We will provide you with a comprehensive guide to the Amadeus Enterprise API for Flight Search, specifically focusing on the Fare_InformativeBestPricingWithoutPNR functionality. This guide assumes you’re familiar with basic API concepts and are looking to understand how this specific endpoint works within the Amadeus Enterprise ecosystem. Since this is an Enterprise API feature, it’s part of Amadeus  broader SOAP based offerings, typically used by larger travel businesses with more complex needs compared to the Self Service REST APIs.

The Fare approachableBestPricingWithoutPNR is an Amadeus Enterprise API function designed to provide informative pricing for a flight itinerary without requiring or creating a Passenger Name Record (PNR). This makes it a powerful tool for scenarios where you need to retrieve fare details - such as price, fare rules, and conditions - without committing to a booking or modifying an existing reservation.

• Purpose: It’s used to price an itinerary informatively, offering a snapshot of the best available fares for a given set of flight segments.
• Key Feature: Unlike booking-related APIs, it doesn’t create a pricing record (TST) or interact with an existing PNR, making it ideal for pre-booking fare exploration.
• Context: This API is part of the broader Amadeus fare search and pricing workflow, often used after retrieving flight options (e.g., via Fare_MasterPricerTravelBoardSearch) to get detailed pricing without locking in a reservation.

The Amadeus Enterprise APIs for flight search and booking follow a structured flow. Here’s where Fare_InformativeBestPricingWithoutPNR fits:

1. Flight Search:
2. • Use Fare_MasterPricerTravelBoardSearch to retrieve a list of flight recommendations based on origin, destination, dates and passenger details.
   • This returns a set of flight options with basic pricing and availability.
2. Informative Pricing (Fare_InformativeBestPricingWithoutPNR):
3. • Select a specific flight recommendation from the search results.
   • Pass it to Fare_InformativeBestPricingWithoutPNR to get detailed fare information without creating a PNR.
3. Next Steps (Optional):
4. • If the fare is acceptable, proceed to booking with APIs like Fare_PricePNRWithBookingClass (which requires a PNR) or Flight_CreateOrders (for Self-Service REST APIs, not applicable here).
   • Alternatively, use the data for display purposes (e.g., showing users fare options).

• No PNR Dependency: Prices an itinerary independently of any existing reservation, making it flexible for pre-booking analysis.
• Detailed Fare Output: Returns comprehensive fare details, including:
• • Base fare
  • Taxes and fees
  • Total price
  • Fare rules and conditions (e.g., cancellation penalties, change fees)
  • Baggage allowance (where available)
• Multiple Passenger Types: Supports pricing for different passenger categories (e.g., adults, children, infants).
• Combinability: Works with flight segments retrieved from prior search APIs, ensuring consistency in the workflow.
• SOAP-Based: As an Enterprise API, it uses SOAP/XML, which is more complex but offers richer functionality than REST/JSON Self-Service APIs.

To use this API, you’ll need:

1. Amadeus Enterprise Subscription:
2. • This is not part of the Self-Service tier. You’ll need an Enterprise contract, which includes access to SOAP APIs and requires IATA/ARC certification or a partnership with a consolidator.
   • Contact Amadeus sales to set this up (process takes weeks, unlike Self-Service’s instant signup).
2. API Credentials:
3. • Obtain a Web Services (WS) username, password, and office ID from Amadeus after signing the contract.
3. Development Environment:
4. • Familiarity with SOAP/XML and tools like Postman (with SOAP support) or a programming language with SOAP libraries (e.g., Python with zeep, Java with JAX-WS).
   • Access to the Amadeus Web Services (WBS) sandbox for testing.
4. Flight Search Data:
5. • Results from a prior API call (e.g., Fare_MasterPricerTravelBoardSearch) to provide the flight segments you want to price.
5. Certification:
6. • Before going live, your integration must be certified by Amadeus to ensure compliance and functionality.

Step 1: Perform a Flight Search

First, use Fare_MasterPricerTravelBoardSearch to get flight recommendations. Here’s a simplified example request:

Copy
1<SOAP-ENV:Envelope>
2  <SOAP-ENV:Header>
3    <awsse:Session>
4      <awsse:SessionId>YOUR_SESSION_ID</awsse:SessionId>
5    </awsse:Session>
6  </SOAP-ENV:Header>
7  <SOAP-ENV:Body>
8    <Fare_MasterPricerTravelBoardSearch>
9      <departureLocation>
10        <cityCode>LAX</cityCode>
11      </departureLocation>
12      <arrivalLocation>
13        <cityCode>JFK</cityCode>
14      </arrivalLocation>
15      <travelFlightInfo>
16        <flightDate>2025-05-01</flightDate>
17      </travelFlightInfo>
18      <paxNumber>
19        <paxType>ADT</paxType>
20        <number>1</number>
21      </paxNumber>
22    </Fare_MasterPricerTravelBoardSearch>
23  </SOAP-ENV:Body>
24</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

This returns a list of flight options (e.g., flight segments, airlines and basic fares).

Step 2: Prepare the Fare_InformativeBestPricingWithoutPNR Request

Take a specific flight recommendation from the response and construct the pricing request. Here’s an example:

Copy
1<SOAP-ENV:Envelope>
2  <SOAP-ENV:Header>
3    <awsse:Session>
4      <awsse:SessionId>YOUR_SESSION_ID</awsse:SessionId>
5    </awsse:Session>
6  </SOAP-ENV:Header>
7  <SOAP-ENV:Body>
8    <Fare_InformativeBestPricingWithoutPNR>
9      <passengerInfo>
10        <passengerType>ADT</passengerType>
11        <quantity>1</quantity>
12      </passengerInfo>
13      <itineraryInfo>
14        <segmentFlightRef>
15          <referencingDetail>
16            <refQualifier>S</refQualifier>
17            <refNumber>1</refNumber>
18          </referencingDetail>
19          <flightDetails>
20            <flightInformation>
21              <companyId>
22                <marketingCarrier>UA</marketingCarrier>
23              </companyId>
24              <flightNumber>123</flightNumber>
25              <locationId>
26                <location>LAX</location>
27              </locationId>
28              <locationId>
29                <location>JFK</location>
30              </locationId>
31              <dateOfDeparture>20250501</dateOfDeparture>
32            </flightInformation>
33          </flightDetails>
34        </segmentFlightRef>
35      </itineraryInfo>
36    </Fare_InformativeBestPricingWithoutPNR>
37  </SOAP-ENV:Body>
38</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

• Key Elements:
• • <passengerInfo>: Specifies passenger type and count.
  • <itineraryInfo>: Defines the flight segments to price, linked to the prior search results via <segmentFlightRef>.

Step 3: Send the Request

Submit the SOAP request to the Amadeus endpoint (e.g., https://webservices.amadeus.com). You’ll need the exact URL from your Amadeus documentation, as it varies by environment (test vs. production).

Step 4: Parse the Response

The API returns a detailed pricing breakdown. Example response (simplified):

Copy
1<SOAP-ENV:Envelope>
2  <SOAP-ENV:Body>
3    <Fare_InformativeBestPricingWithoutPNRReply>
4      <mainPricingInfo>
5        <totalFareAmount>500.00</totalFareAmount>
6        <baseFareAmount>400.00</baseFareAmount>
7        <taxAmount>100.00</taxAmount>
8        <currency>USD</currency>
9      </mainPricingInfo>
10      <fareRules>
11        <ruleDetails>
12          <ruleCode>CHG</ruleCode>
13          <ruleText>Change fee: $150</ruleText>
14        </ruleDetails>
15      </fareRules>
16    </Fare_InformativeBestPricingWithoutPNRReply>
17  </SOAP-ENV:Body>
18</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>
19

Key Data:

• Total fare, base fare, and taxes.
• Fare rules (e.g., change or cancellation policies).

1. Validate Input:
2. • Ensure flight segments match the prior search results exactly to avoid errors like “NO VALID FARE FOR BOOKING CODE.”
2. Handle Errors:
3. • Common issues include invalid segment references or unavailable fares. Check Amadeus error codes in the response and adjust accordingly.
3. Session Management:
4. • Enterprise APIs require session handling. Include a session ID in the SOAP header and manage it across calls.
4. Optimize Requests:
5. • Limit the number of segments and passengers to reduce response time and complexity.
5. Test Extensively:
6. • Use the Amadeus sandbox to simulate various scenarios (e.g., one-way, round-trip, multi-city).

• No PNR Creation: If you need to book, you’ll require a subsequent API call.
• Enterprise-Only: Not available in the Self-Service tier, which uses REST APIs like Flight Offers Search.
• Airline Restrictions: Some carriers (e.g., American Airlines, Delta) may not return fares due to Amadeus’ GDS limitations.
• Complexity: SOAP/XML is less developer friendly than REST/JSON.

1. “NO VALID FARE FOR BOOKING CODE”:
2. • Cause: The selected flight segment isn’t valid for standalone pricing (e.g., part of a round-trip fare).
   • Fix: Ensure all required segments are included as per the original search.
2. Empty Response:
3. • Cause: Fare unavailable or airline not supported.
   • Fix: Verify airline coverage and availability with Fare_MasterPricerTravelBoardSearch.
3. Session Errors:
4. • Cause: Invalid or expired session ID.
   • Fix: Refresh the session using Security_Authenticate and retry.

The Fare_InformativeBestPricingWithoutPNR API is a valuable tool in the Amadeus Enterprise suite for retrieving detailed flight pricing without PNR dependency. It’s ideal for travel agencies or platforms needing to display fare options before committing to a booking. While it requires an Enterprise subscription and SOAP expertise, its flexibility and depth make it a cornerstone of advanced flight search workflows.

For further details, refer to the Amadeus Web Services documentation (login required at webservices.amadeus.com) or consult your Amadeus account manager. If you’re new to Amadeus, consider starting with the Self Service APIs for a simpler REST based introduction before diving into Enterprise features like this one.

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