Kochi-based travel start-up Verteil Technologies has launched “live direct connect booking” for Lufthansa through IATA’s NDC specification.
The company had launched NDC in India earlier with British Airways. It offers IATA’s NDC (New Distribution Capability) specification via the Verteil Direct Connect platform.
Jerrin Jos, Verteil founder and CEO, said that with additional airlines getting NDC enabled, the use of the platform will increase rapidly in India. Airlines are offering unique benefits to travellers in specific markets on their NDC channel, as it gives them full control of the offers in addition to providing real time and competitive fares, he added.
Many airlines have committed to moving 20 per cent of their ticketing to the direct connect way by 2020. Verteil is now working with several airlines to bring offers directly from the airlines to IATA agents in India, West Asia and APAC region, said Jos. Offers coming directly from airlines are the biggest change the airline industry has witnessed since the e-ticket migration, he added.
Currently travellers are limited to seat/fare options when booking a flight using a travel agency or OTA. With NDC, they can get access to personalised offers, a full suite of ancillary products and services such as priority check-in and a variety of meal options from the airline directly in the indirect sales channels.
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