Sabre says its MCP will replace the NDC standard

Sabre touts AI-led travel distribution savings

Are New Distribution Capabilities already yesterday’s news? US travel technology giant Sabre believes its MCP server is set to replace NDC as the next distribution standard. 

The company says artificial intelligence will book, sell and handle aftersales for travellers.

Sabre unveiled its MCP (Model Context Protocol) in September 2025. The server acts as a gateway between a large language model agent and Sabre’s travel capabilities: the LLM interprets a request expressed in natural language, then selects and calls, via MCP, the tools suited to the task - from flight and hotel search to fare checks and booking management.

MCP then translates those calls into requests to Sabre’s APIs and workflows. These services rely on the Sabre Mosaic operational ecosystem to search, compare, verify and, where appropriate, book available air and hotel offers. 

Sabre IQ - the group’s “travel intelligence” - can step in for personalisation, offer optimisation or interpreting fare rules.

Sabre launched Mosaic to address content fragmentation in travel.

Sabre aims to position itself as the pioneer of AI-powered travel booking. “The industry has reinvented how airlines merchandise and distribute their products thanks to NDC,” said Shawn Williams, chief operating officer at Sabre. “We think MCP represents the next major transformation in how travel is bought and sold in the age of AI. We’re working flat out on it, in parallel with our leadership role in NDC. The difference is that this time Sabre isn’t merely following the standard: we’re leading the way.”

The announcement adds fuel to the debate over whether MCP will replace or complement NDC. Guildo Becher, head of travel and loyalty at Rappi, cited by Phocuswire, said AI would help address the technical complexity that many in the industry associate with implementing NDC. 

While MCP does not remove the need to connect to airline APIs, for example, it could reduce the need for a global formatting standard such as those imposed by NDC.

Sabre says nearly 80 customers are already using MCP, including Virgin Australia, Flight Centre, Internova, Nexion, ALTOUR and Travel Leaders Network. It adds that early users are already saving money on the bookings they generate, without disclosing the amounts.