United Airlines and Travelport have entered into a groundbreaking partnership to accelerate the development of New Distribution Capability (NDC) technology. Departing from the traditional “build then integrate” model, the two companies will collaborate directly on United’s technology roadmap to bring modern retailing and servicing features to market faster.
Summary of Key Points
- Collaborative Development: Unlike typical airline-GDS relationships, United is granting Travelport early access to its NDC roadmap. This allows them to build, test, and launch new features simultaneously, ensuring parity between United’s direct website and the Travelport platform.
- Enhanced Merchandising: A primary focus is improving seat merchandising within the Travelport Plus platform. This includes adding visual elements like photos and detailed seat maps that were previously only available on United’s direct channels.
- Corporate Travel Upgrades: The partnership will enhance the “Deem” Online Booking Tool, allowing corporate travelers to enroll in MileagePlus, pool unused travel credits, and use “Jetstream” amenity funds for ancillary purchases.
- Better Post-Booking Support: One of the biggest hurdles for travel agents using NDC has been the difficulty of servicing bookings (changes/refunds). This deal aims to automate schedule changes and waivers, reducing the time agents spend on manual fixes.
- Timeline: New capabilities are expected to roll out in phases starting in early 2025 and continuing throughout 2026.
