Article Summary:
IATA states that NDC implementation would be smoother, and travel advisors would face fewer servicing challenges, if airlines more closely adhered to the trade group’s programming standards. IATA’s Director of NDC program, Yanik Hoyles, emphasizes that NDC capabilities, including servicing and merchandising, will improve sharply as more airlines become certified in its latest standard, 21.3, calling it "the way forward." This comes as travel advisors have expressed frustrations with servicing tickets purchased via NDC, encountering difficulties with routine tasks such as schedule changes, exchanges, back-office processing, and settlement. American Express Global Business Travel has notably detailed these complexities, identifying 162 specific use cases requiring fulfillment by airlines, GDSs, and online booking tools.
Key Points:
- IATA attributes current NDC implementation issues and travel advisor servicing challenges to airlines’ insufficient adherence to IATA’s programming standards.
- IATA predicts significant improvements in NDC servicing, merchandising, and other capabilities as more airlines achieve certification in its latest NDC standard, 21.3, which is promoted as the future direction.
- Travel advisors are currently experiencing difficulties with basic servicing tasks, including schedule changes, exchanges, and back-office processing, for tickets purchased through NDC-enabled connections.
- American Express Global Business Travel has provided detailed insights into NDC complexities, pinpointing 162 specific use cases that must be addressed by industry stakeholders (airlines, GDSs, online booking tools).
Actionable Takeaways:
- Prioritize Adherence to IATA Standards (21.3): Airlines should proactively work towards certification in IATA’s 21.3 NDC standard and ensure strict adherence to IATA’s programming standards. Relevance: This directly addresses IATA’s identified solution for reducing servicing challenges and improving NDC capabilities, offering a clear path to enhanced operational efficiency and a better experience for travel advisors.
- Focus on Comprehensive Use Case Fulfillment: Technology providers (GDSs, OBTs) and airlines must meticulously address the 162 use cases identified by Amex GBT. Relevance: This highlights the detailed scope of work required to mitigate current NDC servicing complexities, ensuring that even ordinary tasks can be handled smoothly through NDC-enabled connections.
- Industry Collaboration on Standardized Servicing: Travel advisors and airlines should engage in discussions facilitated by industry bodies to collectively advocate for and implement standardized servicing protocols within the NDC framework. Relevance: While not explicitly stated as a direct action for advisors in the article, the consistent challenges faced by advisors and the call for adherence to standards imply a need for a unified approach to ensure that the "smoother" implementation envisioned by IATA translates into practical benefits for the frontline.
Contextual Insights:
- Evolution of Distribution Technology: The article highlights a critical juncture in the travel industry’s transition to new distribution capabilities (NDC). It underscores that while NDC promises advanced merchandising, its real-world implementation faces significant hurdles related to standardization and operational functionality, directly impacting travel agencies.
- Importance of Industry Standards: The emphasis on IATA’s programming standards and the 21.3 certification reveals the crucial role of governing bodies in ensuring orderly technological advancements. This situation reflects a common trend in travel tech where new solutions require robust, universally adopted standards to avoid fragmentation and operational friction for end-users like travel advisors.
- Impact on Travel Advisor Workflows: The challenges faced by travel advisors with routine tasks (schedule changes, exchanges) indicate that current NDC deployments are creating inefficiencies and increasing workload, rather than streamlining operations. This directly impacts agency productivity and the client experience, signifying a need for more robust, advisor-friendly NDC solutions.
- Corporate Travel Perspective: Amex GBT’s detailed identification of 162 use cases signals that corporate travel management companies (TMCs) are deeply invested in making NDC work seamlessly. Their detailed analysis provides a crucial benchmark for the comprehensive functionality required for NDC to be viable across complex business travel scenarios. This points to a trend where major corporate players are driving the demand for more mature and comprehensive travel tech solutions.
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