The Path Forward for NDC: Implementation and Impact Across the Industry Ecosystem
Jul 31, 2023
auto_awesome
Experts discuss the impact and implementation of NDC in the travel industry, highlighting the challenges and benefits. They emphasize the need for scale, adoption, and standards. Minimizing intermediaries and embracing new workflows are essential for better content delivery. Challenges include the lack of a solid GDS option for NDC content, but overall, there is optimism about the opportunities NDC brings to enhance user experiences and improve travel efficiency.
NDC implementation has been challenging for stakeholders, but positive outcomes include access to lowest fares and convenience of certain services.
NDC adoption is progressing, and there is a collective commitment to bridging the content gap between direct and indirect channels.
Deep dives
Challenges and Impact of N.B.C. on the Travel Industry
The podcast episode explores the challenges and impact of New Distribution Capability (N.B.C.) in the travel industry. A poll conducted by GBTA revealed that 53% of industry professionals believed that airlines were rolling out N.B.C. too quickly. Many buyers experienced negative impacts on their travel programs due to N.B.C. implementation. Stakeholders like TMCs, LBCs, and GDSs faced challenges in distributing N.B.C. content. Despite the challenges, there have been positive outcomes, such as customers accessing the lowest fares and the convenience of N.B.C. for certain services like American Airlines' Main Plus product. The industry is undergoing a learning experience as it rethinks travel offers and services to deliver better user experiences. While N.B.C. adoption is still in progress, there is a shared commitment among industry players to make the traveler experience better by bridging the content gap between direct and indirect channels.
Experiences with N.B.C. from Various Perspectives
The podcast episode features insights from industry experts about their experiences with New Distribution Capability (N.B.C.). Jeff, the CEO of AMTRAB, mentions that the N.B.C. implementation has been relatively smooth for customers, resulting in positive impacts for most travelers and companies. However, there have been operational challenges for the team behind the scenes. Fred, the Chief Product Officer at SAP Concur, characterizes the N.B.C. experience as a learning process and emphasizes the opportunity it provides to reimagine travel offer delivery. His optimism stems from the ongoing innovation, industry support, and the expected benefits of N.B.C. Graham, Head of Airline Strategy and Partnership at ATPCO, highlights the bumpy journey over the 15 years of N.B.C.'s existence, acknowledging the variability and complexities in implementation. Despite the challenges, there is a shared enthusiasm among industry professionals for the future possibilities and positive changes brought by N.B.C.
Facilitating Execution and Adoption of N.B.C.
The podcast episode discusses initiatives being considered to facilitate the execution and adoption of New Distribution Capability (N.B.C.). There is a collective shift towards scale and broad usage of N.B.C. Graham from ATPCO mentions the need to utilize existing tools to support N.B.C., define reference implementations, and establish best practices to accommodate variations across airlines and provide a uniform experience for customers. The aim is to accommodate faster advancements and cater to the diverse needs of both large and small carriers. Jeff emphasizes the importance of direct API connections with airlines to maximize functionality, content availability, and better user experiences. By reducing the number of intermediaries, TMCs can offer improved capabilities and access to comprehensive content. These initiatives aim to make N.B.C. a widespread and seamless experience for travelers.
Future Outlook of N.B.C. and Expected Changes
The podcast episode delves into the future outlook of N.B.C. and the anticipated changes in the travel industry. There is collective optimism among industry experts that many of the challenges faced by N.B.C. will be resolved within a year's time. Efforts such as GDS vendors' migration to support N.B.C. and the commitment of industry players will enhance traveler experiences. Fred expresses confidence in closing the content gap between direct and indirect channels, providing customers with robust policy-compliant travel content wherever they book. Graham highlights the ongoing work to enhance interoperability and seamless display of products, ensuring a uniform experience regardless of the airline. Jeff emphasizes the importance of focusing on long-term benefits while acknowledging the need for carriers to prioritize enhancing the traveler experience. The podcast participants believe that N.B.C. is here to stay and will lead to significant advancements and positive changes in the industry.
New Distribution Capability (NDC) has been around for over a decade in the travel industry – but now the effort has accelerated. In a recent GBTA poll, 53% of business travel industry professionals said airlines are trying to roll out NDC too quickly. So where does the industry stand now on NDC and what’s next? In this podcast, experts discuss their view on how NDC is impacting the industry ecosystem, how execution has been going - from readiness to uptake, what’s going well and what’s still a challenge, their NDC priorities for the coming months and where the industry might be a year from now. Rita Visser, Director of Global Sourcing & GPO, Oracle, moderates the expert line up: Fred Fredericks, Senior Vice President / Chief Product Officer and head of Engineering at SAP Concur; Jeff Klee, CEO of AmTrav; and Graham Wareham, head of Airline Strategy and Partnerships at ATPCO.
Music track is Space Jazz by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
