Both American Express Global Business Travel and CWT have announced major developments they've taken to enable New Distribution Capability
bookings through global distribution systems.
On Friday, Amex GBT announced it is piloting NDC
connections to Amadeus and Sabre in the latest version of online booking
tool Neo. Earlier in the week, CWT announced it made its first
successful live NDC booking through Amadeus' travel agency platform, Selling
Platform Connect, which Amadeus also
launched last week.
Amex GBT's GDS connections link Neo to Amadeus NDC-X and
Sabre's Beyond NDC via the TMC's supply management platform. In addition, Neo
also is providing content from ATPCO's Routehappy, showing product information
including seat pitch, Wi-Fi availability and food options. Following the pilot,
its full release is slated for next year. Amex GBT said it is the first travel
management company to have a connection with global distribution systems for
online NDC content.
Amex GBT is also working on integrating with Travelport and
adding more Routehappy content at the point of sale, including ticket component
information such as lounge access and baggage allowance.
In August, Amex GBT began
processing live bookings for American Airlines using NDC standards via
Amadeus Travel's application program interface. Since then, it has also made
test bookings with both Sabre and Travelport. It also is working with its
online booking tool partners and is offering to integrate its supplier
management platform with them to provide NDC and Routehappy content.
"As a standard, NDC will only work if it can help us
deliver on this promise at scale to provide real value to companies and
business travelers," according to Amex GBT director of content
distribution John Bukowski. "We are focused on delivering an enhanced user
experience while working with customers to ensure they continue to have control
of their programs."
CWT's first successful live NDC booking through Amadeus
Selling Platform Connect was done with a ticket issued on American Airlines. NDC content
is only available to key partners in Amadeus's NDC-X program, but it will be
gradually deployed to other travel agencies over the coming months.
"To ensure global adoption of NDC, it's been crucial to
work hand-in-hand with travel management companies like CWT so agents can
access, compare, consume and service content via an NDC connectivity easily and
with minimal disruption to their processes and systems," said Amadeus NDC
X VP Gianni Pisanello.