OTA Spec Other Avis reference documents Glossary: Avis Terms Web Services/XML Avis Wizard X502 Reservations screen fields

Avis Direct Connect OTA Message Specification:

To request test web service access for Direct Connect to your local Avis contact/ account or partnership manager Top

Other Avis reference documents

Avis Wizard X502 Reservations screen fields

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Glossary:

Avis Terms

Term	Meaning	Description
AAN	Avis Assigned Number	Used to generate commission for a travel agent
ALI	Additional Liability Insurance	Rental insurance
ALW	Additional Liability Waiver	Rental Insurance
AMS	Avis Management Services
ARC	Airline Reporting Commission	Number used to generate commission payment to an airline
AWD	Avis Worldwide Discount	Number used to generate discount or track promotions
Back to Back		Renting & returning to same rental station
CDW	Collision Damage Waiver	Insurance product available on a rental
CH	Cash	Method of payment
CID	Credit Identification	Billing card details
C/IN	Check-In	when a customer returns the vehicle at the end of the rental
C/OUT	Check-Out	when a customer rents the vehicle
D&C	Delivery and Collection	when the car is delivered and/or collected by Avis to/from an address specified by the customer
EAMEA	Europe, Middle East Africa & Asia	Avis reporting region - Avis Budget EMEA Ltd operating territories
FTN	Frequent Traveller Number	Used to record loyalty programme points
FTP	Frequent Traveller Programme	Partner programme with associated benefits
IATA		International Air Transport Association
LDW	Loss Damage Waiver	Insurance product available on a rental
LI	Fourth Insurance-Related Service	Insurance product available on a rental
MCO	Miscellaneous Charges Order	Cash document issued by airlines and applied as prepayment on a rental
MOP	Method of Payment
OW	One Way	Customer does not return to the check out location
OWF	One Way Fee	Fee applied on rentals when a one way happens
OWM	One Way Mileage
PAI	Personal Accident Insurance	Insurance product available on a Rental
PEP	Personal Effects Protection	Insurance product available on a Rental
PGO/PFO	Prepaid Fuel Option	A customer pays for a full tank of fuel at the beginning of a rental
RA	Rental Agreement	Agreement signed by customer at checkout authorising that person to be in possession of the vehicle for the duration of the rental
RAC	Rent A Car
RDB	Rate Database	Holds prices of all Avis rates used worldwide
RES	Reservation
SPAI	Super PAI	Insurance product available on a Rental offering additional cover
T&D	Time & Distance	Basic cost for hiring the vehicle
T&K	Time & Kilometres	Basic cost for hiring the vehicle
T&M	Time & Mileage	Basic cost for hiring the vehicle
TID	Travel Industry Designator	To enable commission calculation where there is no IATA / AAN or ARC
TMI	Time, Mileage & Insurances
TP	Theft Protection	Insurance product available on a Rental
UNL	Unlimited Mileage
Upgrade		Vehicle group driven is larger than vehicle group charged
Upsell		Vehicle group driven and charged for is larger than vehicle group reserved
VIPCO	VIP Company	Avis Corporate Customer
WBO	Wizard Back Office	Back Office – post reservations processing

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Web Services/XML

Term	Meaning	Description
ebXML	Electronic Business XML	ebXML is a project to use the Extensible Markup Language (XML) to standardize the secure exchange of business data. Among other purposes, ebXML would encompass and perhaps replace a familiar standard called Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). ebXML is designed to enable a global electronic marketplace in which enterprises of any size, and in any location, could safely and securely transact business through the exchange of XML-based messages. The United Nations body for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business Information Standards (UN/CEFACT) and the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) launched the project as a joint initiative. Its membership includes 75 companies, including major IT vendors and trade associations throughout the world.
EJB	Enterprise JavaBeans	EJB is an architecture for setting up program components, written in the Java programming language, that run in the server parts of a computer network that uses the client/server model. Enterprise JavaBeans is built on the JavaBeans technology for distributing program components (which are called Beans, using the coffee metaphor) to clients in a network. Enterprise JavaBeans offers enterprises the advantage of being able to control change at the server rather than having to update each individual computer with a client whenever a new program component is changed or added. EJB components have the advantage of being reusable in multiple applications. To deploy an EJB Bean or component, it must be part of a specific application, which is called a container.
HTTPS	Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer, or HTTP over SSL	HTTPS is a Web protocol developed by Netscape and built into its browser that encrypts and decrypts user page requests as well as the pages that are returned by the Web server. HTTPS is really just the use of Netscape's Secure Socket Layer (SSL) as a sublayer under its regular HTTP application layering. (HTTPS uses port 443 instead of HTTP port 80 in its interactions with the lower layer, TCP/IP.) SSL uses a 40-bit key size for the RC4 stream encryption algorithm, which is considered an adequate degree of encryption for commercial exchange.
OTA	Open Travel Alliance	A self-funded, non-profit organization, OTA is a comprised of major airlines, hoteliers, car rental companies, leisure suppliers, travel agencies, global distribution systems (GDS), technology providers and other interested parties working to create and implement industry-wide, open e-business specifications. These specifications form a common e-business language that will encourage development of systems to create new collections of services to better meet the demands and expectations of travelers and the travel industry. Website: http://www.opentravel.org
SOAP	Simple Object Application Protocol	Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) is a way for a program running in one kind of operating system (such as Windows 2000) to communicate with a progam in the same or another kind of an operating system (such as Linux) by using the World Wide Web's Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)and its Extensible Markup Language (XML) as the mechanisms for information exchange. Since Web protocols are installed and available for use by all major operating system platforms, HTTP and XML provide an already at-hand solution to the problem of how programs running under different operating systems in a network can communicate with each other. SOAP specifies exactly how to encode an HTTP header and an XML file so that a program in one computer can call a program in another computer and pass it information. It also specifies how the called program can return a response.
UDDI	Universal Description, Discovery and Integration	UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration) is an XML-based registry for businesses worldwide to list themselves on the Internet. Its ultimate goal is to streamline online transactions by enabling companies to find one another on the Web and make their systems interoperable for e-commerce. UDDI is often compared to a telephone book's white, yellow, and green pages. The project allows businesses to list themselves by name, product, location, or the Web services they offer.
W3C	World Wide Web Consortium	The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) describes itself as follows: "The World Wide Web Consortium exists to realize the full potential of the Web. The W3C is an industry consortium which seeks to promote standards for the evolution of the Web and interoperability between WWW products by producing specifications and reference software. Although W3C is funded by industrial members, it is vendor-neutral, and its products are freely available to all. The Consortium is international; jointly hosted by the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science in the United States and in Europe by INRIA who provide both local support and performing core development. The W3C was initially established in collaboration with CERN, where the Web originated, and with support from DARPA and the European Commission."
Web Services	Web Services	Web services (sometimes called application services) are services (usually including some combination of programming and data, but possibly including human resources as well) that are made available from a business's Web server for Web users or other Web-connected programs. Providers of Web services are generally known as application service providers. Web services range from such major services as storage management and customer relationship management (CRM) down to much more limited services such as the furnishing of a stock quote and the checking of bids for an auction item. The accelerating creation and availability of these services is a major Web trend.
WSDL	Web Services Description Language	The Web Services Description Language (WSDL) is an XML-based language used to describe the services a business offers and to provide a way for individuals and other businesses to access those services electronically. WSDL is the cornerstone of the Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI) initiative spearheaded by Microsoft, IBM, and Ariba. UDDI is an XML-based registry for businesses worldwide, which enables businesses to list themselves and their services on the Internet. WSDL is the language used to do this.
XML	Extensible Markup Language	XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a flexible way to create common information formats and share both the format and the data on the World Wide Web, intranets, and elsewhere. For example, computer makers might agree on a standard or common way to describe the information about a computer product (processor speed, memory size, and so forth) and then describe the product information format with XML. Such a standard way of describing data would enable a user to send an intelligent agent (a program) to each computer maker's Web site, gather data, and then make a valid comparison. XML can be used by any individual or group of individuals or companies that wants to share information in a consistent way.

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