DOMAIN-MAP-02 · Travel

MTK for Travel

Travel platforms manage reservations, issue discrete travel rights to passengers, enforce fare rules and identity checks, confirm supplier availability, and reconcile across GDS channels and supplier systems. MTK maps onto this: the reservation or PNR is a container, the travel right or segment is the entitlement, and check-in or boarding is the domain translation of the consume primitive.

A booking or PNR may present the trip — but protocol truth sits with the discrete travel rights and service components that MTK evaluates and tracks. The itinerary is a presentation layer. The entitlement record is the authoritative unit of use.

Primitive Mapping

How travel concepts map to MTK

The protocol verb is always consume (PSL-002) — check in, board, and use segment are domain translations of it.

MTK Primitive	Travel Equivalent
Issuer	Airline / Hotel / Supplier / Tour Operator
Holder	Booker / Travel Agent / Corporate Account
Beneficiary	Passenger / Guest
Container	Reservation / PNR / Booking Reference
Entitlement	Travel Right / Segment / Stay / Service Component
Constraint	Fare Rules / Availability / Identity / Visa / Seat Rules
Verification	Passport / Ticket / Supplier Confirmation / Visa Check
Authorisation	Boarding Approval / Supplier Confirmation Decision
Consume / Domain Action	Check In / Board / Use Segment
Mutation	Segment Used / Stay Checked In / Service Rendered
Delegation	Passenger Transfer / Name Change
Settlement	Supplier Settlement / BSP Remittance
Reconciliation	Supplier / GDS / Channel Reconciliation
Revocation / Suspension	Cancel Booking / Deny Boarding / Void Ticket

Protocol Flow

How it works

A canonical travel segment use flow, expressed in protocol-safe language.

01 A supplier (issuer) creates a reservation or PNR (container) and issues discrete travel right entitlements — each representing a segment, stay, or service component for a specific passenger on a specific route or date.

02 The passenger presents for check-in. MTK confirms the entitlement's lifecycle_state_canonical is ACTIVE, verifies passenger identity (passport, visa where required), and confirms supplier availability.

03 MTK evaluates constraints: fare rules, seat allocation, identity and document requirements, flight/hotel availability, and any channel or GDS restrictions. If all constraints pass, the authorisation decision — boarding approval or check-in confirmation — is issued.

04 If authorised, the travel right is consumed (consume primitive). The segment is marked used. The passenger boards or checks in. The entitlement transitions toward CONSUMED state as each travel right is used.

05 Supplier settlement resolves the financial obligation — BSP remittance, hotel payment, GDS commission. Reconciliation aligns the protocol-tracked segment use events against supplier, GDS, and channel records.

Protocol Safety

Reservation vs travel right: container vs entitlement

In travel, the booking reference and the individual travel rights are closely linked but structurally distinct in MTK.

Container vs Entitlement — Travel

A reservation or PNR is a container. It presents the itinerary, groups flight segments and ancillary services, and carries the booking reference used across systems. It is not authoritative protocol truth.

Travel rights, segments, stays, and service components are the entitlements. A booking or PNR may present the trip, but protocol truth sits with the discrete travel rights and service components that MTK evaluates and tracks. A PNR showing a confirmed booking does not guarantee any individual segment is available, unexpired, or not already used — each travel right must be evaluated independently.

This matters for multi-leg journeys: a PNR grouping three flights holds three discrete entitlements. Each is evaluated at its own point of service — check-in for flight 1 does not automatically consume flight 2 or flight 3.

Domain Considerations

Travel-specific patterns

Multi-Supplier Reconciliation

Complex itineraries involve multiple suppliers (airlines, hotels, transfer operators). Each travel right entitlement is issued by a specific supplier and reconciled against that supplier's records. MTK's reconciliation primitive tracks per-supplier segment use events, enabling accurate BSP remittance and commission settlement across the distribution chain.

Identity Checks and Fare Rules

Travel entitlements carry strict identity and fare constraints. Passport checks, visa requirements, and document validity are verification inputs. Fare rules (non-refundable, advance purchase, minimum stay) are constraints that determine whether the entitlement can be modified, transferred, or consumed. MTK evaluates these at the point of service — check-in or boarding — not at booking time.

Segment Use vs Full Trip Consumption

A multi-leg trip is not consumed as a single event. Each segment or stay is a discrete entitlement consumed independently. A passenger who uses leg 1 but misses leg 2 has consumed one travel right and left another ACTIVE or void-depending on fare rules. MTK tracks each consumption event independently, preventing the common problem of marking an entire booking as used when only part of it was consumed.

GDS and Channel Reconciliation

Travel bookings flow through multiple distribution layers: GDS (Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport), OTAs, direct supplier channels, and NDC connections. Each layer may hold a slightly different view of the booking state. MTK's reconciliation primitive aligns the protocol-authoritative consumption record against all channel views, resolving discrepancies and ensuring settlement accuracy.

Passenger Transfer and Name Changes

Some fare types permit name changes or passenger transfers before departure. In MTK, this is a delegation operation: the original holder's entitlement is transferred or re-delegated to a new beneficiary. Non-transferable fares are enforced as constraints on the delegation operation. The entitlement record is preserved with full audit history of the transfer event.

Illustrative Scope

These examples are illustrative translations, not a complete legal or operational model for travel. MTK's entitlement model can represent these patterns. Vertical-specific productisation — including IATA BSP rules, airline tariff regulations, hotel distribution agreements, and GDS connectivity — is a separate implementation concern.