Travel agencies, deeply committed to providing exceptional service to clients, have to navigate industry shifts constantly and adapt to new tools and processes. Their primary role is to serve customers by finding the best available travel itineraries tailored to their preferences, assisting with refunds, reissues, no-shows, and handling unique cases like unaccompanied minor bookings, medical assistance requirements during travel, special meal requests, handling VIP client itineraries, group travel arrangements, and emergency rebooking due to unforeseen events.

Historically, the GDS (Global Distribution System) has been the cornerstone of operations, offering a streamlined command-line interface to manage bookings efficiently. However, recent developments, particularly with the shift from the age-old EDIFACT system to NDC technology by Emirates and Farelogix, have introduced significant challenges that deserve attention. British Airways, among other airlines, is reportedly also leveraging Farelogix for their NDC implementations, suggesting that similar challenges could emerge industry-wide.

Transition from GDS to Farelogix NDC API

Emirates has mandated a shift from the traditional GDS to their NDC API, powered by Farelogix (owned by Accelya). This transition stems from Farelogix’s strategy of making certain fare classes, such as the popular “T class,” exclusively available through their platform, effectively compelling agencies to adopt the NDC API. While progress and innovation are essential, the implementation and real-world impact of this transition raise several concerns:

1. Loss of Command-Line Efficiency: GDS operates on a cryptic command-line interface that has been a reliable industry standard for decades. Travel consultants have honed their skills on this system, achieving unparalleled efficiency. Transitioning to Farelogix’s click-based interface results in significantly longer booking times, disrupting workflows and reducing overall productivity.
2. Incompatibility and Data Retrieval Issues: Farelogix’s decision to shut down their cryptic mode service further complicates matters. If a booking is made through the NDC API, retrieving or modifying it becomes problematic. Bookings made via the NDC API cannot be accessed through the same API if changes occur on their SPRK portal. This lack of bi-directional compatibility—a standard feature in GDS—creates confusion and inefficiencies.
3. Inconsistent API Offerings: The lack of a dedicated NDC API for fare rules forces agencies to rely on the FLX API, which is not officially part of the NDC agreement. This inconsistency in policy—allowing FLX fare rules API but denying FLX PNR retrieval—reflects poorly on Farelogix’s engineering practices and customer support.
4. Limited Seat Availability Transparency: While GDS clearly displays the number of seats available in a specific class (up to nine), the NDC API fails to provide this crucial information. This limitation affects decision-making and complicates client communication.
5. Repricing Limitations: The NDC API’s inability to differentiate between repricing on the same class and the best available class further hinders flexibility, unlike GDS, which provides distinct APIs for these actions.
6. Lackluster Customer Support: Timely and effective customer support is critical for travel agencies. Unfortunately, the Farelogix support system has proven inadequate. Tickets often remain unresolved for months, and responses—if any—are significantly delayed. In one instance, companies received resolutions after a year, with no updates during the interim.
7. Questions on GDS Versus Farelogix NDC API: These days, GDS platforms are also introducing NDC solutions, raising the question of why Emirates is forcing agencies to move exclusively to Farelogix. Small agencies, in particular, struggle to keep up with the financial and technological demands of these transitions. Many smaller agencies are now functioning more like aggregators rather than service providers due to these challenges.
   
   If GDS platforms can offer the same NDC services through their established systems, what is the value proposition of the Farelogix NDC API? The thousands of dollars required to invest in adapting to Farelogix’s NDC API represent a significant loss for smaller agencies.

Impact on the Industry

The shift to Farelogix has far-reaching consequences:

• Operational Disruptions: The inefficiency of the click-based interface and lack of compatibility with existing tools have increased operational overheads and disrupted workflows.
• Loss of Established Systems: Agencies that rely on command-line data for financial reconciliation and internal processes face substantial setbacks.
• Customer Dissatisfaction: Delays in retrieving bookings and addressing issues directly impact the quality of service provided to clients.

Moving Forward

While the intent behind adopting NDC technology may be to modernize the industry and improve customer experiences, its current implementation by Farelogix leaves much to be desired. Transparency, compatibility, and robust support are essential for fostering trust and ensuring a seamless transition.

The travel industry urges Farelogix and Emirates to:

Enhance customer support response times and transparency.

Reinstate command-line functionalities to preserve efficiency.

Address compatibility issues to ensure seamless data retrieval and management.