A recent Travel News poll showed that 5% of agents book NDC via airline direct websites, 10% utilise a third-party platform (eg Thomalex), 15% book NDC via the GDS interface and 10% book a combination of all these options.
But an alarming 60% of agents said they are not using NDC at all.
According to its 2024 Modern Retailing Report, Travelport research shows that NDC and website-direct offers are at odds with the consumer experience and that 58% of users are struggling to compare new products and additional offers available through NDC.
In 2022, Iata said of Modern Airline Retailing: Our aim is to create value for travellers by meeting their needs. We know that passengers want a seamless digital experience.
The NDC-powered displays of fares on many airlines websites mean that a vast number of fares are displayed. The fares represent the unbundling of standard fares and the rebundling of their elements into a variety of different offers. Its somewhat bewildering and confusing for consumers, who could end up paying more for their fare than they bargained for.
