How the NDC standard revolutionized the travel agency industry
In recent years, the tourism sector has experienced numerous crises, particularly in the area of air traffic. New distribution capability (or NDC) is an effective solution to overcome this problem. Are you a travel agent? The NDC offers you a much more powerful and efficient tool than the current GDS, which is starting to get old and whose technology is much less advanced. The NDC standard is a standard that governs data transmissions between your travel agency and airline reservation systems. Based on an API, this standard is extremely promising. Developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the NDC aims to automate and make more efficient the information shared between airlines and your travel agency. Defined as a communication protocol, the NDC aims to replace the old EDIFACT which was set up in the 1980s and operated by the GDS. This new protocol using XML language makes it possible to offer personalized content, through a set of APIs that are much more flexible and always updated. In addition, the XML language makes it possible to mark up customer data in order to make them exploitable and understandable. Communication between different channels and airlines or service providers requires developed IT solutions and in this case very expensive ones. The NDC standard makes this exchange simpler by allowing APIs to be developed more efficiently. Travel agencies can thus connect to these APIs at a lower cost, through aggregators that give them access to airline traffic and therefore share them better. As for reservations, they are executed directly on the airline systems without having to resort to an intermediary. In this way and in real time, they have access to all reservations, with detailed information (time, service, frequency ...). Prices are no longer related to booking classes, but can be personalized for each client. This solution helps to minimize costs by making time to market easier and faster. By opting for the NDC, your travel agency will be able to respond instantly to customer requests, with enriched content (videos, photos, offers, etc.). And also to control pricing strategies, such as proposing a dynamic and personalized price list. In order for airlines to communicate their offers with your travel agency, they will have to switch their inventory managed by EDIFACT to XML. The profit for all players in the sector will be significant: The implementation of the NDC standard is undoubtedly an evolution for your travel agency. It will provide simple, real-time access to offers from all airlines, allowing you to compare offers to better meet the needs of your customers. One click is all it takes to upgrade, get a better meal, add extra baggage etc., and not miss any offers or promotions offered by the airlines. A job that usually requires a lot of research. Your offers will be accompanied by photos and videos for a more attractive product, and above all a very personalized offer with transparency for your customers. They will also have access to details of their booking. Your travel agents will therefore only focus on sales and customer satisfaction and will allow your agency to stand out from the competition. Your benefits at a glance: Access to rich and detailed data Proposal of a personalized offer Access to product data and service providers' prices in real time Comparison of flights, prices ... With NDC, save your customers the opacity of ticket prices, unpleasant surprises related to last-minute fares and ancillary services. Build trust between you and your customers. The NDC standard allows customers to have extremely precise information, leaving them the choice to choose the rates they are willing to pay and to have transparency on any service and understand the cost fully. Clients’ benefits at a glance: Transparency on prices (ticket, service, etc.) Richness of the offers received Privilege of customer choices Thanks to the unique NDC standard, airlines will save money by automating their exchanges with service providers. This will allow them to share all of their catalogs across all channels (travel agencies, search engines, etc.) quickly and efficiently. They will be able to use the preferences and history of customers, in turn to refine and personalize the offers they make. They will also have the possibility of undoing their packages in order to sell their services separately according to the demand of each customer. Airlines benefits at a glance: Originality of the offers Rapid marketing of all products offered Personalized offer proposal A growing number of travel agencies are now able to book and manage airline content with the NDC standard. Adopting it means getting ahead of your competition, by combining know-how and advanced technology. It also means guaranteeing each of your customers a personalized and high-quality experience in complete transparency, and enabling your travel agency to better cope with the challenges present. At Pivot, we advise you the best for an adoption of the NDC in the best conditions.What is the NDC?
What advantages does the dynamic NDC standard offer?
The NDC, a huge step forward for your travel agency
More satisfied customers than ever thanks to the NDC
More competitive airlines
