A Travel Manager's Guide to NDC Content

IATA's New Distribution Capability (NDC) standard has moved from buzzword to business reality. Major airlines — including American, United, Lufthansa, and Singapore Airlines — now distribute a significant portion of their content exclusively through NDC channels.

What NDC Means for Enterprise Buyers

NDC allows airlines to distribute richer, more personalized offers directly to travel management platforms, bypassing traditional GDS limitations. For enterprise buyers, this means:

Access to exclusive fares: Many airlines now offer their best fares only through NDC channels. Without NDC access, your travelers may be overpaying by 5-15% on certain routes.

Richer ancillary options: NDC enables airlines to bundle and price ancillaries (seat selection, baggage, lounge access) dynamically. Travelers get more choice; companies get more control.

Continuous pricing: NDC supports real-time, dynamic pricing rather than the fixed fare buckets of traditional distribution. This means more granular pricing and potential savings.

Integration Challenges

The biggest challenge for enterprises is that NDC content isn't uniformly available across all booking tools. Some TMCs and OBTs have limited NDC integration, creating a fragmented experience. When evaluating travel management platforms, NDC readiness should be a top-tier criterion.

At Gentravel, our Enterprise OTA Connectors aggregate NDC content alongside traditional GDS fares, giving your travelers a single search experience with the best available options from all distribution channels.