Overview

A Passenger Name Record (PNR) is the collection of information used to manage a passenger's booking and journey. At its core a PNR is a record set held in an airline or travel agency database. It links the individual passenger to one or more flight segments operated by one or more airlines and to ancillary services.

Typical contents and structure

PNRs combine structured fields and free-text remarks. Common elements include:

  • Identity and contact: name, telephone, email.
  • Itinerary segments: flight numbers, dates, times and connections.
  • Ticketing and payment: ticket or e-ticket status and fare information (ticket).
  • Service requests: special meals, wheelchair assistance or seat requests (meal).
  • Administrative flags: record locator/PNR code, frequent flyer memberships and gender (gender).
  • Agent remarks: operational notes or codes for handling.

How PNRs are created and managed

Travel agents, airline reservation systems and online booking engines assemble PNRs when a booking is made. The PNR may be shared among participating carriers for code-share itineraries and with ground-handling systems. Group bookings can be stored as a single PNR containing multiple passenger entries. The record is updated as changes occur, for example cancellations, check-in or seat assignments.

History and standards

PNRs emerged with computerized reservation systems developed in the mid-20th century to replace paper records. Over time industry standards and messaging formats were defined so systems could exchange PNR data between airlines, global distribution systems and agents. International bodies and industry groups maintain conventions for field formats and transmission.

Uses, importance and privacy

PNRs are essential for ticketing, baggage handling, boarding and customer service. They also support operational planning and disruption management. Because PNRs contain personal information, many jurisdictions regulate how they are stored, shared and retained; authorities may request PNRs for border management or law enforcement, which has prompted privacy safeguards and data-protection rules.

Distinctions and notable points

PNRs are distinct from travel documents such as passports or from advanced passenger information systems, though the records may reference such data. They often contain codes for special services (SSR) and other operational instructions (OSI). Passengers can sometimes request access to the PNR data held about them through the carrier or the designated data controller under applicable privacy laws.

For further technical and industry detail see related resources: data formats, traveler guidance, airline policies, and additional references at privacy guidance and ticketing rules. Operational examples and service codes are available from reservation system documentation (service code list).