NEW DISTRIBUTION CAPABILITY
NDC overview
NDC is a technology that upgrades the connections or ‘pipes’ between an airline and third-party distribution partners. This technology offers customers a more seamless booking experience and expanded product selection when booking American Airlines travel with third-party distribution partners.
Industry-wide, NDC is changing the way airlines and third-party distribution partners do business with one another. American has more NDC experience and expertise than any other airline. As one of the top airlines and global experts in NDC, we continue to lead our industry forward by implementing NDC-enabled solutions to better serve our customers.
NDC Benefits
NDC offers shopping, booking, ticketing and post-servicing capabilities. Paid-seat products and day-of travel conveniences (for example: upgrades, pre-order meals, same day flight change, same day standby, and soon more benefits) are also made available through NDC.
Key value drivers for customers include:
- Bundled Offers: Tailored offers that provide a seamless customer experience
- Savings: Greater visibility to travel spend and the opportunity to save
- Policy Application: The ability to apply travel policies to ancillary purchases
- Convenience: Gain access to ancillary offerings through your preferred channels
How to Interact with NDC
American and our third-party distribution partners are working together to integrate NDC into the technological framework that supports the customer booking experience on indirect channels. Because NDC is a back-end technology, many customers will shop for and book travel without even realizing NDC technology is supporting their improved booking experience. Customers will be able to experience the benefits of NDC during their indirect booking process, without taking any extra steps.
In 2019, we announced our NDC pilot with Amadeus and American Express GBT. We look forward to launching more pilots with Sabre and Travelport once their NDC integrations are complete. Each NDC integration gets us closer to more customers receiving the benefits of NDC.
Corporate customers will ultimately be able to access NDC content through their NDC-enabled Online Booking Tool (OBT) and Travel Management Company (TMC). Corporate customers can only access NDC content if their OBT and TMC are NDC-enabled via a direct connection with American or eventually, through their preferred Global Distribution System (GDS). Corporate customers can contact their agency directly to get a better understanding of the agency’s NDC timeline and roadmap.
Currently, agencies have the option to integrate directly with American. A direct integration offers the agency more control and flexibility in delivering American’s NDC content and functionality. Agency integration starts with requesting access to American’s NDC sandbox by emailing ndc@aa.com. We are working diligently with each GDS to make American’s NDC content available for agencies that prefer to connect with American this way.
American’s Commitment to NDC
For years, customers who have booked travel indirectly with our valued third-party distribution partners have encountered challenges due to limitations in the technological infrastructure supporting these transactions. Today, customers booking via indirect channels have to interact with several people and systems throughout their journey and do not have seamless access to the full suite of American’s products and services.
NDC is a solution that allows us to update the technological infrastructure or ‘pipes’ supporting these transactions, and offer customers a simplified booking experience. By implementing an enhanced technological framework through NDC, American and our third-party partners are removing the hurdles customers have faced for years, and giving customers access to American’s full suite of products and services.
Click here to learn more about American’s NDC strategy as Neil Geurin, American’s Distribution Director, and Jeff Klee, AmTrav’s CEO discuss the industry’s first corporate bundle.
