New topics include branded fares and loyalty

Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) has released version 1.1 of its NDC Advancement Working Group’s NDC Best Practices Guide. The updated guide, according to the company, was shaped by feedback from the group’s participants to address real-world challenges around servicing and settlements in NDC-enabled environments. 

The update introduces best practices under two new categories: Branded Fares and Loyalty. 

• The Branded Fares Best Practice recommends consistent naming of branded fares across all channels, making it easier for travelers to compare fares. 
• The Loyalty Best Practice highlights how airlines can include loyalty perks when a customer’s loyalty number is provided in the shopping path. 

Established in October 2023, the NDC Advancement Working Group, said the company, provides a forum for the air travel industry to collaborate and create best practices that address noncompetitive issues related to the advancement of NDC in corporate travel. ARC believes in NDC’s ability to create a modern retailing environment, according to the company, but also recognizes areas that can be improved across the distribution ecosystem to enable widespread NDC adoption, especially in the corporate travel space.

Covering topics like branded fare names, timing to identify payment types and surcharges, the support of sold-out flights, the need to personalize offers and the ability to recognize loyalty, the first guide was published last December with input and approval from participating stakeholders. The group will continue to meet and provide feedback throughout 2025 to publish another update later this year. 

Paige Blunt, senior manager of Direct Connect and ONE Order at ARC, told BTE the updated version “helps travel managers and TMCs by driving greater clarity and consistency in NDC content.” Standardized naming of branded fares across channels, she said, “makes it easier to compare options and ensure travelers are booking within policy, while the new loyalty best practice also enables travelers to access loyalty perks when their loyalty number is included during shopping.”