Hopper connects with Lufthansa Group as first NDC partner

Travel booking app Hopper is launching its new distribution capability (NDC) connection today through a partnership with Lufthansa Group’s passenger airlines – Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS and Brussels Airlines.

As a participant in Lufthansa’s NDC Partner Program, Hopper will get access to the airlines’ branded fares, bundles, ancillary product offerings and “Continuous Pricing” price offers.

For Lufthansa Group’s airlines the connection enables them to present personalized offers to travelers that are consistent both on Hopper and the airlines’ digital channels. Other OTA partners in Lufthansa’s NDC program include Expedia Group, which joined in June 2019, and eDreams Odigeo, which joined in January 2020.

“We are excited to enter into this partnership with Hopper fostering modern airline retailing to the benefit of our customers,’’ says Frank Naeve, vice president sales, the Americas at Lufthansa Group.

“We are committed to the development of a unique customer experience and are committed to shape the travel industry with distribution innovation.

In late 2019, Hopper acquired Bogota-based GDX Travel, which specializes in airline distribution. Hopper says that acquisition, along with this announcement, attest to its commitment to NDC. 

“Lufthansa Group brings a wealth of experience in the airline connectivity space and we’re thrilled to have them on board as our first NDC partner,” says Dakota Smith, chief strategy officer at Hopper. 

“Their expertise will allow us to further our commitment to our airline partners by best serving our shared customers through NDC.” Hopper plans to add more airline partners to its NDC strategy in the future.

In January 2019 Lufthansa Group made an investment in Hopper as part of a partnership focused on artificial intelligence. A Hopper spokesperson says that some of the company’s projects with Lufthansa’s Innovation Team have been put on hold due to the pandemic, but they will resume in the future.

Hear from Hopper CEO in his interview for PhocusWire’s “New Reality With...” series, below.