American Airlines announced in February 2024 that it would require travel agencies and online booking tools to connect directly to their channel or lose access to up to 50% of fares with travellers no longer receiving Advantage points on bookings. Many in the industry scrambled to meet AA’s target with constant cries of not being “NDC-ready.”
Gray Dawes has been presenting clients with NDC content for almost six years, and it was no surprise that we smashed American Airlines’ target of 30% for bookings made directly on their NDC channel in the US. In fact, we achieved nearly 45% by the airline’s May deadline!
As an early adopter of NDC, Gray Dawes is the largest adopter of British Airways NDC content and the second largest adopter of Lufthansa NDC content. We’re also making great strides with Air France KLM as more and more airlines adopt this modern retailing platform.
With no restrictions to a single GDS, we deliver content from recognised travel retailers, such as Expedia Group, Premier Inn and Booking.com, alongside direct connections to airlines, hotels and global rail suppliers And it’s all beautifully presented in our single booking tool YourTrip, no matter where in the world you are.
It’s what we call ‘𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓’. Empowering our clients with the freedom of choice, giving them everything they need to book better, spend less and travel smarter.
And we never hear “I can find it cheaper myself on the internet.”
Do you?
NEW DISTRIBUTION CAPABILITY (NDC)
Get access to a greater choice of enriched air content without the hassle of shopping around.
NDC was developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) back in October 2012, revolutionising the way in which air travel content was distributed and purchased. Gray Dawes were one of the early adopters of the standard. It allows us to put our customers at the very centre of the travel experience and saves them from the hassle of trawling through innumerable sources to find the air products they are looking for.
The numbers speak for themselves – 82% of fares are on routes flown by NDC airlines, and a third of what we sell is cheaper than a traditional TMC.
Average saving of short-haul NDC fares versus Non-NDC fares on flexible tickets
Average saving of short-haul NDC fares versus Non-NDC fares
%
The percentage of fares on routes flown by NDC participating airlines
Average saving of short-haul NDC fares versus Non-NDC fares on restricted tickets
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ITA Airways Insider
ITA Airways aim to create an efficient and innovative service that places its customers at the centre of everything it does. Their pledge to provide a personal, best-in-class experience through digital innovations, combined with their commitment to sustainability – including the use of new, greener aircraft -underpins their sky-high mission for 2024 and beyond. Plus, with new equality and inclusion strategies in place to foster gender-neutral workplaces, it’s an exciting time to be a part of the ITA Airways team.
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