Travelport intends to start delivering its new Smartpoint agent point of sale system, with complete NDC integration, in the fourth quarter.

Travelport now is testing a “limited solution” that allows for basic shopping and booking. It doesn’t include ancillary airline products and services or personalized offers, and agents can’t modify the bookings, according to Ian Heywood, global head of product and marketing. The company expects to process the first live bookings through that connection next month. 

The next version, planned for the summer, will have more capability but will not commingle fares from NDC pipes and the traditional source, ATPCO. Heywood during an interview last week said the updated Smartpoint would blend those in a single display. 

Travelport is testing NDC with five airlines. It expects to add four more by the end of next month and another bunch by year-end.

The company in October claimed it was the first GDS operator to process a live booking based on the International Air Transport Association’s NDC standard. It came from U.K. agency Meon Valley Travel. Amadeus this month said online travel agency Travix since November has been transacting bookings via Amadeus’ NDC-enabled Web Services solution. Sabre in April said it was testing NDC bookings with United Airlines; NDC integration in the Red desktop workspace is expected this year.


[CLARIFICATION, May 30, 2019: This article has been revised with the updated information on timing.]
Follow
Notify of
0 Comments