British Airways has extended its New Distribution Capability (NDC) with TPConnects, one of the first International Air Transport Association (Iata) Certified Travel Aggregators and IT Providers.

The NDC Standard enhances the capability of communications between airlines and travel agents and brings lower cost, innovation, ease of comparison and interoperability. With NDC, the 69,500 plus Iata accredited Travel Agencies across the world who contribute almost 53 per cent of the world airline revenue yearly, will be enabled to view and sell airline products that are typically only available on airline websites today including personalised shopping, fare family products and rich media. This is not usually possible today owing to limitations in the current technical standard used for airline-agent data communications.

TPConnects, working with British Airways as an NDC service provider, has integrated directly to the airline’s NDC APIs with a b2b reseller platform and internet booking engine for online travel agencies.

British Airways NDC has been associated with numerous benefits to the entire travel agency community and end consumers including corporates. Travel agents using the TPConnects Travel Aggregator Platform or the Internet booking engine will be able to access the airlines’ offerings directly including ancillary products and perform after sales service like refund, change of date and flight etc. Moreover, travel agents will have the ability to offer personalised products benefitting the end consumers. With this direct connect integration travel agents will be able to access rich content that includes videos, pictures and personalised preferences both in the b2b and online channel that presently portrays only commoditised data such as schedules and fares with no explanation regarding the product.

Rajendran Vellapalath, TPConnects' chief executive officer said: “As the first NDC Level 3 Certified Travel Aggregator, TPConnects is proud to connect directly to British Airways NDC.  This direct connection increases the value proposition of the travel agent channel, by enabling travel agents globally to have access to the same rich content and targeted offerings available on BA.com and allows the travel agents to change the manner in which air products are offered to their end customers and corporate buyers. Through this connectivity our customers using TPConnects Internet booking engine powered OTA’s will greatly benefit from increased transparency including branded fares.

TPConnects travel aggregator b2b reseller Platform and Internet booking engine for online travel agencies is available for travel agents globally with air, hotel, car, transfer, insurance, rail, cruise and dynamic holiday packaging. - TradeArabia News Service