Finnair, the flagship carrier of Finland, and TPConnects Technologies, a leading provider of IATA NDC Certified travel technology solutions, announced the successful integration of NDC 21.3 for the Finnair Agency Sales Tool (FAST), powered by TPConnects’ airline retailing platform, Astra. This milestone marks a significant step forward in Finnair’s journey towards modern, agile, and customer-centric airline retailing.
TPConnects and Finnair forged a successful partnership in 2022 with the introduction of the Finnair Agency Sales Tool (FAST). After years of continuous enhancements, the tool now marks a new milestone with its migration to version 21.3.
The integration of NDC 21.3 into FAST, powered by TPConnects’ Astra, enables Finnair to continue their journey of providing travel agency partners access to Finnair’s full suite of NDC products including ancillary products across sales and servicing, all within a streamlined, browser-based environment through 21.3 NDC APIs.
Key Benefits
· Intuitive and seamless interface: Agencies enjoy a modern, user-friendly experience with enhanced booking and servicing flows, ensuring efficient management of travel needs through NDC 21.3 APIs.
· Frictionless agency onboarding: Astra’s intuitive interface and partner management tools enable rapid onboarding and configuration, reducing complexity and accelerating adoption.
· Future proof: Version 21.3 is designed for long-term relevance, crucially offering backward compatibility with previous versions
· Foundation for new capabilities: IATA is committed to developing new functionalities and innovations specifically on top of the 21.3 framework. This establishes 21.3 as the foundational standard for future advancements in airline retailing and distribution.
· Comprehensive servicing: Agencies benefit from end-to-end order management, automated workflows for refunds and reissues, and integrated ancillary sales, all designed to optimize efficiency and service quality.
· Advanced data and reporting: Upgraded architecture across booking, servicing, and order management flows supports robust data modelling and actionable insights.
. Brand control and customization: Finnair maintains full control over its content and branding, ensuring a consistent and premium experience across all distribution channels.
Kristiaan van Dijken, VP Airline Account Management at TPConnects said, “Our partnership with Finnair demonstrates the power of modern NDC technology to transform airline distribution. With the Astra B2B portal now fully integrated with NDC 21.3, Finnair’s agency partners can access richer content, personalised offers, and seamless servicing- delivering greater value and flexibility to both the airline and its partners.”
