount of money. Almost the only way that internet prices can be beaten by telephone travel agents is to use these techniques.  As an Amadeus user, if you have understood this post, I’ve made you a lot of money.  If you have found this useful, please show me the love and post a link to this website (maybe not to this actual post though - these kind of Amadeus tricks shouldn’t be known by everyone).