Full Form of PNR :
Passenger Name Record
PNR Full Form is Passenger Name Record. PNR refers to the record of an individual or group of individuals (or passengers) traveling on a train or flight. After one enters his or her personal details and books a ticket, the entire information is normally saved in the CRS or Computer Reservation System with a distinctive 10- digit alphanumeric code, which helps to locate the record. Once generated, the PNR remains unchanged forever.
PNR numbers are generated by travel website through which people book. Travel agencies are also helping passengers to get PNR. These records are extremely helpful to track the record of the past or future travel for various reasons; to look up the current status of a future booking, and to change the status of a ticket or cancel the tickets according to the requirement.
PNR Full Form – Additional Information
As the population increases, so does the travel. There are various reasons why people travel. It can be for work or business purpose, students travelling for education to different state college / universities, travel to attend some function or just for relaxed pleasure. But travelling has become a part of life for every individual. There are various modes of transport – road, rail, and air. However, road transport booking is instantaneous; whereas for rail and air, one has to book in advance to secure a seat. When a person makes a reservation he is given a PNR number.
What is PNR?
PNR stands for Passenger Name Record that is the details of the passenger travelling by air or rail. This is the data of the passenger’s itinerary stored in the database of CRS or Computerized Reservation System. This PNR was first introduced for airline travel, as many times, the passenger had to take interlinked flights of different airlines.
Thus, in order to maintain the link of his travel, the system of Passenger Name Record was started so that there could be a defined source of data that would be pertaining to that particular passenger only. This record was then circulated to the other airlines to facilitate smooth booking process without inconveniencing the passenger.
Under present circumstances, it is very difficult to get a confirmed train booking at the first go due to heavy rush of travelers. Hence, when a person tries to book a ticket, his name gets registered in the Computerized Reservation System, thus generating his information of travel.
Even if the passenger is waitlisted, he can follow up his booking status by just tracing the PNR. As the booking gets updated, the PNR status changes and shows the passenger his current position. This way he can track his reservation by merely entering the PNR code online, without having the need to visit the station.
Why is PNR required?
When a person tries to make travel reservations, it is entered in a database in Computerized Reservation System of either the airline or the railway. However, with so many threats of terrorism and the criminals at large, it is essential to take precaution for passenger safety. This made a few elements essential while making a reservation.
Passenger Name Record lists the name of the passenger (or passengers if it is a group booking), age, gender, date of birth, start point of the journey, desired destination and date of journey. In case if it is a return booking, then the expected date of return also needs to be mentioned.
In the case of a train, the passenger needs to quote the name / number of the train opted for and as far as airlines are concerned, it is the name of the carrier airline as well as a travel route. In addition, the traveler needs to give his passport details as well.
This detailed data helps to know the identity of the person for air travel and for train travel it is mandatory that the passenger carries some identity proof to verify the details disclosed while booking.
Concerns about PNR privacy
It is true that for security reasons the Government has made it mandatory to enter all personal details about the passenger. Nonetheless, all the disclosure like name, date of birth, address, contact number as well as credit card details etc may not be in the best interest of protection of passenger’s privacy. This can cause safety issues for the traveler as his data gets stored in the CRS and is not deleted even after the end of the journey.
The data remains in the system but merely gets transferred from live status to archive and can be accessed anytime by just entering the reservation number on the ticket. Like any other threats, there are chances of the passenger’s personal details being misused by miscreants. Every system has its pros and cons.
In this system, the data collected for safety reasons of the Government may prove beneficial for the Government as it can stay on alert after getting details of some criminal’s proposed travel plans.However, for innocent, common traveler it may prove a breach of his privacy if the data is accessed by wrong persons. PNRs are not given the same confidentiality protection as medical or financial data. On the other hand, they are considered as mere commercial transaction records.
Forming a PNR
A PNR is a 10 digit code that gives an individual identity to the passenger, as his entire itinerary is entered in that. If a booking is done through an agent, then the same gets saved in the agent’s company’s database too. It is then easier for the agent to coordinate with either the airline carrier if the passenger is flying or with the railway booking system. In the case of dealing with air travel, the agent gives the personal details like name, age, gender, passport number and proposed destination of the passenger to the airline booking office.
Here the details are entered in their Computerized Reservation System and the random number is generated that is linked to that particular passenger’s details. His entire trip details about changes in flights, flight timings, different destinations etc are stored under the PNR code. It also includes additional information like medical assistance, meal preferences, passenger status (child travelling alone, senior citizen, wheelchair-bound person or disabled person, etc).
Seldom has the passenger traveled the length of his journey on single aircraft. Normally, there are changes not only in aircraft but also of carriers. Thus, it is essential for the starting airline as well as the agent to know how the passenger is going to travel onwards. Accordingly, they team up with the other airlines to channelize the journey with least bit of inconvenience to the passenger. Hence, the PNR is shared amongst the various aircraft operators and the agent to keep track of any last-minute changes in flight schedules, baggage rules etc in order to inform the traveler.
How is PNR useful?
As mentioned earlier, with criminal and terrorist threats, States demand that they have the full knowledge about people travelling from one place to another, so that they can intercept the criminal if sighted and the State security is not in jeopardy.
Travelling has become a major part of a person’s life in present ages. However, with heavy rush everywhere, it is difficult to get confirmed booking and then the suspense wait begins. PNR status tells the passenger if he is likely to travel as desired or not. This gives freedom and flexibility of re-planning the trip or modifying the previous booking.