American Airlines is giving travel agencies additional time to become a preferred agency with the carrier.
The airline announced that it is extending the current May 1 deadline to July 11. After that point, the airline will cease awarding AAdvantage points for any bookings made by agencies that are not part of the carrier’s preferred roster.
The just-announced extension also includes more time for agencies to reach a 30 percent threshold for New Distribution Capability (NDC) bookings. When it comes to NDC, the deadline has been bumped from April 21 until June 5.
“Agencies must adopt and implement American’s NDC and shop and book through American’s NDC connections,” by the airline’s stipulated timeline milestones, which are outlined on the carrier’s website.
After June, agencies can enter the preferred program by reaching 50 percent NDC bookings by October 31 or 70 percent NDC bookings by April 30, 2025.
“The first qualification window closes on June 5, 2024, and requires ticketed NDC bookings for agencies to be at 30% by this date. After meeting this threshold, the agency becomes a part of the program (pending all other criteria being met), and travelers will earn miles and Loyalty Points,” says the airline’s website.
The qualification window for NDC adoption is every 6 months. if an agency is unable to meet the June 5, 2024 qualification window, then October 31, 2024 will be the next opportunity to become a preferred agency.
In a statement, American said, “We’ve seen a great response from agencies increasingly adopting modern retailing technology, and many have already achieved preferred retailer status. The majority of our indirect bookings are now made via an agency with NDC capabilities, and the current list of agencies beyond 30 percent NDC bookings is already impressive.”
The airline’s rollout of NDC technology has been controversial. The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) has been continually pushing back against the airline and its plans.
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