American Airlines Rolls Out NDC Content on Sabre, Despite Concerns From the Travel Industry
byDaniel McCarthy/Concerns that the travel industry was not yet ready for full adoption of New Distribution Capability (NDC) content were pushed aside this week when American Airlines officially started rolling out NDC content on Sabre on Monday.
Sabre has long advertised NDC as the next evolution in travel booking and the move this week means that the evolution is well underway—agencies connected to Sabre are now able to book and service American’s NDC content, including paid seats, through Sabre Red 360 and GetThere. Sabre users are able to choose enhanced offers from American including Main Select and Flagship Business Plus fares, along with ancillary products.
尽管如此,旅游业的担忧并未减轻。担心的是,因为并非所有机构都与美国NDC的内容完全联系在一起,并且美国将把其大部分最便宜的票价转移到直接渠道,远离GDSS,因此机构将被迫与美国人直接预订。
该行业的推动力是由美国旅行顾问协会(ASTA)领导的,该协会一直在促使美国人等到2023年底才能将其推出。
ASTA’s warning was that American’s adoption of NDC, which has been the subject of concerns from travel management companies and ASTA members, would make over 40% of its fares accessible only through NDC-ready channels, all while major TMCs, GDSs, and third-party booking partners remain unprepared for such a move.
ASTA president and CEO Zane Kerby called the move a “sudden bullying of valuable distribution partners.”
“It appears that AA has made a strategic decision to forsake short-term profits to achieve a stronger, anti-competitive business position long-term, one secured by denying access to fare inventory. It inevitably follows that withholding such a substantial portion of its fares from critical independent distribution channels will have a serious negative impact on the traveling public, corporate travelers in particular,” Kerby said in a statement in early March.
ASTA has since sent a letter to both the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Transportation explaining its concerns about NDC adoption, but its efforts did not stop American from rolling out NDC content on Monday.
What’s Next?
According to a message from Sabre to its partners, seen by TMR this week, United Airlines will be the next major airline to launch its NDC offerings. Sabre told partners that it expects United to launch on April 10, just a week after American.
ASTA is asking its members to help document any time they experience negative effects of American's adoption. ASTA’s Mark Meader, SVP Industry Affairs, and Peter Lobasso, SVP & General Counsel, will be monitoring an email address created specifically for these issues (NDC.Impact@asta.org). Both members and non-members can help ASTA make its case to the DOT and DOJ by sending issues there.