TPConnects’ subscription-based online marketplace, NDCMarketplace will now deliver Qantas’ NDC-sourced content through its advanced NDC-enabled platform that utilizes IATA’s New Distribution Capability standard.
The new agreement is a significant milestone in the development of the NDC standard for the Australian carrier as they announce TPConnects’ as their distribution partner, enabling their sellers access to the Qantas Distribution Platform (QDP) content, to book tickets and ancillaries via the NDCMarketplace.com virtual storefront.
It has been a significant week for Qantas Airways as the airline restarted operations of their passenger flights, after a long gap of nearly 600 days. The airline expects to get back to flying 100 per cent of its pre-COVID-19 domestic capacity by January 2022.
This means the airline will have to put its best foot forward in the months to come. The new partnership now allow travel sellers and buyers to shop, book, and pay for NDC offers, sourced from the Qantas Distribution Platform (QDP), including ancillary services not available via EDIFACT, special price offers, and fully integrated post-booking servicing like canceling, and refunding an NDC booking, accessible at no additional cost.
NDCMarketplace is operated by TPConnects, a Dubai-based content aggregator and airline IT provider that Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), has a minority stake in.
The company secured a 22.47 per cent interest in TPConnects with a vision to tap into their multi-source airline content aggregation and retailing. The Group’s Corporate Traveler recently launched Melon, a booking, travel management and mobile platform, powered by TPConnects, that provides a traveler-facing booking system, in-trip itinerary management as well as tools for administrators to access data dashboards, onboard users, configure policies, manage unused tickets and track travelers.
The new strategic agreement with Qantas sits well for FCTG who have a longstanding relationship with the airline, as part of the Qantas Channel.
Speaking about the new collaboration, FCTG Founder and CEO Graham Turner said, “We have been impressed by TPConnects’ NDC platforms and we are excited by the opportunity with the Qantas certification announcement. It is our priority to provide market leading content to our customers and this announcement ensures we are at the forefront of delivering this.”
Just like Flight Centre, TPConnects has been an early adaptor to NDC. The company is certified by the International Air Transport Association as a Level 4 aggregator for travel sellers as well as a Level 4 IT provider for airlines.
“We are very excited about this new collaboration with Qantas, the pioneering long-distance airline in the Australian and Asia Pacific market, which will facilitate for us, the opportunity to create a unique retail experience, delivered through NDCMarketplace.com,” said Rajendran Vellapalath, Founder and CEO TPConnects.
Qantas has been one of the industry’s strongest proponents of the NDC standard and is a member of IATA’s prestigious NDC Leaderboard group, which comprises 23 international airlines that account for more than 30 per cent of IATA’s passenger volumes. The airline has always prioritized their goal for agents to choose “NDC-enabled” content for their customers.
“Despite the significant impact of COVID airlines globally, Qantas remains committed to progressing our NDC program with our key agency and technology partners like TPConnects”, said Igor Kwiatkowski, Qantas Executive Manager, Global Sales & Distribution.
“As we continue to launch new features through the Qantas Distribution Platform, this new deal partnership will help deliver richer content and a better experience to more of our customers and agency partners around the globe.”
The Australian carrier’s Qantas Distribution Platform enables a unique, innovative and enhanced customer experience. The rich content available through the platform offers benefits that include the delivery of tailored offerings across all core market segments, special offers for their loyalty members and differentiated content as compared with the traditional GDS.
Through NDCMarketplace’s suite of solutions, travel sellers can now access the Qantas Distribution Portal and get quick and secure access to Qantas’ rich content, differentiated products and offers, ancillaries, real-time and dynamic fares and customized services, in addition to round-the-clock travel and operational updates and future enhancements. It will also provide special offers for their loyalty members and differentiated content as compared with the traditional GDS.
“Today NDCMarketplace collaborates with some of the leading airlines from the NDC leaderboard . Our expertise and experience in providing them with an innovative travel technology solution hold us in good stead and we bring this to the table for Qantas. Together with Qantas’ commitment to offer a comprehensive retailing and passenger personalization, we hope to deliver a rich customer retail experience,” said Vellapalath .
“At NDCMarketplace, we are committed to the development and promotion of NDC content and distribution. Through our NDC-enabled platform, we strive to provide greater transparency, accelerate the speed of communication and servicing and serve a wide range of business needs with exclusive rich content, real-time merchandising and unlimited possibilities,” he added.
NDCMarketplace.com connects several NDC-certified and Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs) along with Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) regardless of schema, standard and version. Travel sellers subscribed to NDCMarketplace will get access to all participating NDC airline content alongside GDS and LCC content in one screen, offering a booking and servicing experience like no other.
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