With United and American already progressing along their NDC journeys, Delta Air Lines has finally shared their strategy.

At the airline’s spring business showcase, Sara Reid, Managing Director of Sales Technology and Global Sales Support shared some insight. Delta reportedly plans to roll out some of its milestone releases in late 2024, with more integrations and new products scheduled for 2025. According to BTN however, it will not be until later into 2025 that the airline will be enabling omnichannel servicing at scale.

The airline shared that they will be differentiating themselves from others by avoiding GDS surcharges and not removing content from the GDSs. Phocuswire reported Reid saying:

“We have no plans to follow other carriers’ strategies where they’re taking forceful approaches to implement certain charges and to remove content […] We believe that customers will want to use our NDC solution because it’s going to create value for them. And so that is what we’re focused on: Unlocking value and driving adoption by creating better products, better merchandising and better servicing.”

Reid also described corporate and business travellers as a “priority,” indicating that serving this segment will be an important part of the strategy moving forward.

To make this transition happen, Delta will be collaborating with several key industry players including Google, IATA, Airlines Reporting Corp., and Accelya. BTN shared that Google will “optimise the offers [Delta] provides across all channels,” and that the airline is still building towards the IATA 21.3 schema.

In a press release highlighting Accelya’s new partnership with Delta for the provision of NDC, it was announced the airline will be using the Accelya FLX Platform, leveraging its modular approach to deliver personalised offers across multiple channels. Reid commented:

“Delta’s partnership with Accelya is part of our long-term Distribution strategy to provide better products, better merchandizing and better servicing for customers. We’re excited to partner with experts like Accelya to leverage technology and enable an elevated experience, which is key to bringing our multi-year innovation roadmap to life.”

Delta’s NDC strategy is built around transparency, continuous improvement, and a collaborative approach to industry partners with a prioritisation of corporate and business travel. How do you think the airline’s strategy compares to others?

 

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