FBTA

Founded in 1984, the Finnish Business Travel Association is an organization for business travel buyers and suppliers, with the mission to enhance the understanding, knowledge and skills required in corporate travel and meetings management as well as procurement.

NDC

Nordic webinar | The (r)evolution of airline distribution

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NDC has been a permanent discussion topic within the industry for years. The concept of how airlines are distributing their services to end-customers is changing, and it has an impact on the entire corporate travel value chain – including suppliers, buyers, technology providers and TMC’s.

In this webinar we will hear one perspective on the ongoing change. A study has been conducted on this topic by Janne Aarniovuori as part of his of his eMBA studies at Hanken School of Economics. Janne will go through his study, including a brief history and basics of airline distribution and NDC backed up by a theoretical framework, and share findings in his study based on corporate buyer interviews. The study and this session are meant to serve as educational material for corporate buyers and help to understand better the ongoing evolution of airline distribution.

Register here

The webinar is free of charge and available to buyer members of DBTA, FBTA, NBTA and SBTA.

To member states: Road map to the NDC world

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NDC (New Distribution Capability) has been a recurring topic in discussions and travel management events for a long time, but only now are the changes it brings beginning to have a more visible impact in Finland. There is still a great deal of uncertainty about the future and questions without answers.

Come along to create the NDC roadmap together 6.4. at 9 – 10 am. The roadmap is intended to smooth the journey into the NDC world. We will discuss together what changes need to be considered and what questions the buyer should ask airlines, travel agents and GDS providers.

The facilitator of the event will be Eija Kurttila From Telia Company. Eija has extensive experience and insight into NDC development work. She has been involved in, among other things,. IATA:n Travel Manager Advisory Group:ssaTMAGAlso included are buyer members of the FBTA's "Ready to Go" group, who serve on FBTA's various committees.

The event is not intended to provide basic information about NDC. You can find that, for example,. From the IATA website. Information about Finnair's NDC development can be found here here and the announcement about transitioning to the NDC world here.

A free event for FBTA buyer members will be held on Teams and a link will be sent to registered participants the day before. Register by Friday 25 March. 

REGISTER

To member states: Road map to the NDC world

by

NDC (New Distribution Capability) has been a recurring topic in discussions and travel management events for a long time, but only now are the changes it brings beginning to have a more visible impact in Finland. There is still a great deal of uncertainty about the future and questions without answers.

Come along to create the NDC roadmap together 6.4. at 9 – 10 am. The roadmap is intended to smooth the journey into the NDC world. We will discuss together what changes need to be considered and what questions the buyer should ask airlines, travel agents and GDS providers.

The facilitator of the event will be Eija Kurttila From Telia Company. Eija has extensive experience and insight into NDC development work. She has been involved in, among other things,. IATA:n Travel Manager Advisory Group:ssaTMAGAlso included are buyer members of the FBTA's "Ready to Go" group, who serve on FBTA's various committees.

The event is not intended to provide basic information about NDC. You can find that, for example,. From the IATA website. Information about Finnair's NDC development can be found here here and the announcement about transitioning to the NDC world here.

A free event for FBTA buyer members will be held on Teams and a link will be sent to registered participants the day before. Register by Friday 25 March. 

REGISTER

Ikkunapaikka: Mitä Finnairin siirtyminen NDC:hen oikein tarkoittaa?

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Ikkunapaikassa 28.9. julkaistu artikkeli pyrkii selventämään, mitä Finnairin uuden jakelustrategian mukainen vaiheittainen siirtymä täysin NDC-ympärisöön tarkoittaa käytännössä.

Jutussa asiaa tarkastellaan pääosin yksittäisen matkustajan osalta, joka turvautuu päätöksissään omaan harkintaansa jakelukanavan suhteen ja maksaa matkansa omilla varoillaan & maksukortillaan. Yritysnäkökulmasta tärkeisiin kysymyksiin mm. matkatilin toimivuudesta, huolenpitovelvollisuuden (Duty of Care) järjestämisestä ja matkustuksen poikkeustilanteiden hallinnasta ei toistaiseksi vielä ole tarjolla selviä vastauksia. Myös interlining muiden kuin codeshare-reittien osalta on vielä avoin. Liikematkustajien ollessa lentoyhtiöille tärkeä kohderyhmä voidaan odottaa, että halua yritysten matkahallinnon prosessin kannalta toimivien ratkaisujen tukemiseen löytyy.

Ikkunapaikan artikkelin voi lukea here.

NDC = New Distribution Capability
Interlining = lentoyhtiöiden välinen kaupallinen yhteistyö varauksissa, joihin sisältyy eri yhtiöiden lentoja. Mahdollistaa mm. matkatavaroiden siirtymisen loppukohteeseen matkustajan joutumatta itse siirtelemään niitä väliasemilla.
Codeshare = lentoyhtiöiden välinen kaupallinen yhteistyö, jossa yhtiö tarjoaa toisen yhtiön lentoa omilla tunnuksillaan ja lennonnumeroillaan.

Finnair siirtyy täysin NDC-jakeluun 2025 loppuun mennessä

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Finnair julkisti 16.9. aikovansa lopettaa perinteisen lentolippujen jakelun EDIFACT-teknologian*) kautta vuoden 2025 loppuun mennessä.

Tiedotteesta:

Finnair etenee kohti tavoitteita seuraavien askelien kautta, jotka tulevat voimaan heinäkuusta 2022 alkaen Euroopassa:
• Paras matkatoimistotarjooma niille toimistoille, jotka käyttävät suoraa NDC API-yhteyttä
• Suoran NDC API-yhteyden lisäksi NDC-sisältö saatavissa vain Finnairin sertifioimien aggregaattorien kautta (NDC aggregaattorit: Aaron Group, Travelfusion, Travelsky and Verteil)
• Finnairin Light-lipputyyppi poistuu perinteisestä EDIFACT-jakelusta
• EDIFACT-jakeluun tulee lisämaksu korkeampien jakelukustannusten kattamiseksi (12 €/suunta)
• Parempi valikoima hintapisteitä NDC-jakeluun
• Uusia tuoteratkaisuja NDC-jakeluun

Lue lisää:

Finnairin tiedote englanniksi

Finnairin tiedote suomeksi

 

*) EDIFACT = rakenteinen tiedon esitystapa, jolla lentoyhtiöt ovat perinteisesti vieneet tarjontansa GDS:iin.

GDS = Global Distribution System (esim. Amadeus)

NDC information

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The three-letter combination NDC relates to travel service distribution, but what is it actually about? If you're looking for more information on IATA's New Distribution Capability initiative, you can find it here.

Amadeus's YouTube video
New Distribution Capability (NDC) is an IATA (International Air Transport Association) standard that aims to modernise air travel distribution. It's a set of XML-based data transmission standards designed to allow airlines to distribute their products and services in a more flexible and targeted way. Essentially, NDC provides a richer, more modern way for airlines to communicate with travel agents and other distributors, moving beyond the limitations of the older, traditional Global Distribution System (GDS) technologies. Here's how the NDC standard will benefit everyone: **For Airlines:** * **Enhanced Product Offerings:** Airlines can go beyond just selling a seat. They can package and sell ancillaries (like extra legroom, priority boarding, specific meals) and offer a much wider range of fare types and bundles in a more visually appealing and detailed way. * **Dynamic Pricing and Personalisation:** NDC allows airlines to offer more dynamic pricing based on various factors, and importantly, to personalise offers to specific customer segments or even individual travellers. * **Direct Connection & Reduced Costs:** By enabling direct connections between airlines and travel sellers, NDC can help reduce reliance on intermediaries, potentially lowering distribution costs. * **Improved Brand Control:** Airlines have more control over how their products are presented and marketed. **For Travel Agents and Travel Management Companies (TMCs):** * **Access to a Wider Range of Products:** Agents will have access to the full breadth of airline content, including all the ancillaries and personalised offers that might not be available through traditional channels. * **Better Tools and Information:** NDC enables richer content, meaning agents can see more detailed product descriptions, images, and comparison tools, helping them to advise customers more effectively. * **Increased Efficiency:** With better integration and richer data, agents can potentially book and manage travel more efficiently. * **Competitive Edge:** Agents who embrace NDC can differentiate themselves by offering a superior customer experience and a broader selection of travel options. **For Travellers:** * **More Choice and Customisation:** Travellers will have a wider selection of fare options and the ability to tailor their journey by booking specific services and extras upfront. * **Potentially Better Prices:** With dynamic and personalised pricing, travellers may find more competitive offers. * **Improved Transparency:** Richer content can lead to a clearer understanding of what is included in different fare options, reducing surprises. * **Seamless Experience:** As NDC adoption grows, the booking experience should become more integrated and streamlined, whether booked directly with an airline or through an agent. **For Technology Providers:** * **Innovation and Development:** NDC provides a modern framework for technology providers to develop new tools and solutions for the travel industry, fostering innovation in booking, retailing, and fulfilment. In essence, NDC is designed to bring air travel distribution into the 21st century, enabling a more modern, flexible, and customer-centric way of selling and buying air travel. While there have been challenges in its adoption, the long-term aim is to create a more efficient, competitive, and rewarding ecosystem for all stakeholders.

Article from American Express Global Business Travel
The ABCs of NDC: a glossary for understanding the initiative taking off in the airline industry

SMT's Ari Ilonen article
NDC – what does it mean for a booker?

Please also remember that IATA maintains its own NDC Hub information bank. You can subscribe to IATA's NDC newsletters directly to your email.
IATA – New Distribution Capability
NDC for Business Travel

Report published in August 2018 by the IATA Travel Manager Advisory Group
Time to Fly

Tnoozin story + video of the ”sold out” NDC session at the August GBTA Convention