NDC is often treated as an IT project. For most airlines it is a commercial decision about channels, cost and customers.
For many airlines, NDC arrives on the agenda as a technology project: choose an aggregator, connect an API, go live. The harder questions are commercial, and they are better answered before any connection is built.
Know your channel mix first
Start with a clear view of where bookings and revenue come from today. How much comes through each GDS, through direct channels, through online travel agencies and through corporate travel management companies? What does each booking cost to distribute, once GDS fees, incentives and technology costs are included?
Without this baseline, it is impossible to say whether an NDC move saves money, adds revenue or simply adds complexity.
Decide what NDC is for
Airlines move to NDC for different reasons: lowering distribution cost, selling richer offers such as bundles and ancillaries in indirect channels, or gaining more control over pricing. Each goal leads to a different plan. An airline focused on cost will prioritise its highest-volume agencies. An airline focused on retailing will prioritise channels where customers can actually see and buy the richer offer.
Plan for the agencies, not just the airline
Travel agencies and corporate travel managers need to service bookings, not just make them. Changes, refunds, schedule disruptions and reporting all have to work. If servicing is weak, agencies push back, and adoption stalls. A realistic plan covers servicing, agency support and the commercial terms that will encourage agencies to switch.
Move at the right pace
A full switch away from GDS content is rarely realistic in one step. Most airlines do better with a phased plan: start with selected markets or agency groups, measure cost and conversion, and then expand. Commercial levers such as fare differences or surcharges should be tested carefully, because they affect agency relationships and corporate contracts.
Choose the technology last
Once the goals, the channel plan and the agency approach are clear, the technology choice becomes much simpler. You know which capabilities matter, which partners you need and what success looks like, and you can judge vendors against your plan rather than theirs.