Lufthansa Group has signed a pilot agreement with Berlin-based Flyiin to take part in the beta phase of an online marketplace initiative in which IATA's NDC standard will be used to provide details of airlines' ancillary products.
Flyiin will commercialise Lufthansa Group's flights, including bundled fares and ancillary services, with the aim of increasing transparency in booking fares and improving retail opportunities for airlines.
"Lufthansa Group has long been at the forefront of innovation in airline distribution," states Arber Deva, head of direct distribution solutions at Lufthansa Group. That approach was evident again in September 2015 when it introduced a new direct sales strategy, implementing a surcharge on fares booked outside its own websites – notably on fares booked through the GDSs.
"We believe partnering with Flyiin’s technologically advanced, NDC-based distribution model will improve our ability to retail the full spectrum of fares and services we can offer, and enable us to gain greater insight into travellers' needs.”
Flyiin is an online travel start-up headed by former Amadeus executive Stephane Pinguad. "By supporting a new sales channel that will bring them closer to new and existing customers, they [Lufthansa] are leading the way for the rest of the industry," Pinguad argues. "We look forward to launching the beta version of our online marketplace during the second quarter of this year."
Source: Cirium Dashboard
