Travelport has completed the onboarding of the first group of travel agencies to receive access to NDC content.
In October last year, UK-based agency, Meon Valley, completed the first live booking using NDC content through the Travelport Smartpoint desktop.
“To ensure NDC works for all parts of the travel ecosystem, Travelport has implemented its booking solution with a wide variety of agencies of different sizes,” the company said in statement. These agencies include: American Express Global Business Travel, DNATA, Gray Dawes Group, Global Travel Management, Meon Valley Travel, Premier Holidays, TAG, Travel Counsellors, and Travel & Transport Statesman.
John Bukowski, director, content and distribution, American Express Global Business Travel, said: “We are working with key parties to ensure we continue to deliver access to all content, with a focus on improving the traveller experience, controlling cost, maintaining full end-to-end servicing, as well as transparent fares, pricing and comparison shopping. NDC is an important step in advancing airline offers and fare options, which, we believe, should remain focused on delivering value to corporate clients and not as a means to limit access to content, add cost, or force new and costly airline connectivity.”
Mervyn Williamson, managing director, Travel and Transport Statesman, said those involved in the travel industry had probably had a conversation about NDC in the last few months. “It’s having a major impact on all of us as we work through the best way to be ready for the new era of content distribution, maintaining, at the same time, optimum fulfilment service for our clients.” He added that having access to the NDC content as soon as possible was vital, both to the company and its travellers. “We were pleased to have been part of the initial group of NDC-connected agencies through Travelport Smartpoint.”
