Travelport NDC status to boost ancillary sales

TRAVELPORT has received
its Aggregator Level One
and IT Provider Level
Two certification for Iata’s
New Distribution Capability
(NDC) programme. The
certification is welcomed by
industry players who say the
resultant improved access to
ancillaries will enhance the
client experience and increase
revenue for agents.
“Agents will now have
even more enhanced travel
content and greater access
to ancillary offers. Travelportconnected
agents will be able
to make ancillary sales post
the original flight booking, and
through their preferred agency
workflows, for the first time,”
says Siobhán McCarthy,
senior manager, corporate
communications: Europe,
Middle East, Africa and South
Asia, Travelport. The GDS
company also has the option
of distributing Iata NDC offers
for fares and prices on behalf
of the airlines electing to use
Iata’s industry standards.
The NDC programme is an
XML-based data standard that
Iata says will enable airlines
to personalise offers and
sell their products through
travel agencies. Certification
confirms a company’s ability
to send and receive NDC
messages.
“We fully support the
industry need to transform the
way air products are retailed
and the requirement to move
away from legacy systems,”
says Siobhán. Considering
the global airline ancillary
market delivered revenues
of around $67,4bn (R874bn)
in 2016, according to
IdeaWorksCompany, the sale
of ancillaries remains vital.
Michelle Flint, manager:
client and business solutions
of BCD Travel, says not only
is the sale of ancillaries a
valuable additional revenue
stream but an enormous
value-add for clients to make
travel seamless and more
productive. “The NDC will
lead to a better customer
experience if it improves the
traveller experience with a rich
variety of booking choices in
one place eliminating the need
to search multiple sites to
determine best options. Also,
if it allows travel management
and travel technology
companies to easily integrate
suppliers in a consistent and
comparable fashion.”
Lara Casasola, owner of
Lara Travel, agrees. “The
NDC allows distribution of
the airlines’ ancillaries to
everyone in the industry
making it a level playing
field. There is no doubt that
ancillary revenue for airlines
is growing year on year, which
indicates ancillary sales are
fulfilling a passenger need,
adding that, if agents want
to remain part of this new
revenue stream or at least
offer their clients the full
package, having convenient
access to and selling
ancillaries is important.