Latest news with #NewDistributionCapability
Indian Express
20-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
With modern airline retailing, airlines can sell a lot more than a flight ticket, become integrated travel platforms: IBS Software head
A big shift is on the horizon in how airlines look at their retailing strategy with 'modern airline retailing', which put the consumer at the front and centre of the retail process, leveraging data and technology to provide a seamless and personalised shopping experience to flyers for a lot more than just a seat on the plane. According to VK Mathews, founder and executive chairman of the IBS Software, modern airline retailing is 'the single biggest change that will take place' in how airlines will sell to flyers in the not-so-distant future. For IBS Software, a global software as a service (SaaS) provider in airline passenger services, air cargo management, loyalty management, to flight and crew operations, modern airline retail is a critical growth segment with immense potential. The company, while having a number of global airlines as users of its various products, its footprint in India has been rather limited. But with India's aviation sector booming with double-digit growth in passenger numbers and now with financially stable large airline groups, IBS Software sees the country as a market with significant potential and modern airline retailing appears to be a key focus area in its India ambitions. From a consumer perspective, modern airline retailing involves carriers turning into a one-stop-shop solution for the passenger—for booking flight tickets, ancillary services, and other services like lounge access, hotel reservations, cab bookings, car rentals, and even travel experiences, among others—based on individual needs and preferences. Think of it like a modern e-commerce platform, like an Amazon, but for travel with various products and services related to the trip available and integrated seamlessly on one user-friendly platform driven by latest technology and tools—artificial intelligence, New Distribution Capability (NDC), real-time data analytics, blockchain, internet of things (IoT), and more. 'When it comes to modern airline retailing, there's a huge shift taking place…Airlines would like to tell customers that if you think of travel, think of us, not just for the seat, but anything and everything related to travel. The technology and the standards are now available for making that happen. They can offer anything and everything you could probably think of, even things that may not be directly related to travel. Systems are now available to procure and aggregate, package, price, and deliver it to the customer and see through the delivery, making sure all service levels are met,' Mathews told The Indian Express. While online travel booking portals do allow travelers to book flights and other services on their platforms, these services are usually individual bookings made with different service providers with little to no operational synchronization and coordination. And that is where modern airline retailing is touted as a superior product and retail strategy as it promises end-to-end solutions to passengers that work seamlessly and adapt on a real-time basis. Airlines in the coming years could turn into fully integrated travel platforms that not just facilitate trip bookings but also actively manage them. 'You can book a car or book a hotel along with a flight ticket through the OTA (online travel agency) website, but what happens if your flight gets delayed? You then have to individually manage those other bookings. What will be possible with this (modern airline retailing) is that all the associated services you purchased get automatically amended and service providers will be notified about the changes real-time. It makes the airline the merchant of record for your other purchases as well,' said IBS Software's CEO Somit Goyal. 'One of the biggest trends that we are seeing among airlines is disintermediation. Airlines would like to go directly to the end consumer, removing the non-value adding intermediaries…They (airlines) would like to know the customer a lot better. Instead of being just a carrier, you have to have the conversation and a dialogue directly with the consumer. And if airlines want to go directly to consumers, they have to offer what the OTA is offering, and much more,' Mathews said. But why would airlines want to invest in offering so much more than just their core services to passengers? It is a multi-pronged rationale—increased revenue opportunities through partnerships and sale of other services and products, deeper engagement with passengers, opportunity to have dynamic pricing at a deeper level, and better understanding the customer in order to offer tailor-made and personalised packages of services and products. According to Mathew, an airline that can execute modern airline retailing well stands to gain on various fronts, including generating more ancillary revenue and raising its average revenue per customer. 'One of the challenges for Indian aviation, which is probably the most unknown as well, is that globally, an average ticket price or segment fee is about $163 as of this year, while it is between $90-100 in India. And the cost in India and overseas is almost the same,' he said.
Cision Canada
24-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
ANA and Trip.com Expand Air Ticket Sales Market through NDC Integration
Starting June 24th, ANA expanded its NDC-based ticket distribution with global travel service provider from a single market (Japan) to 12 markets globally. The expansion aims to enhance convenience and accessibility for customers in new markets to book ANA flights through by providing a wider range of fares and post-booking services. TOKYO, June 24, 2025 /CNW/ -- All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest and 5-Star airline for 12 consecutive years, announced the expansion of its New Distribution Capability* (NDC) based ticket sales partnership with global online travel agency Starting June 24th, the partnership will grow from a single market in Japan to include 11 additional markets: Australia, Hong Kong SAR, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan region, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. The enhanced service allows customers in new markets booking ANA flights on to access the same fares and reservation services offered on the ANA website, including key post-booking actions such as itinerary changes and refunds. Additionally, a wide range of ANA fares will now be available on creating greater convenience for customers purchasing ANA tickets through the platform. "With access to new markets, ANA is delighted that we can now offer enhanced services and fares for our customers through NDC connectivity." said Hironobu Kondo, Vice President of ANA Global Sales and Distribution, Customer Experience. "We will continue to expand our sales network via NDC to ensure our offerings are accessible to both domestic and international customers." "We are thrilled to elevate our NDC collaboration with ANA to the next level. Leveraging our extensive experience in supporting global airlines through NDC technology, we're committed to partnering closely with ANA to provide enhanced end-to-end experiences—from seamless bookings to comprehensive post-booking and ancillary services—for our mutual customers" said PJ Zhou, Regional Airline Director - North Asia at New Distribution Capability (NDC) is a new communication standard developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for the transmission of airline ticketing and related service information. Unlike the traditional EDIFACT standard, NDC enables the flexible and detailed exchange of information, facilitating more dynamic and personalized offerings. In addition, it allows seamless integration not only within the airline industry but also with a wide range of external partners. Information about ANA's NDC initiatives is available on the ANA NDC website: is an international one-stop travel service provider, available in 24 languages across 39 countries and regions in 35 local currencies. has an extensive hotel and flight network consisting of more than 1.5 million hotels and flights from over 640 airlines covering 3,400 airports in 220 countries and regions around the globe. 's world-class 24/7 multilingual customer service, as well as additional centres in Edinburgh, Tokyo and Seoul, help to 'create the best travel experience' for its millions of customers worldwide. To book your next trip, visit About ANA Founded in 1952 with just two helicopters, All Nippon Airways (ANA) has grown to become the largest airline in Japan. Today, ANA HOLDINGS Inc. (ANA HD) is recognized as one of the World's Most Admired companies by Fortune. ANA HD was established in 2013 as the largest airline group holding company in Japan, comprising 71 companies. It offers three distinct airline brands: ANA, Peach, the leading LCC in Japan, and AirJapan, launched in 2024 for international routes covering Asia. ANA's legacy of superior service has earned SKYTRAX's 5-Star rating every year since 2013, making it the only Japanese airline to win this prestigious designation for 12 consecutive years. ANA is also a four-time recipient of the ATW Airline of the Year award, recognized for excellence in aviation. ANA HD has been selected as a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index list for eight consecutive years and the Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index list for nine consecutive years.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Yatra Leans Hard into Business Travel, Plans Co-Branded Corporate Card
Yatra is doubling down on corporate travel: Results in its most recent quarter, announced Friday, were driven largely by the strength of enterprise travel and meetings. And now it is preparing to launch a co-branded credit card aimed at corporate customers. The company added 148 corporate clients over the past fiscal year, representing an estimated INR 7.5 billion ($87.6 million) in annual business. 'Corporate travel is now 65% of our gross bookings, and we expect this share to increase,' Wholetime Director and CEO Dhruv Shringi told analysts during an earnings call. 'There's a clear shift underway. We're replacing lower-value consumer bookings with high-value corporate ones. The margins and realization on corporate travel are significantly higher.' Yatra now claims a market share of 11–12% by spend in India's managed corporate travel space, and serves approximately 1,150–1,200 clients in this vertical. With a corporate client retention rate of 97%, Yatra believes this business has built a strong moat. Yatra already has a co-branded credit card for consumer travel with India's largest bank State Bank of India (SBI), but the corporate one is new. Shringi said over 30% of Yatra's bookings are on corporate credit card platforms. While many large corporates currently use cards from providers like Amex, HDFC, and Citi through standard business or corporate travel account platforms, Yatra plans to roll out its own offering to capture more value from transactions and reduce working capital needs. 'That is the general idea. There are nuances, but that's the direction,' confirmed Shringi when asked about plans to shift corporates from third-party card platforms to Yatra's own. Shringi said one-third of Yatra's income could potentially come from the expense management and card solutions. Yatra's acquisition of Globe is already bearing fruit, particularly in the high-margin MICE space (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions). Last year in September, Yatra announced its decision to acquire Globe All India Services (Globe Travels), a corporate travel services provider, for INR 1.28 billion ($15.25 million). Over the past nine months, the combined platform handled over 600 trips and served more than 80,000 travelers. The company believes it's on track to become one of the top three MICE players in India this year. 'This broader portfolio opens up meaningful cross-sell opportunities across our hotel inventory and expense management solutions, allowing us to deliver more integrated and customized travel programs to corporate customers,' Shringi said. The Indian MICE market is projected to grow from $3.3 billion in 2023 to $10.5 billion by 2030. Yatra has also taken a lead in adopting IATA's New Distribution Capability (NDC), integrating it with its self-booking platform for corporate travelers. This enables access to richer fare content, dynamic pricing, and ancillary services not available through traditional channels. AI is also playing a growing role in Yatra's corporate offerings. The newly introduced 'Low Fare Finder' tool can automatically alert travelers if fares drop after booking, allowing rebooking at lower prices up to six hours before departure. Yatra is also developing intelligent bots to handle email and call queries more efficiently. 'These bots will reduce servicing costs significantly,' Shringi said. 'We're using technology to redefine what proactive travel services can look like.' Yatra's consumer business, which had been under pressure, showed signs of stabilization in the fourth quarter, with gross bookings down just 6%. SEO improvements and more bundled offers through the corporate channel helped stem losses. But the long-term focus is clear. Yatra ended fiscal 2025 with annual revenues of INR 7.9 billion ($92.5 million), up 87% year-on-year. Adjusted EBITDA rose 25% to INR 667 million ($7.8 million), and net profit surged to INR 366 million ($4.3 million) from a loss the previous year, an improvement of 912%. In the fourth quarter for fiscal 2025, Yatra delivered a growth of 103% year-on-year in revenue of INR 2.2 billion ($25.6 million). Its net profit grew by 173% to INR 152 million ($1.8 million) in the fourth quarter, which was the highest quarterly reported PAT in Yatra's history. Adjusted EBITDA surged 62% year-on-year to INR 251 million ($2.9 million) in the fourth quarter. Get breaking travel news and exclusive hotel, airline, and tourism research and insights at Sign in to access your portfolio
Travel Weekly
14-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Finnair launches offer-and-order capabilities
Finnair has created its first "native order" with Amadeus' Nevio technology as the carrier transitions to an offer-and-order system and away from traditional booking methods that use passenger name records and e-tickets. Finnair is the launch customer for Amadeus' Nevio offer-and-order platform, which is built on modular and open technology. Native orders are a foundational retailing capability that allow airlines to manage customer orders directly in a single record, aligned with IATA's One Order directive, according to the carrier. The order brings together flight details, services, preferences and personal information and will combine separate documents in the traditional system into an integrated customer record. "The move to Offers and Orders supports our move towards modern retailing, enabling dynamic product bundles and enhanced ancillary sales, and improved relevancy to customers with personalization in the future," Finnair VP of digital customer and revenue Tiina Vesterinen said in a statement. Finnair has been aggressive in its move to New Distribution Capability (NDC) technology and modern retailing systems, announcing in 2021 that it planned to remove all legacy GDS content by the end of 2025, but last June said it would not meet that goal. Finnair said the change to NDC and modern retailing has been slower than anticipated. Source: Business Travel News
Travel Weekly
14-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Hawaiian Airlines scraps GDS surcharge
Hawaiian Airlines has done away with its GDS surcharge, as expected. Also, Hawaiian's interisland flights are once again available to book in legacy GDSs. The moves, implemented May 1, are part of the merger integration between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian. Alaska Air Group completed its acquisition of Hawaiian last September. Alaska Airlines has never had a GDS surcharge. "We continue to identify areas across our combined organization that ensure we're delivering on our promises of increased benefits and greater value for our guests and partners," said a Hawaiian spokeswoman. Hawaiian's $7 GDS surcharge had been in effect since 2022, which is also when it removed interisland flights from GDS booking channels without New Distribution Capability (NDC).
