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Amadeus FFR Command: Frequent Flyer Award SSR

A complete guide to the FFR command in Amadeus — how to create a Frequent Flyer SSR element in the PNR for a redemption journey using frequent flyer awards.

When a passenger travels on a frequent flyer award rather than a paid ticket, the booking follows a different commercial path. The airline needs to know that the journey is a redemption, and the PNR must carry an SSR element that identifies the award reference. The FFR command is the Amadeus entry that creates this SSR. It records the frequent flyer award information directly in the PNR, so the airline can process the redemption correctly and the ticket can be issued under the applicable award conditions. This guide explains what FFR does, the syntax, and when it should be used.

What Does the FFR Command Do?

FFR is the Amadeus GDS command used to create an SSR element in the PNR for a redemption journey.

Category: Frequent Flyer.

It creates a Frequent Flyer SSR indicating that the journey is being booked using frequent flyer awards.

This SSR is what tells the airline that the booking is a redemption — not a paid reservation. Without it, the airline may treat the booking as a standard reservation, and the redemption miles may not be deducted correctly from the passenger’s account. It is essential in any award booking handled through Amadeus.

Syntax & Example

Create an SSR in the PNR for a redemption journey using frequent flyer awards:

FFRAF-1990901462-FREQUENT FLYER AWARDS

This creates an SSR element recording that the journey is a frequent flyer redemption. The entry identifies the airline (AF in this example), the award reference or account number, and the free-flow text that labels the element as FREQUENT FLYER AWARDS.

When to Use FFR

Use FFR when a passenger is travelling on a frequent flyer award or redemption ticket and the corresponding SSR needs to be added to the PNR. Typical scenarios include:

A customer redeeming miles for a free flight.
Award tickets issued through the airline’s frequent flyer programme.
Upgrades confirmed using miles and recorded as SSR elements.
Redemption bookings that require the SSR to be visible to the airline.
Award travel arranged as part of a corporate loyalty programme.
Bookings where the airline requires the frequent flyer award reference to be present before ticketing.

How FFR Fits Into Your Frequent Flyer Workflow

A typical award booking session using FFR might look like this:

Confirm with the customer that the journey is a redemption using frequent flyer miles.
Check that the airline and the frequent flyer programme have an agreement using VFFD if needed.
Add the passenger’s frequent flyer number to the PNR with FFN.
Enter the FFR entry with the airline code, award reference, and the label identifying the redemption.
Verify the SSR was created correctly by redisplaying the PNR.
Continue with ticketing once the airline confirms the redemption and the award SSR is in place.

How FFR Relates to Other Frequent Flyer Commands

FFR → creates a Frequent Flyer SSR for a redemption journey.
FFN → adds a frequent flyer number to the PNR.
FFA → adds a frequent flyer number to all passengers.
FFD → deletes a frequent flyer number from the PNR.
VFFD → displays frequent flyer agreements between airlines.
ES → creates PNR security agreements for restricted access.

The distinction: FFN, FFA, and FFD manage the frequent flyer number itself. FFR adds the SSR that identifies the booking as a redemption. VFFD checks whether the agreement between airlines exists.

Important: The FFR SSR must match the airline’s requirement exactly. Some carriers require a specific award reference, account number, or text label, and will reject the booking if the SSR does not match. Confirm the exact format with the airline or the frequent flyer programme before adding the entry.

Frequent flyer awards usually require the miles to be available in the account at the time of booking and are subject to the airline’s award availability. Confirm the miles have been reserved before proceeding.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does FFR do in Amadeus?

FFR creates a Frequent Flyer SSR element in the PNR, indicating that the journey is being booked using frequent flyer awards.

What does FFRAF-1990901462-FREQUENT FLYER AWARDS mean?

It creates an SSR for airline AF recording the award reference 1990901462 and labelling the element as a frequent flyer award.

Why do I need FFR if I have already added the FFN?

The FFN records the passenger’s frequent flyer number. The FFR SSR records that the booking itself is a redemption. They serve different purposes, and the airline requires the SSR to process the award.

Should I check VFFD before using FFR?

It is a good practice. VFFD confirms whether the airlines have a frequent flyer agreement in place, which is essential for any redemption booking.

Can FFR be used for award upgrades?

FFR is designed for redemption journeys. For upgrades, the airline may require a different SSR entry, so check the airline’s requirement before using FFR.

Conclusion

The FFR command is the frequent flyer redemption SSR tool in Amadeus. Use FFRAF-1990901462-FREQUENT FLYER AWARDS to create the SSR that identifies a booking as a redemption, so the airline can process the award correctly and deduct the miles as expected. It is essential for award tickets, miles upgrades recorded as SSR, and any corporate or personal booking where the fare is paid in miles rather than money. Always confirm the airline’s required format before adding the FFR entry, and check that the frequent flyer agreement exists using VFFD. Pair it with FFN to add the frequent flyer number, FFA for all passengers, FFD to delete the number, and other SSR entries as required. Together, they complete your frequent flyer toolkit and ensure every redemption booking is handled correctly from first entry to final ticket.