EMDs Explained: Electronic Miscellaneous Documents
What an electronic miscellaneous document is, how EMD-A differs from EMD-S, what EMDs are used for, and what agencies should check before selling extras.
· 6 min read · Nodes Travels team
When a traveller pays an airline for something other than the fare itself, such as an extra bag, a chosen seat or a change penalty, that payment needs a record. In traditional airline distribution, that record is often an electronic miscellaneous document, or EMD. If your agency sells through a GDS or a consolidator, you will meet EMDs sooner or later, usually when a customer asks why their seat payment appears separately from their ticket.
This guide explains what an EMD is, the two kinds you will see, what they are used for, and the practical points agencies should watch. It stays at the level an agency owner or desk agent needs; the detailed rules are set by each airline and by the industry bodies that publish the standards.
What an EMD is
An EMD is an electronic accountable document an airline (or an agent on its behalf) issues to record the sale of a service or charge that is not part of the fare. It replaced older paper documents such as the miscellaneous charges order. Like an e-ticket, it has its own document number and is stored in the airline's systems, and it goes through the same kind of settlement processes agencies use for tickets.
The key idea is separation. The e-ticket covers carriage from A to B. The EMD covers something extra, and it carries its own value, its own rules and, often, its own refund conditions.
EMD-A and EMD-S compared
| EMD-A (associated) | EMD-S (standalone) | |
|---|---|---|
| Linked to a flight coupon? | Yes, to a specific coupon on an e-ticket | No direct link to a flight coupon |
| Typical uses | Prepaid extra bag, seat on a particular flight, other services consumed on that flight | Change or cancellation penalties, some fees, deposits, residual value, services not tied to one flight |
| How it is used up | Together with the flight coupon it is associated with | On its own terms, sometimes against a later ticket |
| What to tell the customer | The extra is attached to that flight segment | The payment is recorded separately from any flight |
Which services an airline issues as EMD-A or EMD-S, and whether it uses EMDs at all for a given service, is the airline's decision. Always follow the airline's own instructions.
What EMDs are used for
Baggage is the classic case: a customer prepays for an extra checked bag, and that payment is linked to the flight it applies to. Seats are similar: a paid seat on one sector is associated with that sector. Other services such as lounge access, extra legroom or carrying sports equipment can also be recorded this way, depending on the airline.
Standalone EMDs cover payments that do not belong to one flight. A change penalty when a customer moves to another date is a common example. Some airlines also use standalone EMDs for deposits on group bookings or to hold residual value left after an exchange.
RFIC and sub-codes, at a high level
Every EMD carries a reason for issuance code, usually shortened to RFIC. It is a category code that says broadly what the document is for, such as baggage, a ground service or a financial charge. More specific sub-codes sit under it to describe the exact service. Together they let airlines, agencies and settlement systems classify and account for the payment correctly.
In practice, agents rarely type these codes from memory. The booking tool or GDS usually offers the airline's own list of services, and the codes come with the service you choose. What matters for you is that the right service is selected, because a wrong category can cause problems with refunds or with the airline honouring the service at the airport. If you ever need to issue an EMD manually, use the airline's published guidance for that exact service.
Selling an extra that becomes an EMD
- 1
Check what the fare already includes
Many fares include a bag or a standard seat. Read the fare rules and baggage allowance before offering a paid extra the customer may not need.
- 2
Price it from the airline's offer
Use the price the airline or your supplier returns for that service, on that flight, for that passenger. Never quote extras from an old price list.
- 3
Take payment, then issue
As with tickets, issue the document only after the customer's payment is confirmed, and record which booking and passenger it belongs to.
- 4
Send the customer a clear record
Include the EMD number, what it covers, which flight it applies to and the refund conditions. Customers often need this at the airport.
How this relates to Nodes Travels
Nodes Travels sells flights through supplier APIs rather than through a GDS terminal, so you will not issue EMDs by hand in it. Flight results show fare rules, and seat maps where the supplier returns them. Tickets are only created for paid bookings, when a desk agent clicks Issue ticket or when the owner has switched on automatic ticketing. If you also sell through a GDS or consolidator for complex itineraries, keep their EMD guidance close to your desk. See the flights features for what the booking engine does today.
Common questions
Is an EMD refundable?
It depends on the airline and the service. Some extras are refundable if the flight is cancelled by the airline, others are never refundable. Check the conditions shown when the service is sold and pass them on to the customer.
Does the customer need to print an EMD?
Usually not, because it is stored electronically like an e-ticket. Still, give the customer the EMD number and a description of the service, in case of questions at check-in.
Why does a seat payment appear separately from the ticket?
Because the seat was sold as an extra service with its own record. The fare and the seat are separate products with separate rules, even though they belong to the same trip.
Can a standalone EMD be used for a future ticket?
Some airlines allow residual value held on a standalone EMD to be applied later. Whether and how is set by the airline, so follow its instructions rather than assuming.
See flight booking in action
Run a live flight search on the reference site and look at fare rules and seat maps.