5 ways Sabre reduces turbulence as NDC takes off

The New Distribution Capability (NDC) conversation is shifting from NDC in theory, to NDC in practice. Learn 5 ways Sabre makes it easier to book NDC content, now including Finnair.

Travel sellers can now book NDC offers from Finnair through the Sabre GDS.  In the coming months, even more NDC content – from American Airlines in April, to United Airlines, the Lufthansa Group, and Emirates, among others – will become available through the Sabre marketplace.

As the number of travel options increases and managing trips become more complex, here are five reasons thousands of travel sellers across 130 markets choose to book NDC content through Sabre:

1. New content, same display

With Sabre, multiple content sources don’t mean multiple processes. Users of agency booking solution, Sabre Red 360, can shop, compare, book and service different types of content in one easy-to-follow display. Sabre aggregates NDC offers alongside traditional options. Availability and fares appear in a familiar workflow while depicting the content source. Additional details, such as time limit, taxes, fees and baggage information are also visible, making it easy to understand what’s being booked. There’s no need to work multiple shopping flows to put traditional, NDC and low-cost carrier (LCC) XML options at your fingertips.

If you’re a developer, Sabre has taken similar experience optimization steps. The Sabre Bargain Finder Max Air Shopping API and the Sabre Offer and Order APIs integrate NDC offers, traditional options and LCC XML itineraries into a single call.

Corporate travellers also get to access new NDC content through a familiar interface. In this case, it’s the Sabre online booking tool, GetThere. Like Sabre Red 360, GetThere displays NDC offers alongside traditional options. Corporate travellers don’t have to learn new booking steps and can focus on finding the right options.

While travelers may not care about content sources, GetThere does provide travel managers with content controls. That way, they can strike the right balance between access to content, policy compliance, duty of care responsibilities, and overall travel program objectives.

2. End-to-end workflow support, including servicing

Sabre is a travel hub that connects airlines, agencies, online booking tools and corporate buyers. It is one of only a few companies that serve as a content aggregator and as an airline IT provider. This positioning gives Sabre a holistic perspective and a deep understanding of different stakeholder needs.

Travel sellers not only want an enhanced shopping experience, but they also need robust handling capabilities for trips end-to-end. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many travel companies reduced staff. At the same time, unplanned travel disruptions increased. As travel agencies scrambled to support their clients, the need for and value of efficient servicing capabilities became abundantly clear, particularly for corporate travellers.

Sabre eliminates the scramble from servicing NDC bookings. It provides a full suite of capabilities, including the ability to cancel, void, refund and exchange NDC orders. Frontline team members can keep road warriors moving without excessive disruption.

Sabre’s end-to-end approach not only considers traveller needs from beginning to end, but also addresses agency operations. The Sabre NDC capabilities integrate with various mid and back-office solution providers to minimize disruptions. Over time, more and more of Sabre’s product portfolio will become NDC compatible.

3. Built to last

To date, industry commentary about NDC has focused mainly on figures: numbers of activated airlines, markets and capabilities. As travel companies put the groundwork of NDC in place, measuring progress through a quantitative lens made sense. But, in the coming months, a purely quantitative approach will not provide a clear picture of progress. More qualitative assessments of NDC are needed. In short order, travel sellers and corporate buyers will tire of hearing “how many,” and will instead want to know, “how well?” How well do NDC capabilities meet users’ expectations? How well do the capabilities perform? What is the effect on efficiency and productivity? How well is the industry collaborating to accelerate progress?

From the outset, Sabre has developed its NDC capabilities with quality in mind. The Sabre NDC capabilities are designed to support the scalability travel sellers need and the performance they expect. In short, the Sabre NDC capabilities are built to last.

4. Sabre handles the tech, so you can handle the travel

Sabre does the heavy technical lifting of integrating and normalizing multiple content sources so travel sellers can focus on what they do best: getting their clients from point A to point B. Each airline approaches NDC differently.  Activating one airline does not automatically provide fast access to other airlines’ NDC offers. The dollars add up quickly; the sense does not. Instead of building and managing dozens of costly airline connections, travel sellers can access multiple NDC airlines securely through Sabre with a few clicks.

Working in partnership with Google Cloud, Sabre provides highly reliable NDC services. It also follows up-to-date data privacy and security protocols, including 3D-Secure v2, to help protect your organization and your clients.

Sabre is working with more than 30 leading airlines to integrate their content into the Sabre marketplace. As new airlines join the company of Avianca Group, Qantas, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines, travel sellers gain fast access through Sabre – connect once, access many.

5. Support through change

The promise of NDC is compelling. The near-term reality can be daunting. Sabre does not discount the amount of change that NDC will trigger, particularly for travel agencies and corporate buyers. That’s why Sabre provides extensive NDC resources so that people can build the skills they need to succeed with NDC. In addition to self-paced options, Sabre provides instructor-led training courses in multiple languages. The training helps people learn how to shop, book and service NDC content in Sabre Red 360. In addition to training courses, Sabre’s technical experts, consultants and customer care representatives provide a supportive network to answer your questions. Sabre will be by your side during your NDC journey.

To learn more about Sabre’s Beyond NDC program, visit www.sabre.com/ndc