10 Years of NDC: Why It Still Matters to Travel Agencies

NDC turned 10 this September! It’s been a decade since New Distribution Capability entered the travel industry — and while it’s sparked plenty of debate, what does NDC actually mean for you?

Some say it’s the future of travel retailing. Others think it’s only for big airlines. And many wonder if it’s too complex to really add value.

Let’s clear the air — and mark this milestone by showing how Travelport makes NDC easier to understand, adopt, and benefit from.

First things first: let’s recap what is NDC

While NDC has been around for a while now, there’s no harm in reminding ourselves of the basics. NDC, or New Distribution Capability, is a global standard developed by IATA (the International Air Transport Association) over a decade ago. It was designed to modernize how airlines distribute their content — including flights, services, and pricing — to travel agencies and other third-party retailers.

Before NDC, airlines mainly shared basic schedule information — origin, destination, times, and dates — through third-party distributors using EDIFACT. NDC changes that by allowing airlines to provide personalized, rich content directly to travel agencies.

This includes things like baggage options, seat selection, and special services — all in real time. It also gives airlines more control over how their offers appear in third-party channels.

We like to think of it like this: EDIFACT is a printed menu with just dish names and prices. NDC is a digital menu that shows ingredients, customization options, and even pictures of the food. It’s a more dynamic, flexible way to shop for travel.

So how does it all work technically?

NDC lets airlines create and distribute holistic, personalized offers directly through APIs. The theory is that NDC uses standardized technology developed by IATA, which allows airlines to provide agents with consistent, accurate, and consolidated flight schedules, availability, and pricing, directly from the airline. That’s the theory — but the actual practice of getting NDC up and running hasn’t been quite so straightforward, as each airline implements it in a slightly different way. But we’ll get into that later.  
 
And in case you’re not sure what APIs are, think of them as translators that enable different systems or programs to communicate and exchange information seamlessly, even if they use different technologies.  

To sum it up, NDC really enhances the travel shopping experience by making offers more flexible and personalized, much like what travelers and travel agents experience on airline websites. Except now, they can have that same experience integrated into Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) like Travelport.

Why NDC matters for agencies

It’s easy to see why airlines are excited about NDC — more control, better merchandising, and increased revenue. But what’s in it for travel agencies?

A lot.

When it comes to being a modern retailer, there’s really only one thing that matters: the traveler. Agencies need to keep their customers happy, and that means offering the widest choice. Many of those choices — from personalized fares to bundled ancillaries — are now being delivered through NDC.

Here’s how NDC helps agencies stay competitive and customer-focused:

1. Access to more personalized and dynamic content

NDC lets airlines offer personalized fares, seat selection, baggage allowance, and other ancillaries directly through travel agencies — essentially mirroring what’s available on their own websites.

This is a win for agencies. Travel consumers often experience FOMO when booking — they visit multiple websites to compare options, worried they’re missing out on a better deal. Travelport research found that travelers spend an average of four hours shopping across multiple sites before booking — and even then, 71% aren’t sure they got the best deal.

If your agency can offer customized options equal to those on airline websites — plus additional content like hotel, car, cruise, and in-trip activities — you become the one-stop shop travelers are looking for.

2. More competitive and transparent pricing

NDC helps agencies build trust. Imagine a traveler sees one price on an airline site, and a different (higher) price on an agency site. Or worse — they try to book through an agency, only to find the flight isn’t actually available.

Trust broken. Booking lost.

With NDC, airlines provide pricing and availability in real time, reducing discrepancies and improving booking confidence.

3. Expanded product offerings

NDC delivers more than just fares. Agencies get access to rich content like personalization and customization of the fares, and bundled ancillaries — all of which enhance the customer experience and increase revenue.

Think of it like online shopping. You wouldn’t buy a sweater without seeing a picture first. NDC gives travelers visuals of the extras they’re buying — helping them make informed choices and feel confident about their purchase.

4. Stronger customer relationships

People want personalized offers. They want relevant recommendations. And they want trusted advisors to deliver them.

With NDC, agencies can build deeper relationships by offering tailored options that reflect traveler preferences, loyalty status, and trip history.

5. A modern retailing experience

Ultimately, NDC helps agencies deliver a seamless, personalized, and competitive shopping experience. Instead of opening a dozen tabs and comparing across sites, travelers can book everything — flights, hotels, cars, ancillaries — in one place.

That means more revenue, more loyalty, and a stronger position in a competitive market.

Why does NDC matter for travelers?

Most consumers don’t know what NDC is, and they shouldn’t have to. Just like you don’t need to know what kind of truck Amazon uses to deliver your parcel — you just want it to arrive on time.

Travelers care about prices, flight times, baggage, seats, and Wi-Fi — not the distribution mechanism behind it.

But here’s the reality: NDC is changing how travel is bought and sold, and that means travelers are often impacted by it — whether they realize it or not.

What NDC should  look like for travelers

In an ideal world, NDC delivers:

• More personalized content
• The best offers all in one place
• More choice when it comes to extras
• Easier service and support

That’s the promise of Modern Retailing, Amplified — giving travelers the right options, at the right time, through the right channel.

What it can look like today

Because NDC implementation varies by airline and isn’t yet fully standardized, travelers may experience:

• Different options across different booking sites
• Inconsistent rules for flight changes
• System incompatibilities that create confusion

According to Travelport research, travelers visit up to 277 webpages before booking a flight — and 58% say the number of choices is overwhelming.

That’s why it’s essential for agencies to use the right retailing tech — like Travelport+ — to simplify the shopping and booking process, reduce friction, and deliver a better experience.

Making Multi-Source Content Retail-Ready

To make multi-source content work for agencies, you need the right technology in your corner. Platforms like Travelport+ are built to do just that — turning fragmented content into a unified, retail-ready experience.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Aggregation

Every supplier — airline, hotel, car, rail — has its own API. Travelport+ aggregates these connections, so agencies don’t have to manage multiple direct integrations. That means easier booking and better scalability.

Step 2: Normalization

Content from different sources is first normalized — and that’s the hidden gem. By transforming it into a consistent format, we make it retail-ready and easy to compare side-by-side. This means agents can quickly assess options without needing to interpret different data structures, streamlining the shopping experience and improving decision-making.

Step 3: Enrichment

This is where the magic happens. Travelport+ adds rich content like images, logos, and detailed descriptions — helping agents visualize what they’re selling and allowing supplier brands to shine.

Step 4: Merchandizing

Finally, the offers are placed on the (digital) shelf. Travelport+ displays only the most relevant fares, filters out noise, and ensures agents and travelers can find the right trip and the right offer— with the right expectations.

Why This Matters

As the number of content sources grows — and NDC adoption accelerates — agencies need tools that make content retail-ready. That means clarity, consistency, and control across all channels.

Yes, NDC is reshaping how travel is sold. But for agencies, it’s ultimately just another content source — one that needs to be integrated, normalized, and merchandized like any other.

With the right platform, agencies can deliver a seamless experience across all content types — and stay ahead in a fast-changing industry.

Busting the biggest myths about NDC

Let’s tackle some of the most common misconceptions head-on:

Myth #1: NDC is just a passing trend

Reality:  NDC has been in development for over a decade. Airlines continue to invest in it because it addresses real challenges — from outdated technology to limited product differentiation and personalization. Today, the industry is increasingly aligning behind this evolution in how travel content is delivered and retailed. It’s not a phase. It’s a foundational shift in modern travel retailing.

Myth #2: NDC is only for big airlines

Reality: NDC is for everyone. Smaller carriers and low-cost airlines are adopting it to gain control over their offers and stand out in a crowded market. OTAs and TMCs benefit too — with richer content and better tools to serve their customers.

Myth #3: NDC makes comparison shopping harder

Reality: NDC enables richer, more dynamic content — and platforms like Travelport+ make it easy to compare, filter, and book. Travelers get clearer pricing and better choices. Agencies get more control.

Myth #4: NDC is just about selling ancillaries

Reality: Ancillaries are part of it — but NDC is about smarter selling. It enables personalized, dynamic offers tailored to individual travelers. It’s about bundling, upselling, and delivering value.

Myth #5: NDC is too complex to implement

Reality: Yes, it takes planning — but agencies aren’t doing it alone. Tech providers and platforms like Travelport+ make it easier than ever to integrate NDC into existing workflows. With the right support, NDC is absolutely achievable.

The bottom line

NDC is reshaping how travel is bought and sold. For agencies, it’s not just another acronym — it’s a chance to deliver a more personalized, competitive, and modern experience.

And with the right technology partner, integrating NDC doesn’t have to be complicated. Travelport+ makes multi-source content retail-ready, so agencies can focus on what they do best: delighting travelers.

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