Sabre on Tuesday released its first set of New Distribution
Capability application programming interfaces (APIs) with United Airlines,
enabling travel agencies partnering with Sabre on its Beyond NDC initiative to
make NDC bookings.
Sabre said United is the first major airline to launch with
its NDC capabilities. According to Sabre, NDC will enable United to offer
additional flight amenities and new fare options to shoppers.
"This development is a significant step forward for the
travel industry, because it advances a pan-industry vision and moves NDC closer
to becoming an everyday reality for travelers, carriers, agencies, corporations
and more," Sabre said in a statement.
Additional NDC capabilities are expected to be released
later this year. Sabre said that includes integration with its agent workspace,
Sabre Red 360.
American Express Global Business Travel is one of Sabre's
travel management partners in its Beyond NDC initiative. In a statement, GBT
director of distribution John Bukowski said NDC is an important part of the
evolution of air content distribution.
"Testing Sabre's NDC-enabled shopping APIs and working
with United to find ways to bring incremental value to clients while
maintaining or enhancing full end-to-end capabilities is fundamental to
preparing for a successful future," he said. "Access to NDC content,
alongside other new and existing content, would allow us to expand what we
offer travelers in a scalable way."