Country of commencement

Country of commencement refers to the country where a passenger’s international journey begins. This term is commonly used in airline ticketing and fare construction to determine how taxes, surcharges, and fare rules apply, especially for round trips or multi-leg itineraries.

For example, if a traveler books a round trip from Lagos to London and back, Nigeria is the country of commencement, even if they later make a connecting flight to another destination.

This concept is especially important in interline agreements and global distribution systems (GDSs) where different airlines and systems must align pricing and policy based on origin rules.