A hotelier’s take on IATA’s ‘New Distribution Capability’. For decades, the airline reservation was the focal point for every automated travel itinerary, and still largely remains that way today. IATAs ambitious “New Distribution Capability” initiative will not change that, as the discussion of how NDC can enhance the end-to-end experience is woefully absent. Calling this initiative self-absorbed is a gross understatement. The page content of the NDC homepage mentions neither “travelers” nor “passengers.” The NDC blog posts discuss passengers, but inevitably within the context of cost-recovery, yield and revenue optimization through the sale of unbundled services. There are plenty of references to offering choice and customization (nothing wrong with that) but there is one term that is auspicious in its absence: “satisfaction.” Discussion of how NDC can better integrate air travel with the rest of the travel industry to enhance the end-to-end experience is woefully absent. How many travelers take trips with the primary objective of experiencing an inflight experience on a commercial aircraft? If you find one, double check to see if they are actually paying for their own tickets. Sadly, that pursuit largely died with the demise of the Concorde, although a few aviation geeks have been quite excited about the 787, battery problems notwithstanding. The driving motivation behind the NDC initiative is structurally changing two business models and exercising market control. Unfortunately, it has very little to do with technology.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:48:56 +0000
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