American Express Global Business Travel Upgrades Online Booking Tool

American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) has upgraded its proprietary online booking tool, Neo.

Neo connects to Amadeus NDC-X and Sabre’s Beyond NDC through GBT’s Supply Management Platform (SMP). Work to integrate with Travelport is ongoing.

With this release, GBT has also introduced Routehappy product and amenity information into the Neo point of sale. Users can now see more information about what is included in an air fare. The initial phase includes product information about specific aircraft, such as Wi-Fi availability, food choices and seat pitches. The next phase will include ticket components, such as lounge access and baggage allowance.

“Connecting with the GDSs for NDC content and with Routehappy for product and amenity information demonstrates our commitment to continue providing a complete content offering that can be shopped and compared in a transparent environment. As a standard, NDC will only work if it can help us deliver on this promise at scale to provide real value to companies and business travellers. We are focussed on delivering an enhanced user experience while working with customers to ensure they continue to have control of their programs,” said John Bukowski, GBT’s director of content distribution. “We applaud those who have embraced collaboration to find airline retailing solutions that help customers optimize their travel programs and costs. However, some carriers have chosen to pursue strategies that fragment the shopping and booking process, adding cost and clouding transparency by removing content from the GDSs. It is our hope that these airlines soon recognise the value we can collectively deliver to customers if we embrace efficient, integrated solutions.”

Bukowski added that it was important for travel buyers to understand that NDC is only one component of airline retailing and that innovation to deliver a content rich airline shopping experience goes well beyond one technology standard.

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