Travel Guides & Articles

What’s Happened this Month? Airlines, TMC, GDS Updates

Published

2 months ago

July 17, 2025

As New
Distribution Capability continues to gain traction, airlines, booking tools,
global distribution systems and other companies are announcing new partnerships
to make NDC content available for booking. Airlines also are beginning to adopt
offer-and-order management technologies, another step in business travel’s modern-retailing
journey. This page will provide a running list of those news briefs, with the
most recent at the top. Help keep BTN up to date by sending NDC development news to BTN senior transportation editor Donna M. Airoldi dairoldi@thebtngroup.com

August 2025

Turkish Airlines has added NDC-native distribution platform AirBooking as a partner to its TKConnect distribution channel, AirBooking announced Aug. 14. AirBooking now is able to display the carrier’s NDC content alongside GDS content, and users can manage bookings and ancillaries on a single platform while avoiding Turkish Airline’s $24 surcharge on EDIFACT bookings.
Four European travel technology companies have integrated Travelport’s NDC APIs, with which they will be able to distribute Travelport Plus NDC airline content to their customers, the GDS company announced July 30. The four companies include U.K.-based booking platform Vibe, Travel Technology & Solutions, Czechia-based CEE Travel Systems and NPF, which works with Portuguese travel agency Abreu to connect to Travelport content.
Navan has introduced a new content aggregation platform as it focuses on direct connections for NDC airline content, the company announced on its blog July 21. Navan in June also turned off its GDS NDC content, but it continues to source some NDC content via an aggregator partner for about five airlines, the company told BTN Europe.

July 2025

AmTrav has added NDC content from Frontier Airlines, giving the travel management company’s clients “the same pricing, itinerary and service options” available through the carrier’s website, according to AmTrav. That includes Frontier’s Business bundle, which includes seating in the first two rows with blocked middle seats for extra room.
Travelport now offers Taiwan-based EVA Air’s NDC content in select countries, the technology company announced June 25. Those countries include Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States.
All Nippon Airways has expanded its NDC partnership with Trip.com to 11 additional markets, the companies announced June 24. The new markets include Australia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

June 2025

Turkish Airlines content is back on Sabre after being absent since Sept. 1, 2024, the technology company announced June 23. The new deal includes EDIFACT and NDC content.
Airlines
Reporting Corp. has integrated Philippine Airlines into Direct Connect, ARC’s
airline distribution platform that enables NDC transactions, ARC announced June
17.
Serko has integrated Amadeus’ NDC content and technology into its Zeno
travel and expense platform, the company announced June 17. Currently, 35
airlines provide NDC content to the Amadeus Travel Platform. The integration
would give its TMC and corporate clients an additional means of accessing NDC
offers in advance of the launch of Qantas’ new distribution
model next month.
Serko also is working to add more flexibility to Amadeus NDC bookings,
including combining NDC and EDIFACT fares in a single booking and the ability
to cancel NDC bookings before they are ticketed.

May 2025

Riyadh Air has signed
its first global distribution agreement with Sabre, the technology company
announced May 13. The newly established national carrier for Saudi Arabia will
have Sabre offer traditional EDIFACT content as well as NDC content. Riyadh previously
selected SabreMosaic for its offer-and-order management capabilities. The
carrier plans to begin flights by the end of 2025.
Travelport will offer
Latam’s NDC content under the terms of an extended agreement, the
technology company announced May 13. Travelport-connected agencies will be able
to offer both EDIFACT and NDC content via Travelport Plus. The company did not
provide a timeline for when the NDC content would go live.
Finnair
has created its first “native order” with Amadeus’ Nevio technology as the carrier transitions to an offer-and-order system and away from
traditional booking methods that use passenger name records and e-tickets, the
airline announced May 13.
Sabre
has activated NDC content for Air France and KLM in its travel marketplace,
the travel technology company announced May 6. Sabre-connected agencies now can
access the carriers’ NDC content via Sabre’s Offers and Orders APIs, the Sabre
Red 360 agency booking solution, Sabre Red Launchpad, and “a range of
online booking tools,” according to the company. The integrations will
allow for continuous pricing.
Aeromexico will use
Sabre’s SabreMosaic offer-and-offer retailing platform under
an expanded agreement, the travel technology company announced May 5. Sabre did
not provide an implementation date. The modular SabreMosaic partnership
includes Air Price IQ and Ancillary IQ solutions “to enhance
personalization and maximize revenue.” Both products are AI-driven and
will enable Aeromexico to provide dynamic pricing and personalized ancillary
offers based on traveler behavior, according to Sabre.
American Express
Global Business Travel and Delta Air Lines have expanded their long-term
agreement to include Delta’s NDC offers in the Amex GBT marketplace when they
become available, the travel management company announced May 1. The
agreement also enables travelers to choose from Delta’s range of branded
fares—including joint venture partners Aeromexico, Latam, Korean Air, Virgin
Atlantic, Air France and KLM—in one display in Amex GBT’s booking
channels. Delta has said it is building
and testing an NDC solution, and officials in March
said a large-scale launch was unlikely
to happen in 2025.

April 2025

ARC has added Royal
Jordanian Airlines’ NDC content into the ARC Direct Connect program, ARC
announced April 30. The integration enables the carrier to offer
“more personalized, efficient services to our valued customers in the U.S.
market,” Royal Jordanian chief commercial officer Karime Makhlouf said in
a statement.
Frontier Airlines has
partnered with Amadeus to offer the carrier’s NDC content via a GDS for the
first time, the airline announced April 29. The NDC offers will provide
“enhanced messaging” and “access to more options and more
visibility to the best pricing available,” according to Frontier. It also
will enable “enhanced ancillary services and personalized offers,”
and a more “streamlined process for making changes to travel
plans.”
Sabre Corp. has activated Iberia’s NDC content in its GDS,
the travel technology company announced April 29. Sabre-connected agents can
shop, book and service Iberia NDC offers alongside other Iberia content, such
as EDIFACT offers, in Sabre’s travel marketplace.
Amex GBT and Finnair
have partnered to expand new digital content, including NDC offerings, to
corporate clients, the travel management company announced April 24. The
Finnair NDC content will be available to Amex GBT customers without any
surcharges, according to GBT. Finnair in 2024 pulled back on its previously
announced plan to exit from EDIFACT completely by year-end 2025, citing that
the “pace of change” toward modern airline retailing was taking
longer than anticipated, according to BTN stablemate
The Beat.
Travel and expense
platform Mesh is partnering to add Sabre’s NDC content to its travel-booking
capabilities, the companies announced April 15. The midmarket-focused Mesh,
which currently reports more than 2,000 customers, launched its travel
management platform in 2023, and Sabre was live with the platform at the time of that launch.
Adding Sabre’s NDC content will expand options and offer more competitive
pricing on the platform, according to Mesh.

March 2025

Sabre has launched
British Airways’ NDC content in Sabre’s travel marketplace, the technology
company announced March 18. Sabre-connected travel agencies now can shop,
book and service BA NDC offers alongside traditional EDIFACT options. Agencies
can manage BA’s offers and orders through the Sabre Red 360 agency booking solution,
Sabre Red Launchpad and the Sabre Offer and Order APIs, according to
Sabre.

February 2025

Sabre has launched
Chilean carrier Latam’s NDC content “in multiple countries,” Sabre announced Feb. 26. Six of Latam’s regionally branded subsidiary
carriers are included in this agreement, serving Chile, Brazil, Colombia,
Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru, according to the companies. In addition to
those six countries, 16 other countries were made active by this stage of
Latam’s NDC content rollout: the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United
Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland,
Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Australia and New Zealand. The companies plan to
activate additional markets in the coming months. Sabre initially announced
its Latam NDC agreement in
October 2023.
Sabre-connected
agencies in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and “additional
regions” now can book and service Lufthansa Group’s NDC content, Sabre
announced Feb. 24. Lufthansa Group includes the brands Lufthansa, Austrian
Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Swiss Air Dolomiti and Discover Airlines, formerly
Eurowings Discover. The rollout of Lufthansa Group NDC on Sabre platforms began last year, and the “home
markets” were the last to activate, according to a Sabre spokesperson. The
expansion brings Lufthansa Group’s NDC content to Sabre-connected travel
agencies in more than 100 countries.
Air France-KLM has partnered to use Amadeus’ Nevio
technology to deploy an offer-and-order system, the airline company
announced Feb. 18. The move to the new technology will be a “multi-year
effort,” according to Air France-KLM. Nevio will streamline purchases into
a single order as opposed to having multiple documents, such as a passenger
name record, an electronic ticket and electronic miscellaneous documents, for
each booking, according to Air France-KLM.
Icelandair has selected Amadeus Altea NDC as the carrier’s
NDC API provider, Amadeus announced Feb. 12, expanding the
companies’ relationship and enabling the distribution of the full range of the
airline’s content and fares, including web fares and NDC-based content, to
Amadeus-connected agents. Implementation is scheduled to start in the first
quarter of 2025, according to the technology company.
Travelport has
expanded its partnership with Chase Travel Group, which includes Frosch and Valerie Wilson Travel, to provide
“enriched, multisource content from Travelport, in addition to modern
retailing tools and merchandising features” through the Travelport Plus
platform, the technology company announced Feb. 11. The expanded deal will
enable Chase Travel Group to consume and present content from multiple sources
and suppliers, including NDC and traditional content from air carriers, hotels
and car rental companies.
Travelport is
providing NDC content to Atriis as part of an expanded agreement with the
travel platform, the companies announced Feb. 3. Travelport’s NDC offers and
fares already are available to corporate clients in the Atriis platform, and
the agreement also includes access to low-cost carrier, hotel and car rental
content via Travelport. Atriis has previously announced NDC agreements with
both Amadeus and Sabre.
Amex GBThas
agreed to an “enhanced” agreement with Lufthansa Group to
“expand and accelerate availability” of the airline company’s
NDC-enabled fares, Amex GBT announced Feb. 3. The two companies have
already been working together to distribute
Lufthansa’s NDC content for several years. The new “renewed,
expanded” agreement is designed to accelerate the availability of
Lufthansa’s NDC fares and other content on Amex GBT’s proprietary platforms,
offline booking and third-party booking tools. It will also include access to
Lufthansa’s NDC-only rates and special promotions across the group’s airlines,
including Lufthansa, Swiss, Brussels Airlines and Austrian Airlines.

January 2025

Sabre has started to
offer Saudi Arabian flag carrier Saudia’s NDC content in the Sabre marketplace,
the technology company announced Jan. 14. The new offering enables travel
agents, travel management companies and corporations to deliver tailored offers
to their customers, according to Sabre. The technology company added that the
development also marks the first time Saudia NDC content is available on a
global distribution system. Amadeus in December
announced it would begin to carry Saudia’s NDC content “in the
first quarter of 2025.”
ARC has implemented Vietnam Airlines’ NDC content into the
ARC Direct Connect program, ARC announced
Jan. 14. The partnership helps Vietnam Airlines deliver more personalized
traveler experiences while giving travel agencies and corporate buyers more
options to manage transactions, minimize risk and track data through ARC’s
settlement platform, according to ARC.
Travelport
will offer China Eastern Airlines’ NDC content under the terms of a new
multi-year agreement, the technology company announced Jan. 8.
Travelport did not specify a date when the NDC content would become available.
China Eastern is one of China’s three major carriers and a member of the
SkyTeam Alliance.

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A Milestone Event in Mumbai, ETHospitalityWorld

Published

2 hours ago

September 16, 2025

www.ETHospitalityWorld.com

The Skal International India National Congress 2025 concluded at the Sahara Star Hotel in Mumbai on September 14, 2025.

The three-day event welcomed a record-breaking participation of more than 200 delegates, from India and abroad, all paying full congress fees to be part of this milestone gathering, said a Skal release.

Distinguished personalities including Maneka Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor, Pooja Bedi, Subhash Gha, Zayed Khani and many more lit up the moments, lending prestige, and inspiration to the occasion.

At the heart of the congress, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the fiscal year 2024–2025 was held on Day 1, preceded by the national board meeting.

President Sanjeev Mehra and treasurer Monik Dharamshi presented transparent reports on finances and activities. Delegates appreciated the clarity of leadership, as the roadmap for Vision 2025–2030 that was shared, laying out strategies to strengthen Skal’s footprint in India and deepen global engagement.

“This congress is not just about numbers; it is about values, vision, and vitality. We are proud to host Skålleagues from across India and abroad to Mumbai, to celebrate the true spirit of friendship, collaboration, and business networking that Skal stands for,” said Mukesh Batra, president, Skal International Mumbai South, the host club.

For the first time, Skal International India national board launched the Skal International Indian Excellence Awards 2025, designed to recognise outstanding contributions from clubs, individuals, and Friends of Skål. The awards celebrated the achievements in club performance, membership growth, innovation, sustainability, and community impact.

The award for best performing Indian Skal Club of the Year 2025 was won by Skal International Chennai; Best active Indian Skal Club of the Year 2025 was won by Skal International Goa; Fastest growing Indian Skal Club of the Year 2025 by Skal International Bangalore; Best Indian Skål Club Event of the Year 2025 was jointly presented to Skal International Kolkata and Skal International Jammu & Kashmir; Best Indian Skal Club CSR of the Year 2025 award went to Skal International Coimbatore; Recognition as a reckoning force to Skal International Kochi; Recognition for outstanding young Skal engagement to Raja Gopal Iyer, Skal International Trivandrum; Indian Skalleague of the Year 2025 to Kamleshwaran P.S., Skal International Chennai; and Recognition for global outreach to N.S.N. Mohan, deputy vice president and director of Region 10, Skal International.

“The Excellence Awards are not merely trophies; they are a tribute to dedication, creativity, and the unwavering spirit of Skålleagues who are driving this movement forward. Our board’s vision for 2025–2030 is rooted in collective growth: more clubs, stronger retention, deeper engagement, and a unified Indian presence on the world stage,” said Sanjeev Mehra, president, Skal International India. “

Published On Sep 16, 2025 at 08:00 PM IST

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Tharoor calls for targeted campaigns beyond ‘Incredible India’ to boost tourism

Published

5 hours ago

September 16, 2025

TBM Staff - Mumbai

Calling for a more nuanced and diversified promotional strategy, Dr Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament, has urged India’s tourism sector to move beyond the singular “Incredible India” campaign and adopt a more segmented approach to marketing the country’s vast and varied offerings. He emphasised the need to highlight niche sectors such as wildlife, beaches, heritage, and culture, arguing that a one-size-fits-all campaign is insufficient to reflect India’s diversity. “One ‘Incredible India’ campaign is not enough,” Tharoor said. “We need to showcase the many different aspects of India that exist within our borders.”

Speaking at the Skål India National Congress 2025 in Mumbai, he also pointed to the glaring absence of Chinese tourists in the country, despite their growing presence in global tourism. “The Chinese are travelling across the world except India. Let’s bring some Chinese money into our country,” he remarked.

Adding a touch of humour to his address, Tharoor quipped, “Perhaps we could even attract some British tourists for a colonial heritage tour—though there aren’t many monuments left; they took more than they left.”

His remarks added both insight and levity to a serious discussion on revitalising Indian tourism, offering clear and actionable ideas to industry leaders and policymakers alike.

Tharoor also called for urgent structural reforms in the tourism sector, highlighting the need to enhance women’s safety and strengthen hospitality infrastructure across the board. “Our nation carries the perception that India is not safe for women. We must change this image. It’s time for action. Increasing the presence of women police officers in tourist areas would be a step in the right direction,” he stated.

He emphasised tourism’s role as a key driver of economic growth, citing its potential to create employment and generate significant revenue. “We have a lot to do. Tourism is a vital sector—it generates jobs and enhances government income. Infrastructure development must be prioritised.”

Pointing to gaps in the current hospitality ecosystem, he added, “We either have high-end five-star hotels or substandard facilities—there’s virtually nothing in the middle. We need to build a lot more to fill this gap.”

Tharoor’s address reflected a mix of strategic insight and wit, resonating with tourism professionals, investors, and policymakers seeking to position India as a more attractive and accessible global destination.

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Where to Shop for Jewelry in Jaipur, India

Published

6 hours ago

September 16, 2025

Gayatri Shah

From left: Krishna Choudhary; traditional Indian jewelry at Royal Gems & Arts.

From left: Courtesy of Santi; Abhishek Bali

Jaipur has long seduced travelers with its warren of old bazaars, royal palaces, and glittering treasures. But behind one of the city’s pink façades lies a rarer find: Royal Gems & Arts, a jewelry business housed inside Saras Sadan, an 18th-century haveli, or mansion, a short walk from the iconic Hawa Mahal palace.

Run by ninth-generation jeweler Santi Choudhary with his wife, Shobha, and son, Krishna, the atelier feels like a museum and is open by appointment only. The Choudharys, descendants of the city’s founding families, supply exquisite pieces to royalty and collectors around the world.

Today, Santi oversees a trove of Mughal- and Rajput-inspired pieces, some of which have been loaned to the world’s top museums. Krishna joined the family business while studying Islamic and Indian art in London. In 2019, he started his own label, Santi, with an atelier in London’s Mayfair district showcasing bold, contemporary designs with rare stones set in gold, titanium, or platinum.

Together, the Choudharys’ shops offer a glimpse into India’s past and present—one rooted in Jaipur’s traditions, the other reinterpreting them for a new generation. While the haveli in Jaipur focuses on heritage designs, Santi in London crafts one-of-a-kind pieces, like a rare 18th-century, pyramid-shaped Colombian emerald set in 18-karat white gold with reverse-set diamonds. “Every antique stone we work with brings a mystery with it, and we add something to it for the future,” Krishna says.

Santi’s turquoise cartouche earrings.

Courtesy of Santi

More Must-visit Jewelers in Jaipur

Tallin Jewels

Founded by Akshat Ghiya—a second-generation jeweler who was raised in India and Italy—this store has made a name for itself with its unconventional, contemporary pieces. Ghiya uses stones like pink and purple sapphire, onyx, citrine, and tourmaline to create wearable confections.

Gyan Jaipur

This shop, which features striking geometric styles, is attached to a museum that holds more than 2,500 objects—textiles, coins, daggers, and jewelry—collected by the owners’ late father.

The Gem Palace

Established in 1852, this store is a celebrity favorite. Princess Diana, Oprah, and Gwyneth Paltrow have all ogled the traditional Indian craftsmanship blended with contemporary design. After the eighth-generation jeweler Munnu Kasliwal died in 2012, his son Siddharth took over, and today runs the business alongside his brother, cousins, and uncle.

A version of this story appeared in the October 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline “Jaipur’s Crown Jewel.”

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