Since its inception, NDC has presented challenges for buyers and Travel Managers, often associated with additional costs and content accessibility issues. With airlines undergoing shifts in distribution channels, buyers must grasp how to streamline their purchasing processes.

At the recent GBTA | France Carrefour des Échanges Travel & MICE, Tiphaine Grenot, AREKA’s Manager of Consulting Services, along with several industry experts, delved into the world of NDC, sharing valuable insights and initial field feedback.

Here are key take-aways from the event:
– Accessibility is the key challenge for travel managers these days. While OBTs are using different strategies to include more airlines, many are still not available for NDC booking, not mentioning servicing.

– Buyers are longing for an NDC field in their post-trip reporting, in order to be able to analyze NDC availability, adoption and price effectiveness. Some TMCs made recent announcements in that direction: Well done!

– Traveler experience at the time of booking is more critical than ever. While the traveler does not need to know whether the fare is NDC or not, there is a need to streamline the visibility by sorting /filtering the search results in a smart way that is in line with both the traveler needs and the travel policy.