Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) announced it has completed the integration of Latam Airlines Group and affiliates’ New Distribution Capability (NDC) with the ARC Direct Connect program. The integration, according to the announcement, enables Latam Airlines to offer richer content and detailed information through its booking platforms for corporate travel buyers and travel agencies with an ARC number while providing a consistent settlement experience through ARC’s platform.

The partnership allows ARC agencies to shop, book, add ancillaries (seats, bags and priority boarding) and pay. Additionally, agencies can manage post-sales services such as date changes, voids and refunds, and automation of disruption handling in a user-friendly way using the NDC by Latam Portal or through API and aggregators.
Andreas Schek, sales and branding vice president at Latam, said that as the company’s distribution strategy evolved, it needed an NDC solution that allows it to meet the needs of customers. The partnership with ARC, he said, “enables us to offer to a broader market a consistent shopping experience across channels while leading to more personalized traveler bookings.”

Paige Blunt, senior manager of Direct Connect and ONE Order at ARC, said ARC Direct Connect “will help differentiate Latam Airlines’ products and create a more consistent shopping experience across channels with access to content previously only available in the airline’s direct channel.”

Introduced in 2018, ARC Direct Connect gives airlines the flexibility to implement distribution strategies that best suit their needs and manage travel agency partnerships.