Amadeus, UAL to Implement NDC Connectivity Standards

Amadeus confirmed that it is working with United Airlines to merchandise the airline’s Economy Plus premium seating using New Distribution Capability connectivity standards.

The collaboration, first reported in The Beat, a business travel newsletter, would be among the first implementations of the NDC standard beyond the pilot phase.

New Distribution Capability, or NDC, is the XML-based data transmission standard under development by a number of work groups under the IATA umbrella.

It is meant to facilitate display and sale of airlines’ product differentiation, personalized offers, merchandising and other functionality via third parties.

The Beat reported that Stewart Alvarez, Amadeus vice president of commercial development and industry affairs, made the disclosure during a panel discussion at the Global Business Travel Association convention in Los Angeles.

What Amadeus is saying
In response to an email query from Travel Market Report, an Amadeus spokeswoman confirmed its use of the standard, but added that “NDC-XML is only a small part of the merchandising effort under way in the industry.”

“We’re already seeing that usage of NDC-XML by airlines and GDSs will vary in its shape and form, resulting in a mix of EDIFACT and XML connectivity,” she said.

EDIFACT is the traditional means of connecting airlines with GDSs.

Consistent workflow for agents
The spokeswoman said Amadeus’ focus is on “delivering the same workflow to agents – no matter what connectivity is running in the background – to secure content and transact reservations.”

A number of NDC pilot programs are under way, and IATA has urged airlines to involve travel sellers in them.