Lufthansa Group and Travelport have announced a new distribution agreement that will enable modern airline retailing as well as technology innovation.
Under the agreement, which covers Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Air Dolomiti, Travelport will distribute Lufthansa Group airlines’ NDC content through the content distribution and travel retailing platform, Travelport+. This agreement builds on the ongoing distribution of Lufthansa Group airlines’ content through traditional EDIFACT channels.
Both companies are already in the process of implementing the end-to-end NDC functionality. The launch, expected in the first half of 2022, also lays the foundation for a diversified NDC programme giving Travelport-connected travel agencies the ability to access Lufthansa Group airlines’ content through Travelport+ by signing up to one of the two available commercial NDC models, the NDC Public model or NDC Bilateral model.
Tamur Goudarzi Pour, Senior Vice President Channel Management at Lufthansa Group Network Airlines and Chief Commercial Officer SWISS, commented: “Lufthansa Group is firmly committed to delivering superior customer experiences along the entire travel journey, increasing reach of our most attractive offers and enabling a diverse travel ecosystem. Especially in these times of crisis and when creating additional customer value through advanced technology proves to be more important than ever, we are doubling down on our long-term NDC strategy. This future-oriented agreement allows a maximum level of flexibility, and confirms that Travelport and Lufthansa Group airlines are teaming up to drive change in our industry towards true retailing capabilities and implementing customer-centric processes that together elevate the customer experience to new levels.”
Jason Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer, Travel Partners at Travelport, added: “Expanding our longstanding partnership with Lufthansa Group airlines to include NDC content, with the retailing possibilities it offers, is a significant stride forward. Managing multiple sources of content and merchandising them effectively with personalised and dynamic offers is exactly what Travelport+ has been built for. We look forward to delivering exponential value for the agency community and Lufthansa Group airlines’ travellers.”
