GDS vs NDC: What Travel Agencies Need to Know Before Choosing Flight Content

GDS vs NDC is rarely an either-or decision. A global distribution system (GDS) such as Amadeus or Sabre gives you broad, standardised access to many airlines through one connection, while NDC is an IATA data standard that lets airlines send richer offers, ancillaries and sometimes channel-specific fares through modern XML APIs. Most agencies end up using a combination, choosing the mix based on their routes, volumes and how much after-sales servicing they handle.

What is a GDS?

A global distribution system is a large network that gathers airline schedules, seat availability and fares and makes them bookable by travel agencies and other intermediaries. GDSs grew out of early airline reservation systems and became the backbone of agency air distribution over several decades. Amadeus and Sabre are two of the best-known.

Through a single GDS connection an agency can search and book a very wide range of carriers, create PNRs, issue tickets and manage changes using well-established processes. Content is presented in a standardised way, which makes comparing airlines straightforward but leaves airlines limited room to show what makes their product different.

How traditional GDS content is structured

Traditional GDS air content is built around fares that airlines file in advance and booking classes represented by single-letter codes. The distribution system combines schedules, availability and filed fares to build a priced itinerary. Extras such as additional baggage or seat selection have historically been harder to sell through this route, although support has improved over time.

What is NDC?

NDC stands for New Distribution Capability. It is a programme and XML-based data standard introduced by IATA to modernise how airlines sell through intermediaries. Rather than relying on pre-filed fares priced by a third party, NDC lets the airline build an offer itself in response to each request and return it with richer content: fare brand descriptions, images, bundled services and ancillaries such as seats, bags and meals.

Importantly, NDC is a standard, not a single system. An agency can reach NDC content in several ways: directly from an individual airline's NDC API, through an aggregator that connects to many airlines' NDC APIs, or through a GDS that has added NDC content to its own platform.

IATA updates the NDC schemas from time to time, and airlines and providers do not all support the same version or the same set of functions. One airline may support booking, seat selection and changes through its NDC API, while another supports booking only and expects servicing to happen elsewhere. That is why the question to ask any provider is not simply whether it offers NDC, but which airlines, which functions and which servicing options are actually live today.

GDS vs NDC: the key differences

Treat the table as a guide to general patterns rather than fixed rules. Individual airlines, providers and markets differ, and the landscape keeps changing as more carriers expand their NDC programmes and more providers add NDC support.

Why airlines are pushing NDC

Airlines want more control over how their products are displayed and priced in indirect channels. With NDC they can personalise offers, bundle services together, explain the difference between fare brands and sell ancillaries alongside the seat — much as they already do on their own websites.

Some carriers have made particular fares or content available only through NDC channels, and some have applied different charges depending on the booking channel used. Policies differ between airlines and markets and change from time to time, so check the current position of the carriers you sell most before you commit to a supplier setup.

Strengths and limits of each channel for agencies

Where the GDS still shines

• One connection to a very wide range of airlines, including many smaller carriers.
• Mature ticketing, exchange and refund workflows that experienced staff already know.
• Established links with BSP settlement for IATA-accredited agencies.
• Consistent data that makes side-by-side comparison of airlines simple.

Where NDC adds value

• Access to fares or bundles an airline may offer only through NDC.
• Richer content that helps you sell upgrades, seats and extra baggage.
• Modern APIs that developers generally find easier to work with.
• The option to reach some airlines through an aggregator without a traditional GDS contract.

Practical challenges with NDC

• Airline implementations differ, so coverage and features can be uneven.
• Servicing — changes, cancellations, schedule disruption — may be less uniform than in a GDS.
• Mixing NDC and GDS results needs careful normalisation so customers can compare like with like.
• Staff may need training on new servicing processes for NDC bookings.

What changes for your team day to day

For travellers, a booking is a booking. For your staff, the source of that booking can change how they work after the sale. Agents who have spent years using GDS commands and familiar exchange processes may find that an NDC booking is serviced through a different screen or workflow, and that the options available depend on what the airline supports through its API.

Before adding NDC content, walk through the full life of a booking with your team: how a name correction is requested, how a voluntary date change is priced, how an involuntary schedule change is reported, and how a refund is processed and reconciled. Write the answers down for each source you use. That simple exercise prevents most of the confusion that appears in the first weeks of running two channels side by side.

Key terms in plain English

• Filed fare. A fare an airline publishes in advance so that distribution systems can price itineraries with it.
• Offer. In NDC, a priced bundle the airline builds in response to a specific request, which may include seats, bags or other services.
• Order. The record of what was purchased from an offer; IATA's wider vision is for airline retailing to move towards offers and orders.
• Ancillary. Any extra sold on top of the basic fare, such as checked baggage, seat selection or meals.
• Aggregator. A provider that connects to many airlines' APIs and gives agencies a single integration to work with.
• BSP. IATA's Billing and Settlement Plan, which accredited agencies use to report sales and settle with airlines.

How to decide your GDS and NDC mix

Start with your business, not the technology. These questions will narrow the options quickly:

1. Which airlines and routes make up most of your sales? Find out how each of those carriers distributes its best content today.
2. Are you IATA-accredited, or do you rely on a consolidator for ticketing? This affects which connections and settlement options are open to you.
3. How important are ancillaries such as bags and seats to your customers and to your margins?
4. How much post-booking servicing do you handle, and who on your team will do it?
5. What volume do you expect? Supplier commercial terms often depend on it.

A sensible pattern is to start with one strong source and add a second once you understand your demand. For example, a GDS connection for broad coverage plus an NDC-focused provider for specific carriers, or the reverse for an agency that concentrates on a handful of airlines. Whatever you choose, make sure your booking engine can present results from different sources in one consistent list.

How TravelBookingPanel fits in

The flight booking software module in TravelBookingPanel connects to Amadeus and Sabre for GDS content and to Duffel, an API provider that gives access to airline content including NDC offers. You sign supplier contracts and hold API credentials in your own name, so your commercial relationships and negotiated terms stay with you. Supplier fees are separate from the one-time licence.

For a closer look at one of these connections, read our Amadeus API integration guide. To see how a fare travels from search result to issued ticket, read how a flight booking engine works.

Next steps

List your top routes and airlines, find out where their best content lives, and choose the connections that cover them. When you are ready, compare plans on the pricing page or talk to our team about which supplier setup suits your agency.