Content or Composition? Taking Control Over Your Flight itineraries

With the ever-changing world of flights booking, and a strong push towards NDC content integrations, leaders within OTAs have the challenging task of balancing forward-thinking and growth with performance. This is why at Trip Ninja, we believe that a combination of flight content and composition is important to create itineraries that convert. Let's explore each in further detail:
‍

1) Content: Choosing the Right Flight Content Sources

Through understanding the unique characteristics and benefits of each prominent data sources: Global Distribution Systems (GDS), Low-Cost Carriers (LCC), and New Distribution Capability (NDC), OTAs can better tailor content to travellers and drive revenue growth.

GDS: As a flight data resource, Global Distribution Systems empower OTAs with access to a vast network of airlines worldwide. They efficiently aggregate airline schedules, availability, and pricing information, which helps in making accurate, real-time decisions. However, it's important to note GDS typically doesn't include low-cost carriers as these don't operate under the same business model as traditional airlines.

LCC: The budget airline, or Low-Cost Carrier content, is an essential component of the flight data mix. As these airlines tend not to participate in GDS, you'll need to reach out to them directly, register yourself, and then integrate their APIs within your system. LCCs often operate on less crowded routes hence, including this content can result in offering more cost-effective itineraries to your customers.

NDC: The New Distribution Capability (NDC) is a transformative initiative by IATA (International Air Transport Association). It's a new, XML-based data transmission standard which enriches communication between airlines and OTAs. The core advantage of NDC lies in its ability to provide richer, personalized and dynamic content, offering your users an enhanced booking experience. It allows airlines to distribute their content directly to OTAs, giving them rich, personalized, and dynamic content. With NDC, you can have a direct relationship with airlines, and gain access to customized and bundled offers, ultimately leading to better customer service and increased conversions. The key is to ensure proper implementation and application of these powerful distribution systems.

Evaluating the Fit: Is NDC for You?

Capitalizing on the advantages of NDC can be a game-changer. However, it's vital to understand that successfully implementing NDC asks for notable time and energy investment to manage diverse NDC standards across different airlines. If your operation is large enough to handle all NDC operations and manage all ancillaries, go for it. For small to medium size organizations, consider complementing your strategy with GDS or consolidator aggregator, and add 1-2 relevant NDCs that provide the most relevant content to your travellers. ‍

‍
By the Numbers:

• Global Distribution Systems (GDS) handle over 60% of all travel bookings
• Low Cost Carriers (LCC) account for about 31% of the global air travel market
• NDC adoption is expected to reach 90% by 2025
  ‍

How Many Content Sources Do You Need?

Utilizing multiple content sources for flight itineraries can offer a variety of benefits. One of the most significant advantages is the ability to provide a wider range of options to customers. By pulling data from various sources, OTAs can offer more diverse flight routes, times, and negotiate prices, thereby increasing the likelihood of meeting individual customer preferences and needs. This can lead to improved customer satisfaction and higher conversion rates.

However, there are also challenges associated with using multiple content sources. One of the main difficulties is the complexity of integrating and managing data from different sources. Each source may have its own data format, and consolidating this data into a single, usable format can require significant time and resources. This can also lead to potential issues with data accuracy and consistency.

So, what is the best way to balance cost and efficiency and how many content sources for your needs? At Trip Ninja, we believe that flight composition is just as important as flight content to build itineraries that convert, provided that OTAs have at least two relevant sources (e.g. GDS + 1-2 LCC/NDC integrations).

2. Composition: Unlocking the Power of GDS, LCC, and NDC for OTA

Composition is where Trip Ninja adds significant value.  Our SmartFlights API uses advanced Machine Learning algorithms to provide better search and composition to flight itineraries. SmartFlights API can adeptly handle content from any source, intelligently combining flight data to construct itineraries that are up to 90% cheaper than non-constructed itineraries.

The key to improving conversions and enhancing revenue per search within your OTA lies in choosing the right flight content sources and understanding their effective composition. Whether integrating GDS, LCC, or NDC, each presents a unique value proposition. However, it's not about choosing one over the other, but how to integrate and harmonize them to create versatile and low-cost itineraries that attract and engage your customers.

‍

Trip Ninja's capability to weave together all content sources and create itineraries that are up to 90% cheaper provides an edge. This approach can lead to significant savings for your customers and enhance their overall travel experience. More importantly, it helps to improve conversion rate and overall profitability for your OTA.

Connect with us to discover how you can improve your flight itineraries using content and composition.