Amex GBT to Launch Air France-KLM NDC Content in Neo, Egencia Pilots

American Express Global Business Travel is beginning a “phased approach” to making New Distribution Capability content from Air France and KLM available in its Neo booking platform and Egencia, the travel management company announced.

The approach will begin with a pilot making the NDC content available for select Egencia customers in France and select Neo customers in France and the Netherlands via an Amadeus NDC-X connection. The rollout will expand “as capabilities mature,” according to Amex GBT. The TMC did not specify in its announcement when the pilots would begin.

Amex GBT said Air France and KLM have met its Minimum Marketable Product standards, a list of requirements it developed for NDC connections to ensure they meet the needs of managed corporate travel programs, including shopping, booking, ticketing, re-shopping, refunding and reporting capabilities.

“We have been working hard with Air France-KLM and Amadeus to deliver a robust, scalable solution to bring NDC offerings into our marketplace,” Amex GBT VP of content acquisition and strategic sourcing John Bukowski said in a statement. “Going forward, we hope this can be an example of how good partnerships and the MMP standard can help move the needle on modernizing air distribution for the entire ecosystem.”

Michael B. Baker www.businesstravelnews.com