We are going to provide a comprehensive guide to the Amadeus Enterprise API for Flight Search, focusing specifically on the Fare_InformativePricingWithoutPNR functionality. This Article will explain what it is, how it works, its use cases, and how to implement it effectively based on my understanding of Amadeus APIs and their typical workflows. Since this is an Enterprise level API, it’s part of a more advanced suite designed for businesses with travel agency credentials, offering deeper functionality than the Self Service APIs.

The Fare_InformativePricingWithoutPNR API is an Amadeus Enterprise API that allows you to retrieve detailed pricing information for flight itineraries without creating a Passenger Name Record (PNR). A PNR is a record in the airline’s reservation system that contains booking details like passenger names, flight segments, and ticketing information. By not requiring a PNR, this API provides a lightweight, flexible way to get fare details and conditions upfront, which is ideal for search and comparison stages in the booking process.

This API is typically used after an initial flight search (e.g., via an API like Fare_MasterPricerTravelBoardSearch) to refine pricing details for specific flight options. It returns comprehensive fare breakdowns, including taxes, fees, fare rules and availability, without locking inventory or committing to a booking.

1. Pricing Without Commitment: Get fare details without reserving seats or creating a PNR, reducing overhead in the search phase.
2. Detailed Fare Breakdown: Includes base fare, taxes, surcharges and total price.
3. Fare Conditions: Provides rules like cancellation policies, change fees, and refundability.
4. Ancillary Options: Can include pricing for additional services (e.g., baggage, seat selection) if specified.
5. Multi Passenger Support: Handles pricing for multiple travelers in a single request.
6. Real Time Availability: Reflects current availability and pricing from the airline’s system.

This API is best suited for:

• Flight Search Engines: To display accurate pricing to users before they commit to booking.
• Price Comparison: To refine initial search results with detailed fare information.
• Upsell Opportunities: To present ancillary services alongside the base fare.
• Pre-Booking Validation: To confirm pricing and conditions without affecting inventory.

It’s particularly valuable in the Amadeus Enterprise ecosystem, where businesses need robust tools to handle complex travel workflows while maintaining flexibility.

The typical booking flow with Amadeus Enterprise APIs looks like this:

1. Search: Use an API like Fare_MasterPricerTravelBoardSearch to find available flights based on origin, destination, dates and passenger details.
2. Price Refinement: Use Fare_InformativePricingWithoutPNR to get detailed pricing for selected flight options.
3. Booking: Once the user selects an option, create a PNR and finalize the booking with APIs like Air_SellFromRecommendation and PNR_AddMultiElements.
4. Ticketing: Issue tickets using Ticket_CreateTSTFromPricing.

The Fare_InformativePricingWithoutPNR step ensures users see accurate, up to date prices before proceeding, avoiding surprises later in the process.

Since this is an Enterprise API, it typically uses SOAP/XML (though Amadeus is transitioning some APIs to REST/JSON). Below is a general guide to implementing it.

Prerequisites

• Enterprise Subscription: You need an Amadeus Enterprise account with appropriate credentials (e.g., IATA/ARC certification).
• API Access: Obtain your API key or Office ID from Amadeus after signing a contract.
• Development Environment: Set up a SOAP client (e.g., in Python with zeep, Java with JAX-WS, or another language).

Sample Workflow

1. Initial Search: Perform a flight search to get flight options. For example, a search from New York (JFK) to London (LHR) might return multiple flight options with basic pricing.
2. Prepare Request: Extract the flight segments (e.g., flight number, date, origin, destination) from the search results to use as input for Fare_InformativePricingWithoutPNR.
3. Send Request: Submit a SOAP request with the flight details, passenger types (e.g., adult, child), and any ancillary preferences.
4. Parse Response: Process the XML response to extract fare details, rules, and availability.

Sample SOAP Request (Simplified)

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1<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
2  <soap:Body>
3    <Fare_InformativePricingWithoutPNR>
4      <msgType>INFORMATIVE_PRICING</msgType>
5      <passengers>
6        <paxRef>
7          <type>ADT</type>
8          <count>1</count>
9        </paxRef>
10      </passengers>
11      <itinerary>
12        <segment>
13          <departure>
14            <iataCode>JFK</iataCode>
15            <date>2025-05-01</date>
16          </departure>
17          <arrival>
18            <iataCode>LHR</iataCode>
19          </arrival>
20          <carrier>BA</carrier>
21          <flightNumber>0175</flightNumber>
22        </segment>
23      </itinerary>
24    </Fare_InformativePricingWithoutPNR>
25  </soap:Body>
26</soap:Envelope>

Sample Response (Simplified)

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1<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
2  <soap:Body>
3    <Fare_InformativePricingWithoutPNRResponse>
4      <fareList>
5        <fare>
6          <baseFare currency="USD">500.00</baseFare>
7          <taxes currency="USD">150.00</taxes>
8          <totalFare currency="USD">650.00</totalFare>
9          <fareRules>
10            <rule>Non-refundable</rule>
11            <rule>Change fee: $200</rule>
12          </fareRules>
13        </fare>
14      </fareList>
15    </Fare_InformativePricingWithoutPNRResponse>
16  </soap:Body>
17</soap:Envelope>
18

Key Fields in Request

• Segments: Flight details (origin, destination, date, flight number, carrier).
• Passenger Info: Number and type of passengers (ADT for adult, CHD for child, etc.).
• Options: Specify currency, ancillary services or fare type preferences.

Key Fields in Response

• Fare Breakdown: Base fare, taxes and total.
• Fare Rules: Conditions like refundability and penalties.
• Availability: Confirms the fare is still bookable.

• Efficiency: No PNR creation means faster queries and less system overhead.
• Flexibility: Ideal for displaying multiple options to users.
• Accuracy: Real-time pricing reflects current airline data.
• Customization: Supports ancillary pricing and multi-passenger scenarios.

• Enterprise Only: Not available in the Self-Service suite, requiring a higher-tier subscription.
• No Booking: It’s informational only; you’ll need additional APIs to book.
• Complexity: SOAP/XML can be harder to work with compared to REST/JSON.

1. Validate Input: Ensure flight details match the prior search to avoid errors.
2. Handle Errors: Common issues include unavailable fares or invalid segments - build robust error handling.
3. Cache Strategically: Store results temporarily to reduce API calls, but refresh frequently for accuracy.
4. Test Thoroughly: Use Amadeus’s sandbox environment to simulate real-world scenarios.
5. Integrate with UI: Display fare breakdowns and rules clearly to users.

• Fare_MasterPricerTravelBoardSearch: Broad search API; returns flight options with basic pricing.
• Fare_PricePNRWithBookingClass: Prices a specific PNR after booking; more committal than Fare_InformativePricingWithoutPNR.
• Flight Offers Price (Self-Service): A REST based alternative for Self-Service users, but less feature-rich.

Fare_InformativePricingWithoutPNR strikes a balance between search and booking, making it a cornerstone of Enterprise flight workflows.

1. Contact Amadeus: Sign up for an Enterprise account via the Amadeus Partner Network.
2. Access Documentation: Review the official Amadeus Enterprise API documentation (available post-registration).
3. Set Up Sandbox: Test in the provided environment with dummy data.
4. Certification: Amadeus requires certification before going live and submitting your integration for review.

The Amadeus Fare_MasterPricerCalendar API is a powerful tool for retrieving flight pricing data across multiple dates, making it ideal for travel agencies, flight search engines, and corporate booking systems. By leveraging its calendar based pricing, filtering options and multi airline support, businesses can offer travelers the best possible fares while optimizing their own operations.

For developers, proper request structuring, response parsing and caching strategies are key to maximizing efficiency. With the right implementation, this API can significantly enhance any travel related application.

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