VIDEO: COVID-19’s impact on airline distribution

Although IATA’s New Distribution Capability gained significant momentum among airlines in 2019 compared to previous years, the COVID-19 pandemic shifted priorities for many.

Some airlines put NDC on pause, while others opted to pursue more aggressive strategies.

For American Airlines, chief customer officer Alison Taylor said she has seen an acceleration over the past few months of agencies wanting to work with the carrier on the standard, which she attributes to the idea of “never letting a crisis go to waste.”

Speaking during last month’s Phocuswright Conference, Angel Gallego, executive vice president of travel channels at Amadeus IT Group S.A., similarly said the global distribution system hasn’t “stalled” its investment in NDC.

Taylor and Gallego, joined by John Bukowski, vice president of content and sourcing at American Express Global Business Travel, and Moshe Rafiah, CEO of Travelfusion and Skyscanner, discussed the changing nature of distribution in session titled Executive Roundtable: Fast and Slow - The Distribution Dichotomy.

In addition to effects of COVID-19, the panel also discussed personalization efforts (“content is becoming more than just price points,” Bukowski said), industry collaboration and more.

Watch the full session, moderated by Phocuswright senior technology and corporate market analyst Norm Rose, below.