Air Canada Launches Full NDC Content on Sabre
by Daniel McCarthy
Starting today, Sabre will offer all of Air Canada’s NDC content, alongside the carrier’s traditional EDIFACT content, in both the U.S. and Canada.
“This partnership with Sabre marks a significant step forward in Air Canada’s NDC program,” said Mark Nasr, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Digital, at Air Canada. “From local independent agencies to large corporate travel management companies, our travel trade partners were, are, and will always be crucial to Air Canada’s commercial success. That’s why we’re committed to working collaboratively on a smooth transition, enabling the trade to connect with Air Canada using their preferred and familiar methods.”
Like some, the carrier had pushed agencies to move towards NDC, a move that seems inevitable for agencies using GDSs. Air Canada did not go as far as some but did add an extra cost, called Distribution Cost Recovery (DCR) charges, that it waived for NDC-connected agencies. That fee could have gone up to $30 per booking, and Air Canada dropped it as it made more progress toward its NDC goals.
Last month, Air Canada said that more than 20% of its Canadian agency partners were using its NDC program, a major milestone for the carrier.
