Advantage Travel Partnership and AirGateway agree deal for access to agent desktop

German Tech firm to provide NDC-enabled Booking Pad platform for access to airlines deals and ancillaries

Business travel consortium Advantage Travel Partnership will access New Distribution Capability airline content through a deal with German tech firm AirGateway.

The B2B airline distribution company will provide Booking Pad, its agency desktop that provides access to 25 NDC-enabled airlines.

The platform can be used by any Iata-certified agent and gives them access to the best NDC deals by avoiding the GDS surcharges and enabling extra revenues by selling ancillaries.

Booking Pad will be made available to Advantage agent members at no extra cost, the group saying it will ensure they are ready for when demand returns.

Advantage members will be charged on a per booking basis with no commitment to volumes, allowing members to use the tool as little or as frequently as required.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of The Advantage Travel Partnership said: “Given the changing face of airline distribution, this new partnership with AirGateway is of great importance to Advantage and our members.

“With many airlines changing strategies in the current environment, it is imperative our members have access to the greatest range of content as possible, to remain competitive and agile when the market returns.

“This new partnership enhances our robust Advantage Airline programme, which gives all Advantage members the potential to currently access nett fares from around 50 airlines, from a list that is continually growing.

“Our nett fare programme provides both members and our airline partners with an efficient infrastructure to manage their airline nett fare content.”

Jorge Diaz, chief executive of AirGateway, said: “Partnering with the largest consortium of independent travel agencies in the UK represents a great opportunity for AirGateway to serve a diverse and selected range of travel agencies in the British travel space.

“We are delighted to be part of this collaboration and to offer our technology solutions to jointly address the most complex and fragmented corporate travel market in Europe.

“This venture represents a great step forward in our effort to expand the adoption of the NDC distribution strategy in the intricate European Travel Market.”