Travelport will roll out enhanced NDC functionalities with American Airlines as part of an extension of the companies' distribution agreement.
The GDS will now sell American's Main Plus bundle, which is the first NDC-enabled bundle the carrier has put on sale in the leisure channel. Main Plus includes a Main Cabin Extra or preferred seat, along with a free checked bag.
Related: New NDC products available from American Airlines
Travelport has also enabled NDC-supported sales of bags, seat and corporate bundles for American.
The GDS said that travel agencies will make NDC-supported purchases through their regular workflow. Travelport declined to provide information about the commercial terms it is offering to travel agencies for NDC-supported purchases. Industry analysts say that as a rule, agencies can expect that the per-segment incentive payment they make on GDS bookings through legacy Edifact technology to diminish or disappear with NDC-supported bookings.
Related: Amadeus to be the first GDS fully enabled for NDC content
"What we can say is that most airlines recognize the value that a good retailer can add to the sale of their products," Travelport said.
In addition to American, Travelport has begun NDC-supported sales of Singapore Airlines and Qantas products.
The GDS issued its first Qantas tickets via NDC this week and plans to extend NDC booking capabilities gradually to agencies in Australia and New Zealand beginning in April.