628 COMPETITION LAW IN TOURISM programmes can benefit from capturing more data and from targeting travellers with services relevant to them. 4. NDC, HOW DOES IT WORK? 4.1. The NDC flow is different from a traditional GDS process because the airline creates the offer NDC is in effect the modernisation of the 40-years old data exchange standards for ticket distribution developed before the Internet was invented. GDSs have been working towards making it possible for airlines to offer their products via travel agents in a more consistent manner than when using the airlines’ own websites. IATA welcomes these developments. However, each GDS has been working on its own proprietary solution. In contrast, NDC like all IATA standards provide an open standard that’s available to all who want to use it, including GDSs. NDC has a direct impact on the end-to-end process for airline indirect distribution. Consequently, key stakeholders’ roles evolve from those that exist today. In the current process, the GDS creates the offer, getting the fares, availability and business rules from the airline or 3rd parties where airlines file their fares and schedules (ATPCO, SITA, OAG). Then, it creates the PNR which belongs to the travel agent, as the airline only owns a (partial) copy. With the implementation of NDC, the high-level distribution and sales processes, as they presently exist, will evolve towards granting more autonomy to the airlines. The final business process for indirect distribution becomes close to what exists in terms of direct sales ecommerce nowadays, implying two major shifts: • The airline receives the request and creates the offer • The airline is the owner of the master order, containing the latest information The intermediary, where appropriate, is called the “Aggregator”: its role is to transmit the information (request, then offer). As previously noted, it does not construct the offer. This role, open to new entrants, can also be undertaken by a GDS. This IT provider can aggregate the different offers it receives from airlines.
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