Featured Article
NDC: What do you need to know?
In the early days of air travel, reservations were a huge hassle and could take between 90 minutes to over 3 hours. The complexities were many, the system was error-prone and inefficient, and airlines could constantly be under or over-booked.* As of 1964, everything changed when the Global Distribution System (GDS), Sabre, became fully operational and automated. In the following decades, several other GDSs have emerged and the result has been an easier, more streamlined booking process.
What is NDC?
From the GDS to Online Booking Tools to dozens of mobile travel applications, the travel industry is no stranger to innovation and change. We are now entering another shift in the market. Airlines want the ability to sell bags, Wi-Fi, and other ancillary benefits directly to the traveler. This is not currently and option through the GDS.
This is where NDC (New Distribution Capability) comes in. Airlines are looking to increase profits and improve the customer experience by offering every amenity, like purchasing Wi-Fi at the time of booking. NDC is simply the standardization of the codes for different items that travelers can purchase while booking a flight. These rules will then allow any airline to participate while still keeping their content within the GDS. Airlines have realized that the GDS isn’t going to just go away, in North America, Sabre has 75% of the corporate business travel market, so the better option is to optimize it.
How is this going to affect our clients?
The short answer for now is, our clients are not affected. NDC is still in the very early stages but we are committed to keeping you informed as it develops. Our goal is always to bring benefits to our clients, and we’re committed to making all content available by whatever channel necessary. This is a complex, ongoing evolution, and we will test and deliver any new solutions as they become available.
Adelman will continue to invest in technology and structure our organization to deliver on our promise of providing our clients the best travel services in the market. If you have any questions on NDC or travel content, please contact your Client Success Manager.