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Amadeus DAC Command: Decode City & Airport Codes

A complete guide to the DAC command in Amadeus — how to decode city or airport codes and identify the location name from its Amadeus code.

City and airport codes appear everywhere in travel work — in schedules, availability displays, tickets, fare rules, and supplier documents. IATA assigns three-letter codes to nearly every commercial airport in the world, and Amadeus uses them extensively. When a code appears in front of you and you need to know which city or airport it refers to, the DAC command is the Amadeus entry that handles this. It decodes a city or airport code into its corresponding name, and it can also display all the off-line locations associated with a specific code. This guide explains what DAC does, the syntax for each variation, and when it should be used.

What Does the DAC Command Do?

DAC is the Amadeus GDS command used to decode city or airport codes.

Category: Encoding & Decoding.

It is used to find the location name from its Amadeus code. DAC is one of the most frequently used reference commands in daily travel work, because airport and city codes appear at every stage of the booking process — from the availability display to the final ticket number.

Decode a City or Airport Code

Decode the code SFO and return the corresponding city or airport name:

DACSFO

This decodes the code SFO and returns the corresponding city or airport name — in this case San Francisco. Use it when a code appears in a document, a schedule, or a colleague’s note and you need to confirm which location it refers to.

Decode with Associated Off-Line Locations

Decode MUC and display all associated off-line locations:

DACMUC/ALL

This decodes MUC and displays all associated off-line locations. Off-line locations are cities or points that do not have their own IATA airport code but are served through a nearby gateway airport. This information is important for ground transport, ticketing, and check-in processes at the destination.

Use /ALL whenever you need to see the full list of cities associated with a gateway airport — for example when booking a car rental, a hotel, or a ground transfer at a point that is not the airport itself.

Important Notes

Use DAC when you have a three-letter location code and need to identify it.
Add /ALL to display all associated off-line locations.
DAC is part of the Amadeus encoding and decoding toolkit — the same command family used for airlines, hotels, car rentals, aircraft types, and states.

When to Use DAC

Use DAC during the encoding and decoding step whenever you need to identify a city or airport from its Amadeus code. Typical scenarios include:

Decoding a code that appears in a schedule, availability display, or fare rule.
Confirming the city or airport associated with a code before booking a segment.
Identifying the departure or arrival city from a ticket number or itinerary printout.
Finding off-line locations served through a gateway airport for car rental or hotel bookings.
Checking a code that a colleague has used in a note or a message.
Verifying the correct city for a customer who has named only the airport.
Confirming the code for an unfamiliar destination before advising the customer.

How DAC Fits Into Your PNR Management Workflow

A typical session using DAC might look like this:

Retrieve the PNR with RT or open availability with AN.
When an unfamiliar code appears, enter the DAC entry — for example DACSFO or DACMUC/ALL.
Note the city or airport name and continue with the booking.
Confirm the flight details with DO if you need to verify the schedule.
Check the minimum connecting time with DM if the itinerary involves a connection.
Sell the segment with SS once the city or airport is confirmed.
Continue with pricing using FXP and save the PNR with ER or ET.

How DAC Relates to Other Encoding and Decoding Commands

DAC → decodes city or airport codes into their names.
DNA → encodes and decodes airline names, two-character codes, ticket codes, and alliance names.
DNH → encodes and decodes hotel company codes and displays master chain hotels.
DNC → encodes and decodes car rental company codes.
DNE → encodes and decodes aircraft types.
DNS → encodes and decodes state and province names and codes.
DAN → a related Amadeus encoding and decoding command for airline reference data.

The distinction matters: DAC handles city and airport codes, DNA handles airlines, DNH handles hotels, DNC handles car rentals, DNE handles aircraft types, and DNS handles states and provinces. Use DAC whenever the question is about a location code.

Important: DAC returns the city or airport name only — it does not confirm which airline operates a specific route, nor does it show schedules or availability. To check flights, use AN for availability, DO for flight details, TN for timetables, or SN for schedules.

Some city codes cover more than one airport — for example, LON covers Heathrow, Gatwick, and several other London airports. When booking, always confirm which specific airport the customer wants, and use the airport code rather than the city code where the booking requires precision.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the DAC command do in Amadeus?

DAC decodes city or airport codes into their corresponding location names.

What does DACSFO mean?

It decodes the code SFO and returns the corresponding city or airport name — San Francisco.

What does DACMUC/ALL mean?

It decodes MUC and displays all associated off-line locations — cities without their own airport code that are served through Munich.

What are off-line locations?

Off-line locations are cities or points that do not have their own IATA airport code but are served through a nearby gateway airport. They are relevant for car rentals, hotels, and ground transport.

How is DAC different from DNA or DNH?

DNA handles airlines, DNH handles hotels, and DAC handles city and airport codes.

Does DAC check availability or schedules?

No. DAC only decodes the code. For availability, use AN; for schedules, use SN; for timetables, use TN.

Conclusion

The DAC command is the city and airport decoding tool in Amadeus. Use DACSFO to decode a three-letter code into its location name, and DACMUC/ALL to display all associated off-line locations for a gateway airport. It removes the need for external reference lists, supports every stage of the booking workflow, and is essential when a code appears without explanation in a schedule, ticket, or document. Remember that DAC only handles codes — for availability use AN, for flight details use DO, for timetables use TN, for schedules use SN, and for connecting times use DM. Paired with the other encoding and decoding commands — DNA for airlines, DNH for hotels, DNC for car rentals, DNE for aircraft types, DNS for states and provinces, and DAN for airline reference data — DAC completes your reference data toolkit and keeps every booking accurate from first entry to final ticket.