Effort is designed to give buyers a stronger voice in retailing and distribution
Accelya, an airline technology provider, in partnership with Temoji, a travel consultancy, announced the launch of the Business Travel Innovation Group (BIG), a new initiative designed to give corporate travel buyers a stronger voice in shaping the future of airline retailing and distribution. The group was created by Accelya, with Temoji consulting playing a lead role in shaping and managing the initiative, according to the announcement.
The BIG initiative brings together 20 enterprise and mid-market travel buyers from across the corporate travel landscape. It aims to foster open discussion, spotlight best practices, and support cross-industry collaboration as modern retailing becomes a reality. Members will explore how NDC can unlock richer content, smarter pricing, and better traveler experiences, while addressing the specific needs of managed travel.
Accelya, said the announcement, is working alongside BIG members to help translate their insights into actionable recommendations. This collaboration begins with the release of a new guide, “Making Modern Airline Retailing a Reality for Corporate Travel,” which outlines key enablers buyers say are critical for mainstream NDC adoption in corporate travel programs and three case studies of buyer implementations of NDC.
Paul Tilstone, founder of Temoji and co-lead of the BIG initiative, said: “Many buyers are already moving towards modern retailing — piloting NDC, integrating with trusted partners, and rethinking how content and servicing are delivered.” BIG was created, he said, to bring those voices together, identify what’s working, and define what’s needed. Coordination, said Tilstone, “is the biggest challenge, and it’s one we can only solve together.”
Tye Radcliffe, chief customer success officer at Accelya, said corporate travel buyers are proving every day that NDC can deliver real value, but the industry still needs alignment to scale that success. Through BIG, he said, “we’re listening closely to buyer feedback and using it to collaborate with our airline customers to shape a more consistent, connected and modern retailing experience.”
Insights from the BIG group, said the announcement, will help shape a new industrywide effort launching at the upcoming GBTA conference, aimed at addressing the core barriers identified in the guide. The initiative will focus on closing implementation gaps, improving coordination between stakeholders, and making it easier for airlines, sellers and buyers to scale NDC adoption with confidence.
