Flight Centre leisure and business arms test Amadeus user interface for NDC content

FCM Travel Solutions and Flight Centre Travel are to test a new graphical user interface to access NDC content in the of Amadeus selling platform.

The global distribution company calls the development a “milestone for Amadeus NDC-X program’” with NDC bookings via the integrated solution to be made in the coming months.

The design already incorporates feedback from Flight Centre and other NDC-X partners and the hope is that further feedback will help drive wider adoption of the technology standard.

Flight Centre established a dedicated global distribution team at the beginning of 2019 with the aim of driving NDC forward.

The company sees 2019 as the year that NDC content will become more of a reality following the initial launch of plans for the NDC standard in late 2012.

Marcus Eklund, global managing director, FCM Travel Solutions sees this as a first step.

"We have helped Amadeus redesign the user interface for consultant in terms of how it looks, how we are going to book in an efficient way and how we are going to service these bookings."

He adds that NDC is maturing in 2019 with all sides sitting down to work out solutions.

"We have a great working relationship between Amadeus, Lufthansa and ourselves for example, to find solutions to some of these problems where two years ago we would not have been able to sit in the same room.

"These are joint solutions and we have a joint responsibility to find a solution but obviously airlines need to help us find that solution and not always think of the most simple solutions."

Rudy Daniello, executive vice president, customer operations, travel channels, Amadeus, adds: 

“As a driver customer, Flight Centre has been a key contributor to the success of our program since its inception and we are excited as we move closer to NDC industrialization.” 

The plan is to extend NDC content in Amadeus Selling Platform Connect and the enhanced user interface to agencies in phases, which began in the second quarter of 2019.

Other large travel management companies including Carlson Wagonlit and American Express GBT are also involved in Amadeus NDC-X.