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Amadeus DNS Command: State Code Encode/Decode

A complete guide to the DNS command in Amadeus — how to encode and decode state and province names and find the correct code for a booking.

State and province codes appear throughout the travel booking process. They are required for APIS data, billing addresses, corporate profiles, insurance records, and many car rental and hotel bookings. When a customer gives a state name — Florida, California, Ontario — you often need the corresponding two-letter code, and when a code appears in a document without explanation, you need to know what it stands for. The DNS command is the Amadeus entry that handles this. It allows you to find the state or province code from its name or decode a code to its corresponding name. This guide explains what DNS does, the syntax for each variation, and when it should be used.

What Does the DNS Command Do?

DNS is the Amadeus GDS command used to encode or decode state and province names.

Category: Encoding & Decoding.

It allows you to find the state or province code from its name or decode a code to its corresponding name. The command also supports partial searching, listing all states for a country, and displaying states that begin with a specific letter.

Decode a State or Province Name into its Code

Decode the state or province Florida:

DNSFLORIDA

This decodes the state or province Florida and displays the corresponding code. Use it when a customer names a state or province and you need the code for the address field, APIS data, or an insurance record.

Encode a State or Province using its Country and State Code

Encode a state or province using its country and state code:

DNSUSCA

This encodes a state or province using the country and state code — in this example the United States and California. It is useful when you have a state code from a document and need to confirm the full details, or when the country must be specified for clarity.

Decode Using Only the First Three Characters

Decode a state or province name using only the first three characters:

DNSMON**

This decodes a state or province name using only the first three characters — useful when you are unsure of the full spelling or when the name is long. It is a partial search that returns matching results based on the characters provided.

Display All States and Provinces for a Country

Display a list of all states and provinces for a specific country:

DNSAU

This displays all states and provinces for Australia. Use it when you need to see the full list of valid state codes for a country, or when a booking requires a state or province that you are not familiar with.

Important Notes

Use DNS when working with state or province codes.
DNSD can display states beginning with a specific letter.
DNS is part of the Amadeus encoding and decoding toolkit — the same command family used for airlines, hotels, car rentals, aircraft types, and other reference data.

When to Use DNS

Use DNS during the encoding and decoding step when you need to identify or find the code for a state or province. Typical scenarios include:

Entering an address in a PNR with the correct state or province code.
Adding APIS or travel document information where the state of issue is required.
Completing a corporate profile, insurance record, or billing address with the correct code.
Decoding a state or province code that appears in a document, ticket, or profile.
Finding the correct code for a long or unfamiliar state name using the three-letter partial search.
Listing all states and provinces for a country before selecting the correct one.
Displaying states beginning with a specific letter to narrow down a search.

How DNS Fits Into Your PNR Management Workflow

A typical session using DNS might look like this:

Retrieve the PNR with RT or begin a new booking.
When a state or province code is needed, enter the DNS entry — for example DNSFLORIDA, DNSUSCA, or DNSAU.
Note the code or name and continue with the booking.
Add the address to the PNR with AM for a mailing address or AB for a billing address.
Add APIS or travel document details with SR and the applicable APIS entries.
Continue with pricing using FXP and save the PNR with ER or ET.

How DNS Relates to Other Encoding and Decoding Commands

DNS → encodes and decodes state and province names and codes.
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.
DAC → a related Amadeus reference data decoding command.
DAN → a related Amadeus encoding and decoding command for airline reference data.

The distinction matters: DNS handles states and provinces, DNA handles airlines, DNH handles hotels, DNC handles car rentals, and DNE handles aircraft types. Use DNS whenever the question is about a state or province code.

Important: DNS returns the state or province code or name only — it does not verify that the address is correct or that the state is valid for a specific booking type. Always confirm the state or province with the customer or the document before entering it into a PNR.

State and province codes are used in APIS data, address elements, and corporate profiles. A wrong code — for example using FL when the customer means another state — can cause address errors, rejected APIS transmissions, or billing problems. Verify with DNS before entering the code.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the DNS command do in Amadeus?

DNS encodes and decodes state and province names and codes. It finds the code from a name, or the name from a code.

What does DNSFLORIDA mean?

It decodes the state or province Florida and displays its corresponding code.

What does DNSUSCA mean?

It encodes a state or province using the country code US and the state code CA — the United States and California.

What does DNSMON** mean?

It decodes a state or province using only the first three characters. The asterisks act as wildcards for the remaining characters.

What does DNSAU mean?

It displays a list of all states and provinces for Australia. Replace the country code to check a different country.

What is DNSD used for?

DNSD can display states beginning with a specific letter — useful when you want to see all state or province names that start with a particular character.

Conclusion

The DNS command is the state and province encoding and decoding tool in Amadeus. Use DNSFLORIDA to decode a state or province name into its code, DNSUSCA to encode a state using its country and state code, DNSMON** for a partial match using the first three characters, and DNSAU to list all states for a country. It removes the need for external reference lists and is essential when completing addresses, APIS data, insurance records, and corporate profiles. Remember that DNS only handles state and province codes — for other reference data use DNA for airlines, DNH for hotels, DNC for car rentals, and DNE for aircraft types. Paired with these encoding and decoding commands, plus AM and AB for address elements and SR for APIS entries, DNS completes your reference data toolkit and keeps every booking accurate from first entry to final ticket.