Travel agencies in Europe using the
Travelport+ global distribution system can now deliver customers direct access to NDC
content from Air France-KLM, the partners announced today.
The airlines’ NDC content features
continuous pricing, ancillary options and personalisation which Air France-KLM says will evolve
over time, and agencies will have full NDC functionality including shopping,
booking, servicing and ‘private fares to cover multiple segments and market
specifics’, said Travelport.
The commercial agreement was first announced in December 2021. Travelport said the roll-out has started in Europe, where it is now live in “most” countries, and will expand to additional countries in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific this month, reaching more than 100 countries by the year's end.
Angus Clarke, chief commercial offer at Air France-KLM, said: “NDC will be increasingly important in the
distribution strategy of Air France and KLM. The launch of Air France-KLM’s
live NDC content in the Travelport+ platform marks an important milestone in
our retailing journey.
“It
demonstrates our commitment to continue to improve and provide multiple
connection possibilities and a variety of more personalised services and
products for our customers.”
Damian Hickey, global vice president
and global head of airline partners at Travelport, added: “Through
Travelport+, we are helping Air France-KLM expand simplified access to their
NDC content, and deliver their best travel offers to our travel agency
customers.”
In December, the airlines said they were making their NDC-based dynamic
seat bundle product available through travel tech platform Atriis, initially in
the Netherlands before rolling it out to Atriis users globally.
Travelport currently has NDC content agreements signed with more than 20 airlines worldwide, and has to date gone live with Singapore Airlines, Qantas and American Airlines, who last month warned agencies they need to be connected to its NDC technology by April to ensure access to its full range of
content.
Additionally, Travelport has completed a pilot with United Airlines and expects to go live with its NDC content by the end of this year, and also expects to add NDC content from Lufthansa Group airlines and British Airways this year, with Emirates and Iberia “to follow shortly thereafter”.