NDC tips

With just one month to go, there’s a lot of noise about American Airlines’ decision to hold back 40 percent of its fares, mostly for business travel, for so-called New Distribution Capability-powered channels and direct channels, such as its own website.

American Airlines was poised to stop enabling customers of certain travel agencies to earn loyalty points on the airline’s bookings starting May 1, but said Tuesday it is extending that deadline until July 11.

It wasn’t too long ago that if you booked a flight through an online travel agency, you couldn’t pick your seat assignment in advance.

There’s already is a tug of war between corporations that want their employees back into the office full-time, and workers who don’t want to give up working from home or as digital nomads.

Travelport has regained its own corporate booking tool, after buying Deem from private car rental company Enterprise Holdings.

A former executive at Orbitz is launching a corporate travel agency in partnership with Spotnana — the secretive technology startup backed by Concur co-founder Steve Singh.

American Airlines’ restructuring of its global sales team will involve the departure of three experienced senior leaders, Skift has learned.

American Airlines has ruled out delaying the removal of 40 percent of its airfares from traditional retail channels next month.

American Airlines is going live with its New Distribution Capability offers with global distribution system Sabre on April 3, marking the point of no return for its removal of 40 percent of its airfares from traditional retail channels.

Panama’s Copa Airlines is increasing its surcharge for tickets issued in Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport from $12 to $18 per direction.

Corporate travel agencies are now seeing wide discrepancies in airfares after American Airlines overhauled its ticket distribution strategy.

You may have noticed the status quo has all but returned.

Despite a strong first quarter for Amadeus, analysts question whether post-pandemic recovery is taking longer than expected. 

NDC implementation would be smoother and travel advisors would encounter fewer servicing challenges if airlines adhered more closely to IATA's programming standards, the airline trade group says.