What is New Distribution Capability (NDC)
IATA collaborated with the industry to develop the New Distribution Capability (NDC) program as a standard for travel industry APIs. NDC is a set of standards for airline distribution that facilitates the development and market adoption of XML-based data that is exchanged between airlines and sellers. That doesn’t sound too bad, right?
The problem is bringing it to life with a strong infrastructure the industry can depend on—one that will co-exist with traditional methods for getting airline products to the market. Having a trusted partner can make it so much easier.
Is New Distribution Capability a luxury—or a necessity?
As flight shopping becomes more personalized and airlines look for new ways to reach their customers, direct selling is more of a necessity than ever before.
You’ll find different perspectives from people all over the industry, and some are rightly skeptical. Some business models don’t lend themselves to direct selling, many are successful without it, and some can’t leap over the technological or corporate barriers to manage it.
But technology advances quickly and you will more than likely find that you need to link to some sellers using new technology, or that you’re missing a market segment that’s not connected to traditional methods.
NDC is just another evolutionary step in technology—just like car phones used to be something to impress your friends with, now most people find that having a smart phone is an undeniable necessity.
How you can start planning
We’ve been in the distribution business for decades and help airlines all over the world use traditional and NDC methods to get their products into every possible corner of the marketplace.
Airlines of all sizes and in all stages trust our expertise. Every week more sellers come to us to learn how to intelligently connect to their airline partners.
It’s just smart coming to us. Joining NDC Exchange, which was developed by ATPCO and SITA, means you immediately expand your reach using new distribution methods—and connecting to new sellers just became easier. No lengthy integration processes or development is needed to make sure your data and your partners’ data are speaking the same language.
Structured API-friendly data means you’re ready to easily connect to sellers regardless of format. If you have a market you want to reach, we can take you there.
Not sure where to start? We can help you expedite your own distribution strategy and give you confidence that your product will get to your selling partners efficiently and cost-effectively, whether you prefer the traditional method, APIs, or a combination of both.
Are you taking the necessary steps to connect using NDC?
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