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What is NDC and how can it affect my business?

Over the last few years, the term NDC has become increasingly popular in the travel industry. However, the focus has been on how the arrival of the technology and IATA’s standard can benefit airlines rather than what it can bring to travellers.

Because of the complexity of NDC technology, explanations of what it is and how it works can become complicated, which is why we have distilled what we believe is essential for crew managers to know here:

What is NDC?

New Distribution Capability (NDC) is a data transmission standard developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that enables airlines to sell their inventory without the need for a Global Distribution System (GDS). This includes ancillary services like baggage, Wi-Fi, and in-flight meals.

Airlines can communicate with third-party booking platforms using NDC, which links customers directly to a supplier’s product offering and enables customers to create a fare that more accurately reflects their requirements.

Although NDC was initially developed in response to airlines’ growing dissatisfaction with the expense of distributing their material through conventional GDS, the technology was also developed to improve the purchasing experience for buyers. Travellers ultimately have more options due to NDC’s direct nature, which enables them to benefit from a more personalised booking experience.

As a strategy to boost their profit line, airlines will likely invest even more effort into NDC and direct connect content in the years to come. Utilising NDC content is crucial for corporations right now, though, since it will help them control expenses by allowing them to just choose the services they need.

Benefits of NDC to crew managers

A more efficient booking process – Direct access to all available content eliminates the need for bookers and travellers to shop around, making the flight booking process faster and easier.

Improved adoption and greater compliance – Travelers have a better chance of finding a fare or package that is right for them and their travel policy because NDC offers more options.

Transparent pricing – With NDC, customers can be confident that the travel options and fares they see are representative of what the market has to offer.

If your company wants to access NDC content, your travel booking tool must be able to aggregate content from multiple airlines. This will provide your travellers with a comprehensive overview of everything on the market, increasing their chances of making the best decision in terms of cost and travel policy. If you’re looking for a new TMC, it’s worth asking how they intend to provide your company with NDC content and what kind of direct connect technology they already have in place with airlines.

ATPI’s Solution

ATPI offer a fully scalable solution with leading technology, Online Booking Tools (OBT) and Point of Sale (POS). Our strategy is designed to deliver full content to our clients, whether offline or online. Through our proprietary technology, online booking tools and processes we make sure our clients have access to full content. Booking through an online tool allows your travellers to view, compare choices, and purchase from all electronic distribution channels including GDS’, supplier websites, supplier direct connections, NDC content and other emerging sources of travel options.

This consequently leads to:

  • Ease of changing/managing bookings
  • Opportunity to capture all savings controlling travel expenditure
  • Invoicing & payment remaining with ATPI
  • Full visibility in MI data and reporting

These factors lead to a reduction in cost, drive savings and process efficiency. If you’d like to learn more about NDC and how ATPI can offer a solution to your specific travel requirements, get in touch with the team today.

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