TMC consortium Focus Travel Partnership has signed a deal with travel tech firm AirGateway to improve its members’ access to NDC-based airfares.
The agreement with Berlin-based AirGateway, which specialises in aggregating NDC content, will give Focus members access to NDC fares from around 30 airlines through an API connection or via the company’s BookingPad agent platform.
Tony Edge, business solutions manager at Focus Travel Partnership, explained: “The Focus Innovation Group identified the need to support our TMC partners with access to NDC content, particularly those who are GDS-centric and had challenges in booking and servicing NDC fares via their existing tech solutions.
“We are delighted to partner with AirGateway to facilitate delivery of that content either via an API integration or a user-friendly agent portal, for the strategic benefit of Focus TMC partners.”
Focus members will be able to shop, book and service NDC-enabled flights and ancillary sales through the new arrangement with AirGateway. This includes voiding, cancellations and refunds, rebooking and airline disruption management.
Jorge Díaz, CEO of AirGateway, added: “This collaboration with Focus marks another step towards our goal of bringing the most future-proof booking platform closer to agencies in the UK and around the world, and offering them direct connections to all NDC content, as well as low-cost, aggregated and consolidated airline content.
“Especially with the growing gap between traditional GDS and NDC distribution, both when it comes to price and content differentiation, AirGateway is excited to be partnering with such a well-established consortium of UK TMCs in this long-term agreement, helping them to overcome any challenges during the transition to NDC.”
Last year, AirGateway launched a browser tool allowing TMCs using the Amadeus Selling Platform to directly compare NDC and EDIFACT airfares on a single screen.