Travelport, a global technology company that powers travel bookings for hundreds of airlines and thousands of hotels worldwide, and International Airlines Group (IAG) announced a new distribution partnership that will enable modern travel retailing – by bringing New Distribution Capability (NDC) content from British Airways and sister airlines Aer Lingus, Iberia, and Vueling to Travelport-connected travel agencies around the world.
By channelling its NDC content through the next-generation Travelport+ platform, British Airways will be able to offer travel retailers a wider range of content – including Additional Price Points and an expanded selection of ancillary products – while taking advantage of modern digital retailing tools such as intelligent storefronts to merchandize them effectively.
Katy Cardwell, Head of Distribution and Payments at British Airways, said: “Our new agreement with Travelport is an exciting addition to NDC, creating greater opportunities for all partners in the travel ecosystem. This supports our vision of moving towards a more innovative way of travel retailing, giving Travelport subscribers access to a greater choice of new and better products and services, including Additional Price Points and ancillaries, which are only available via NDC and add significant value.”
Celia Muñoz Espin, Sales Strategy and Distribution Director at Iberia, said: “We welcome Travelport to NDC, as an important part of the innovative and far-reaching transformation that is happening in the industry. This significant agreement is focused on providing added value to customers with access to our exclusive NDC products and fares. Travelport is a trusted provider of technology within the travel industry as it evolves towards next generation travel retailing. It is important for Iberia to partner with technology providers that have proven expertise and fulfils the demand for customer-focused innovation.”
Chris Ramm, Vice President Global Enterprise, Air Partners at Travelport, said: “Unlocking the potential of sophisticated multi-source content like NDC, by making it easier for the trade to access and sell, is a key part of our plans for Travelport+. We are hugely excited to be working alongside a partner like IAG, which shares our vision for modern travel retailing.”
The types of content that will entail will vary per agreement as Travelport will work with each airline individually to determine the best content to maximize agent choice. For IAG, new content options will include additional price points and an expanded selection of ancillary products, according to Travelport.
The distribution company also recently announced Air France-KLM’s NDC content will be distributed on its reservations system with plans to launch “more attractive and customized offers, such as continuous pricing and tailor-made bundles,” Air France-KLM chief revenue officer Pieter Bootsma said in a statement.
Travelport is working with both companies to be able to roll out their NDC content starting in 2022, with features and functionality to be added progressively, according to the company.
