WorldTracer Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
- Action Files
- A term used in WorldTracer for actions that an agent has to take, as delivered in a message to the Station, Headquarters, or Agent Inbox.
B
- Baggage Inventory Claims Form (BICF)
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A form provided to a passenger by an airline, used to collect detailed information about a lost or damaged bag and its contents, for the purpose of assessing compensation. When the airline subscribes to WorldTracer Self Service, the passenger fills in this form online and the WorldTracer user can display the passenger's form using the
- Bag Journey
- A SITA product that tracks a bag’s location, status and change of custody by collecting data throughout a bag’s journey, and storing it in a global repository. Bag Journey tracks a bag at check-in, loading, transfer, and on arrival.
- A company can subscribe to display Bag Journey and Bag Journey History in WorldTracer. Bag Journey data is only available when a tag number is present in a file.
- Bag Tag
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A label identifying checked-in baggage, indicating the bag tag number, and generally the passenger’s name, PNR, flight numbers, final and transit destinations, and the weight of the checked bag. The bar code of a bag tag contains only the tag number.
- BRS
- Baggage Reconciliation System. Used at airports to track, manage, and reconcile baggage. Baggage reconciliation is the process to ensure that passengers and their bags travel on the same flight. When the passenger does not board the aircraft, the BRS guides the user to not load or offload that passenger's bags. Baggage reconciliation is done by an exchange of baggage information messages (BIMs) between the departure control system (DCS), the BRS, and the airport baggage sortation system.
C
- Controlling Station
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The controlling station is the station currently in control of a Delayed Bag File. System matches and prompts related to the file are sent to the controlling station.
During primary tracing, the controlling station is usually the station that created the file.
Usually the Headquarters (HDQ) (or another station) becomes the controlling station after a number of days, and then receive the matches for this file. This is determined by the settings in the Station configuration.
- CRT
- Cathode Ray Tube. An old-fashioned term from the early days of computing, but still sometimes used to represent a computer screen.
D
- DCS
- Departure Control System. Used by airlines for passenger check-in and baggage management.
- Delayed Bag
- A bag that has not traveled on a flight with its passenger, and therefore not delivered on arrival or loaded on a connecting flight.
F
- Fault Station
- The station where mishandling of a bag occurred. For example, the station where a connecting bag missed its connecting flight.
- File Reference Number
- A reference for a file created in WorldTracer. It is composed of the station code, the airline code, and five numbers.
- Example: LHRXS24451.
- Frequent Flyer Database
- An airline system for storing data about passengers who have joined the airline's frequent flyer program.
G
- Generic Role
- A role giving access to WorldTracer functions, provided by SITA for the customer to use or copy and adapt. There is a generic role for different types of job roles. For example, WorldTracer Coordinator, WorldTracer Agent.
H
- Headquarters (HDQ)
- The WorldTracer office responsible for bags after the initial tracing period.
I
- Inbox
- A part of WorldTracer where an agent is notified of actions to take. There is an inbox for each station, and one for the Headquarters.
L
- License Plate Number (LPN)
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A unique 10-digit identifier for a bag, printed on and encoded in the bar code on bag tags to uniquely identify a bag. The License Plate Number (LPN) may also be present in the RFID chip in the bag tag, if so equipped.
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The LPN is made up of three components:
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1-digit: (0 - Interline tag, 1 - Fallback sortation tag, 2 - Expedite tag, 3-9 carrier-defined use)
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3-digit IATA numeric airline code, called the Baggage Tag Issuer Code (BTIC)
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6-digit bag serial number
The license plate is retained in a WorldTracer file if the bag tag number was entered in the license plate format. It is also converted by WorldTracer to an 8-digit alpha-numeric bag tag number.
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- Limited Release
- Applies to baggage received by the airline improperly packaged or damaged. The passenger must sign it at the time of check-in, and the airline is not responsible for damage during transit.
- LZ
- Refers to a Central Baggage Office/Baggage Claim Office/Central Baggage Handler/Headquarters.
- In terms of configuration, LZ refers to a third-party company performing Headquarters functions on behalf of an airline.
- The LZ element in a file is the date the file was received at Headquarters.
N
- Non-participant Airline
- An airline that is not a member of WorldTracer. A company can elect to handle non-participant airlines in WorldTracer.
O
- Offline Files/Offline Mode
- Files created in WorldTracer when the system is temporarily not connected to the WorldTracer database. Offline files are automatically created in WorldTracer when the database becomes available.
- On-Hand Bag
- An unclaimed bag found by airline or ground handling staff at an airport.
P
- Past Date Files
- A Delayed, Damaged, or On-Hand Bag File that has been moved from the active WorldTracer database to the past date database.
- Performance Targets
- The target for the maximum number of mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers traveled. Performance targets can be set for a company, a region, and a station.
- Controllable values refer to mishandlings with Reason for Loss codes 10–50, which are mishandlings that can be controlled by the airline. Total values refer to mishandlings with Reason for Loss codes 10-79.
- Performance targets are included in certain WorldTracer reports.
- PNR
- Passenger Name Record. The booking reference for a passenger provided by the reservation or departure control system (DCS).
- Primary Tracing
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Primary Tracing takes place during a number of days set for the station, for example, the first five days, and is done by the station responsible for the Delayed Bag File.
Secondary Tracing takes place when the primary tracing period has expired, and is usually done by the Headquarters.
- Property Irregularity Report (PIR)
- A report of a Delayed or Damaged Bag File, that an agent can print or send to the passenger by email or SMS.
R
- Reason for Loss Code
- A code assigned to a bag file in WorldTracer, to indicate why the bag was mishandled.
- Retired (From Tracing)
- A file that has passed the set tracing period. It is still in the WorldTracer database but is no longer used for tracing. You can display a file that has retired from tracing using the basic Search, but not the Advanced search.
S
- Secondary Tracing
- See Primary Tracing.
T
- Tracing
- The process of actively looking for a match between a Delayed Bag File and an On-Hand Bag or Forward Bag File.
U
- User Group
- A grouping of WorldTracer users, defined in the Identity Management application.