Helloworld Travel’s Air Tickets has become the first ticketing consolidator in Australia to establish a direct NDC API connection with Emirates, offering travel advisors access to exclusive fares, expanded booking classes, and SmartNDC® benefits.
Helloworld Travel’s Air Tickets has taken a significant step forward as the first ticketing consolidator in Australia to offer a direct NDC API connection with Emirates. Air Tickets says the innovative partnership will enable Air Tickets’ travel agent customers to access differentiated content and a broader range of Emirates fares.
The initial rollout has begun with a pilot group of agencies, with plans to extend access to all Air Tickets customers in the coming months. By using Air Tickets’ ‘Shop, Book and Ticket’ functionality, travel advisors will be able to take advantage of what it says are lower SmartNDC® fares and access a wider variety of booking classes, enhancing their ability to meet clients’ needs.
Expanded benefits for travel advisors
Air Tickets says the direct NDC API connection will offer travel advisors more than competitive fares. Following the pilot phase, the Emirates integration will also introduce additional features, such as seat maps and seat selection.
These enhancements aim to provide Air Tickets customers with a seamless booking experience, adding further value for their clients.
Rohan Moss, Group General Manager – Consolidation at Helloworld Travel, emphasised the importance of this development. “The new API has been developed entirely in-house by the Air Tickets business systems development team,” Moss said.
“It provides the best value fares, ticketing, re-shopping, and SmartRefunds® – the winner of the NTIA 2024 Technology Innovation award – all within the Air Tickets portal.”
A game-changer for Emirates fares?
Emirates’ certification of Air Tickets as the first NDC API Direct-connected Australian consolidator marks a milestone for the industry. This integration ensures travel advisors will gain unprecedented access to Emirates’ full suite of fares and products, setting a new standard for ticketing consolidation in Australia.
“We are delighted to be at the forefront in the deployment of both Emirates NDC and traditional (EDIFACT) fares for our agency partners,” Moss concluded.
In other recent news, The Australian Travel Agents Co-operative (ATAC) has appointed Air Tickets as its exclusive air consolidator, effective 1 January 2025. This three-year partnership follows ATAC’s evaluation of market options to determine the most advantageous consolidation services for its members.
“We’re thrilled to be appointed as ATAC’s consolidator of choice, and our team is ready to ensure a seamless transition for all members.” Rohan Moss, Group General Manager Consolidation at Air Tickets, said.
“ATAC is a remarkable buying group with a strong track record of success, and we look forward to supporting their growth from 2025 onwards.”
