NDC Partner Program

A SMART SOLUTION: NEW DISTRIBUTION CAPABILITY

NDC is on everyone’s lips in the travel industry. But what is behind these three letters? Find out about the history and the possibilities of New Distribution Capability and learn how travellers, distribution partners and technology providers can benefit from this pioneering data transmission standard.

Speaking the same language – NDC

NDC stands for New Distribution Capability and describes a pioneering data standard. The basic idea of the standard is to make communication consistent between various partners and different systems as a first step, in order to then make them more easily automatable as a second step. NDC therefore improves, simplifies and extends the communication options between airlines, travel agencies and travellers. NDC, the XML-based data transmission standard launched by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), literally offers new opportunities in distribution.

BENEFITS FOR TRAVELLERS

With New Distribution Capability, travellers have significantly more options available to them when it comes to planning their journey individually. From special NDC fares to ancillary services that can be booked flexibly together with tickets, you’ll discover many benefits for travellers.

Discover the benefits

Time for change

With the rapid development of the Internet over the last few decades, buying behaviour has fundamentally changed in most areas. New opportunities to purchase and book goods and services are constantly appearing – online as well as offline. Airlines kept pace with this development on their own websites and were e-commerce pioneers to some extent. New products were quickly brought to market and offers presented in a differentiated way. Through their channels the airlines were able to react to their customers individually and directly – opportunities that couldn’t be realised in indirect sales. The airlines and IATA recognised the need for action. And with NDC, they gave distribution new impetus.

Go direct

NDC is revolutionising the distribution of airline tickets. With NDC, travel agencies or corporate travel managers have access to options similar to those already commonplace on the airlines’ websites. Without NDC, timetables and fares from different service providers must first be combined into one offer and the availability of that offer must then be checked with the airline. By contrast, NDC specifies a communication structure for the transmission of data in connection with the flight search. In other words, with NDC the airlines’ offer and order management system can be accessed directly.

WHAT NDC IS NOT

Sometimes it’s easier to explain what something isn’t. New Distribution Capability is not a stand-alone system. Nor is it software, a service or even an independent technology. Behind NDC is a set of rules that determines how data is to be requested and which answer formats are to be expected. With the development of NDC, IATA is specifying how communication between the different systems is regulated. NDC is an XML-based data standard that will standardise digital language throughout the industry.

NDC GLOSSARY

API, interface, NDC Smart Offer – there are many terms related to New Distribution Capability. They are explained briefly and concisely in this glossary.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

New technologies such as NDC raise new questions. We have collated and answered the most frequently asked questions for you here.

Go to the FAQs

NDC: EXCLUSIVE OFFERS

NDC Smart Offer from Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS and Brussels Airlines represents exclusive offers from the Lufthansa Group airlines.

Go to NDC Smart Offer

SUITABLE FOR EVERY REQUIREMENT – NDC

From the free, web-based user interface, SPRK, to the individual Direct NDC API – the Lufthansa Group airlines offer the appropriate individual connectivity to every interested party.

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HIGH STANDARDS

So that we can always offer travellers many benefits with NDC, we attach particular importance to customer focus, partnerships and our role as an industry leader.

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