Overview
Airline transactions (MCC 4511) benefit from providing enhanced Level 2/3 data in the payment request. This additional data can qualify your transactions for lower interchange rates, strengthen chargeback defenses, and meet card network requirements for airline merchants.
Why Airline Data Matters
Lower Interchange Rates
Card networks offer reduced interchange rates for airline transactions that include complete passenger and itinerary data. Level 3 data can reduce interchange costs by 0.5-1.0% per transaction, which is significant at airline transaction volumes.
Chargeback Protection
Detailed passenger and flight information provides strong evidence during chargeback disputes. When a cardholder claims they did not authorize a transaction, the airline can present booking details, passenger name records, and itinerary data as supporting evidence.
Card Network Compliance
Visa and Mastercard require airline merchants to submit specific data fields with each transaction. Non-compliance may result in higher interchange rates or transaction downgrades.
Required Airline Fields
| Field | Description | Format | Example |
|---|
passenger_name | Full name of the primary passenger | String, last/first format | "SMITH/JOHN" |
ticket_number | Airline ticket number | 13-digit numeric | "0012345678901" |
travel_agency_name | Name of the booking agency (if applicable) | String | "ACME Travel" |
travel_agency_code | IATA agency code | 8-digit numeric | "12345678" |
airline_code | IATA airline designator code | 2-3 character alpha | "AA" |
airline_name | Full airline name | String | "American Airlines" |
pnr | Passenger Name Record locator | 6 alphanumeric characters | "ABC123" |
issue_date | Ticket issue date | ISO 8601 date | "2026-03-15" |
departure_date | Date of first departure | ISO 8601 date | "2026-04-01" |
Leg Data
Each flight segment (leg) in the itinerary requires its own set of data fields. A round-trip flight has at least two legs.
| Field | Description | Format | Example |
|---|
departure_airport | IATA departure airport code | 3 characters | "GRU" |
arrival_airport | IATA arrival airport code | 3 characters | "MIA" |
departure_date | Departure date for this leg | ISO 8601 date | "2026-04-01" |
departure_time | Departure time | HH:MM (24h) | "14:30" |
carrier_code | Operating carrier IATA code | 2-3 characters | "AA" |
flight_number | Flight number | String | "8100" |
fare_basis | Fare basis code | String | "Y26NR" |
service_class | Class of service | Single character | "Y" (economy) |
stopover_permitted | Whether stopover is allowed on this leg | Boolean | true |
Passenger Name Record (PNR)
The PNR is a six-character alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies a booking in the airline’s reservation system. The PNR links passengers, itineraries, and payment information.
PNR format rules:
- Exactly 6 characters
- Uppercase alphanumeric only (A-Z, 0-9)
- Generated by the airline’s reservation system
- Example:
ABC123, X7YZ9Q
API Parameter Structure
Include airline data in the airline_data object within the payment request body.
{
"amount": {
"value": 1250.00,
"currency": "USD"
},
"country": "US",
"payment_method": "CARD",
"airline_data": {
"passenger_name": "SMITH/JOHN",
"ticket_number": "0012345678901",
"pnr": "ABC123",
"airline_code": "AA",
"airline_name": "American Airlines",
"issue_date": "2026-03-15",
"legs": [
{
"departure_airport": "JFK",
"arrival_airport": "GRU",
"departure_date": "2026-04-01",
"departure_time": "22:00",
"carrier_code": "AA",
"flight_number": "8100",
"fare_basis": "Y26NR",
"service_class": "Y",
"stopover_permitted": false
},
{
"departure_airport": "GRU",
"arrival_airport": "JFK",
"departure_date": "2026-04-15",
"departure_time": "23:30",
"carrier_code": "AA",
"flight_number": "8101",
"fare_basis": "Y26NR",
"service_class": "Y",
"stopover_permitted": false
}
]
},
"customer": {
"first_name": "Dee",
"last_name": "Hock",
"email": "dee@hock.example"
}
}
Not all providers support Level 3 airline data. If a provider does not support it, Yuno will process the transaction without the airline-specific fields. Check with your provider for Level 2/3 data support.
Incomplete or inaccurate airline data may result in interchange downgrades (higher fees) rather than the expected savings. Ensure all required fields are populated with accurate booking data.
