What is a record locator?
A record locator is the short alphanumeric code — usually six characters — that uniquely identifies a booking (PNR) in an airline or GDS reservation system.
Travellers know the record locator as the booking reference or confirmation number. Internally it is the key used to retrieve, modify, ticket or cancel a PNR.
One trip, several locators
A single booking can carry several locators at once: one in the GDS where the agency created it, one in each operating airline’s own system, and sometimes one per carrier on an interline or codeshare itinerary. Customer-facing systems should show the airline locator for check-in and keep the GDS locator for servicing.
Engineering notes
Record locators are not globally unique over time — systems recycle them after a booking is purged — so never use one as a permanent primary key on its own. Store it alongside the source system and creation date, and keep your own internal booking ID as the stable identifier.