FCM Travel Solutions says it is the first global TMC to achieve IATA NDC Level 4 certification
Level 4 is currently the highest level of IATA’s NDC certification programme, and means the TMC, along with parent company Flight Centre Travel Group, can provide "full offer and order management". As a result, in addition to booking NDC airline content, its consultants can now support changes in travellers' NDC bookings and manage flight disruption, which is critical to servicing clients in the corporate sector.
Carriers including United Airlines, American Airlines and Lufthansa have achieved Level 4 status, but to date FCM claims that no other global TMC has reached this level of NDC capability.
Nicola Ping (pictured above), FCM’s manager of air content and distribution EMEA, said: “There is still work to be done industry-wide to ensure that NDC standards are completely business travel ready. We have spent the best part of the past two years focusing on our connectivity, travel content and NDC distribution capabilities especially in terms of servicing FCM clients effectively.
"We have also played a key role in leading conversations and collaboration with technology providers, airlines and IATA to ensure the benefits of NDC can be realised not only for our customers but the industry as a whole. The industry ecosystem needs to continue to work together to ensure progress, especially in the corporate environment. As NDC discussion and adoption continues to gather pace around the globe, FCM and Flight Centre intend to remain at the heart of this industry transformation."
Jason Toothman, executive general manager – global air distribution for Flight Centre Travel Group, added: “This is another significant milestone on our NDC roadmap. We have been able to search and book NDC content with selected partner airlines via our preferred technology aggregators in each of the markets where FCM operates for several months.
"However, the ongoing issue around implementing NDC has been the ability to handle bookings which have been disrupted – this applies not only to FCM, but any other TMC or agency capable of making live NDC bookings. Disruption handling is a key element of corporate travel management and is often time critical; receiving a disruption notification, assessing the suitability or proposed alternates and actioning subsequent changes.”
Yanik Hoyles, IATA´s director for industry distribution programmes, wants this latest certification to "serve as an example to other travel sellers in this new stage of volume growth”.
fcmtravel.com