By his own admission, Farelogix CEO Jim Davidson knows that the agreement to sell the business to Sabre caused a few laughs and raised many eyebrows.
The $360 million deal was announced during The Phocuswright Conference 2018 in Los Angeles and became one of the main talking points of the week.
In any other year, without Marriott disclosing a huge guest data breach a few weeks later, Farelogix's sale may have seen it come in as one of PhocusWire's newsmakers of 2018.
Closing in late-2018 or early-2019, Farelogix - one of leading advocates of IATA's New Distribution Capability for airlines - will become part of an empire that was originally somewhat skeptical (some may say, hostile) to the concept of overhauling the long-standing ecosystem for air ticket sales.
But the price was right, the fit was right, and it has helped place NDC now firmly on the strategy agenda - perhaps at the top - for Sabre.
PhocusWire caught up with Davidson and United's director of distribution, Tye Radcliffe, during the event to learn more about the deal, what it means for airlines connected to Sabre and other global distribution systems, and where NDC goes next.
PhocusWire @ Phocuswright 2018 - United and Farelogix on a new world for airlines