The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that it has recognized Sabre as an NDC Level 3 capable I.T. provider. This news comes just two months after IATA announced Sabre's level two capability.
New distribution capability (NDC) is a piece of travel community jargon that still confuses many travel agents even though they might use it frequently without even realizing it. In more common terminology, NDC-among other things-allows travel agents to book air travel in a much more comprehensive fashion rather than booking and then needing to add ancillary services or add-ons after the fact.
Sabre touts itself as the "leading technology provider to the global travel industry."
The company's software, data, mobile and distribution solutions provides technology solutions for the travel industry that connects travel agents, suppliers, corporations and more. Sabre's goal is to be a partner which helps those in the travel world stay ahead in this fast-paced and fast-changing industry.
"This represents significant progress in our NDC-enabled airline retailing and product distribution strategy, and demonstrates how we impact every step of the order and fulfillment process," said Dave Shirk, president of Airline Solutions.
"But, Level 3 capability is just one step in the process of constant innovation and adaptation to a changing marketplace, and now we are focused on bringing these new capabilities to market as part of our drive to achieving an end-to-end product and services distribution solution."
IATA also currently recognizes Sabre as a NDC Level 1 aggregator
The new certification recognizes that Sabre supports deployments with compliant management messages, and thus is able to assist users in a wide variety of their retail needs with an incredible array of customization and personalization.
Level 3 capability also tells the rest of the travel community that Sabre can support their partners throughout the entire order process via both direct and indirect channels.
Although NDC has been around for years, an October 2015 report from IATA showed 53% of the agencies surveyed hadn't heard of NDC. Over two years later, IATA still believes NDC is the standard by which airline retail needs to happen and remains committed to training suppliers and agencies in order to facilitate greater understanding and usage.
Continually evolving distribution is important for the airline industry as global air travel has just hit a 12-year high and is expected to double by the year 2036. That, plus constantly changing airline offerings, means a new way of retail isn't just a luxury but a necessity for travel agents and those they do business with.
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