Travelport released updates to its Flights API version 25.11.x, introducing features such as requesting mixed cabins per leg for NDC, NDC bundled offers, NDC disruption handling, requesting ATPCO Cat 31/33 penalties for GDS, and enhancements to Premium Flex Search. These updates aim to improve search flexibility, enhance NDC content handling, and better manage disruptions.
Travelport released updates to its Flights API, including NDC bundled offers, NDC disruption handling, Air Canada Flight Pass support, request for Cat 31/33 penalties, and Flex Search enhancements. These updates enhance NDC content capabilities such as bundled ancillaries and disruption rebooking/refund flows. Additionally, GDS penalty disclosure and mixed cabin requests are improved. These changes directly impact agencies and developers using Travelport APIs.
Spain's data protection authority AEPD has fined Amadeus IT Group €14.4 million over a pilot project that used passenger booking data from its GDS to profile travelers. The penalty was reduced from an initial €18 million after Amadeus made a voluntary payment without admitting liability. The investigation followed an anonymous complaint in September 2023. AEPD cited violations of GDPR Articles 14 and 6. Amadeus disagrees and plans to contest the fine in court.
Travelport's TripServices Flights API release AirReservation 26.11.21W supports returning fees some carriers charge when using credit card form of payment in the Reservation Retrieve response. These fees are returned in Reservation/Offer/Price/PriceBreakdown/Amount/Fees; credit card fees are identified by feeCode=OB, and the fee total, amount, and tax are returned. This feature applies to GDS only.
This article explores the relationship between NDC (New Distribution Capability) and MCP (Model Context Protocol) in the travel tech stack. Experts argue that NDC solves a content problem, while MCP solves a connectivity problem; they are complementary, not substitutes. MCP may lower the barrier to NDC implementation and accelerate AI agents' access to NDC content. Andrew Jordan, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Travelport, said MCP has the potential to reframe NDC, but corporate travel will still require authentication, negotiated rate retrieval, and policy enforcement.
Amadeus announces intention to acquire IDEMIA Public Security (IPS) for €1.2 billion to strengthen biometric and identity capabilities, creating seamless travel journeys. IPS employs ~3,300 and serves 600+ customers. Closing expected mid-2027, with earn-out up to €1.35 billion. This accelerates Amadeus' growth in airports and border verticals.
Travelport released updates to its Flights API for 2026, covering both GDS and NDC content. Key features include a unique identifier for split ticketing in AirPrice responses (appending _PC), support for requesting mixed cabins per leg, new Premium Flex Search (flexible dates and PCCs), and NDC bundled offers and disruption handling. These updates aim to enhance booking flexibility and operational efficiency.
Travelport's TripServices Flights API release AirReservation 26.11.14W supports adding Travel Agency Service Fees (TASF) to a PNR. TASFs are fees charged by travel agencies to customers for the professional services they provide, separate from the airline ticket price. This feature applies to GDS only.
Travelport has released updates to its Flights API, including NDC enhancements such as Air Canada Flight Pass payment, bundled ancillary offers, and disruption handling flows. For GDS, new features include Premium Flex Search with multi-PCC and flexible date search, and mixed cabin requests per leg. These updates aim to improve search and booking flexibility, directly impacting travel agencies and corporate travel management.
Travelport shareholders have committed $50 million in fresh capital to support its next growth phase. New CEO John Mangelaars outlined three strategic priorities, including expanding AI capabilities and improving content supply. The company has completed a platform transformation into a single modernized tech stack, with TripServices at its core. Travelport is also bringing AI to its agent-facing Smartpoint software to boost productivity and reduce service costs.
Travelport has released Flights API updates covering NDC and GDS content. New features include support for Air Canada NDC flight passes, NDC bundled offers, NDC disruption handling, and GDS fare quote per passenger/segment, premium flex search, among others. These updates aim to enhance booking flexibility and operational efficiency.
At the Airline Distribution 2026 conference hosted by UATP, experts discussed AI's impact on the NDC standard. American Airlines and United Airlines have direct sales of 55% and 70%, respectively. Some predict AI could eliminate the need for standards, and new products like MCP could replace NDC. Look-to-book ratios have worsened due to AI, requiring a rethink of commercial constructs.
Travelport's TripServices Flights API release AirReservation 26.11.86 supports adding Auxiliary Tour (TUR) and Surface (SUR) segments to an existing booking using Custom Auxiliary Segments, and deleting auxiliary segments from an existing booking using Cancel Workbench Items. This feature applies to GDS only.
At ITB Berlin 2026, Sabre announced the completion of a multiyear technology rebuild, unveiling a unified AI-first platform, Sabre Mosaic, with cloud-native architecture, embedded Google Gemini, and a Travel Data Cloud with over 50 petabytes of data. The company aims to lead in agentic travel, offering intelligent retailing, autonomous workflows, and enterprise-grade governance.
Travelport Flights API release notes show new features for GDS Exchange APIs, including support for exchanges with exempt taxes, search by brand, and adding free seats and ancillaries during exchange. These updates aim to streamline exchange processes and increase flexibility.
Travelport Flights API release notes cover multiple updates, including NDC bundled offers, NDC disruption handling, Air Canada Flight Pass support, and Premium Flex Search for GDS. These enhancements aim to improve search, booking, and change management capabilities, providing developers and travel agents with more flexible tools.
Travelport Flights API release notes show a new Premium Flex Search feature, allowing flexible search dates and PCCs, supporting up to three PCCs and date ranges of up to three days before/after. This feature is GDS-only, not available for NDC, and requires specific customer provisioning.
Travelport's February 2026 Flights API release notes detail enhancements across GDS and NDC content. Key updates include support for exchanges on itineraries with exempt taxes (GDS), brand-based exchange search, expanded Premium Flex Search capabilities, NDC bundled offers and Air Canada Flight Pass, and loyalty cross-accrual. These changes aim to improve search flexibility, streamline exchange workflows, and bolster NDC support for travel sellers.
Travelport introduces the returnAllBrands object in Flight Specific Search reference payload requests, enabling the return of all brands in a fare family regardless of the anchoring flight's brand from the initial search. This feature is GDS-only and not supported for NDC. The update aims to provide travel sellers with more comprehensive brand options, enhancing search flexibility.
Travelport Flights API has released several updates, including support for Air Canada NDC flight passes, NDC bundled offers, NDC disruption handling, and GDS features like Premium Flex Search (flexible dates and PCCs), search by brand, and fare quote per passenger/segment. These updates aim to enhance flexibility and efficiency in search and booking.
Radisson Hotel Group and Amadeus have built an API connectivity between Radisson's EMMA Central Reservation System and the Amadeus Travel Platform, moving beyond traditional GDS protocols. The connection updates in real time and uses AI-driven data mapping to streamline search and booking, providing travel sellers with more accurate and timely hotel inventory and rates.
Travelport released release notes for major versions 25.11.x of its TripServices Flights APIs, covering several customer-facing updates. AirReservation 26.11.78 adds loyalty program cross-accrual, returning frequent traveler cross-accrual on partner airlines via supplier and shareWithSupplier objects in Reservation Retrieve and Workbench Retrieve responses. Other updates include standard NDC flight disruption handling flows, NDC bundled offers, Air Canada flight pass as form of payment, and GDS exchange search by brand.
Travelport released release notes for major versions 25.11.x of its TripServices Flights APIs. Exchange Air Offer 26.11.49 adds search by brand, supporting specifying one or more brand tiers via the BrandPreference object in PricingModifiersAirChange in the Exchange Search request. Other updates include Exchange Air Order 26.11.57 supporting adding free seats and ancillaries during exchange (GDS only) and 26.11.54 supporting exchanges for itineraries with exempt taxes.
Amadeus has made available Advanced Airline Profile within the Amadeus Travel Platform, a machine-learning-powered filtering solution that removes irrelevant requests from travel sellers before polling airline systems. As NDC search volumes grow, airline systems are increasingly overwhelmed, leading some carriers to scale back NDC ambitions or impose look-to-book limits on travel agencies. Early results show unproductive traffic reduced by up to more than 70%, depending on the airline profile, without compromising offer quality. Deployment is underway across all Amadeus NDC airlines and is expected to be fully finalized by Q1 2026.
TAP Air Portugal and Amadeus signed an expanded agreement to make TAP's NDC content available through the Amadeus Travel Platform. Travel sellers and corporations globally will be able to access TAP's enhanced range of fares, bundles, and dynamic offers. The agreement builds on a longstanding partnership and aims to drive industry transformation and operational efficiency.
Japanese airport transfer provider SmartRyde has integrated with Amadeus, making its services available through Amadeus Transfers. The first phase rolls out to travel sellers in Japan and South Korea, offering travelers pre-booked door-to-door transfers and travel sellers a single booking flow within Amadeus. SmartRyde's network covers over 1,000 airports worldwide, with options from standard vehicles to premium chauffeur services, featuring real-time availability, instant confirmation and transparent pricing.
Drukair, Royal Bhutan Airlines, the national flag carrier of Bhutan, signed its first global distribution agreement with Amadeus, making its fares, schedules and inventory available on the Amadeus Travel Platform to travel agencies worldwide. Headquartered at Paro International Airport, Drukair connects Bhutan with key Asian cities including Bangkok, Delhi, Kathmandu, Singapore, Dhaka, Kolkata, Guwahati, Bagdogra, Bodh Gaya and Dubai. Travel sellers in India, Thailand, Singapore, Nepal, Bangladesh, the UAE, Australia, the UK, Germany and France will be able to issue tickets, with further global rollout slated for 2026.
Amadeus reported first nine months 2025 results: group revenue rose 6.4% to €4,895.3 million, up 8.0% at constant currency; adjusted EBIT grew 8.7% to €1,470.6 million; profit rose 10.1% to €1,088.2 million. Air IT Solutions revenue grew 6.5%, Hospitality and Other Solutions 5.8%, and Air Distribution 6.6%. Asia Pacific bookings grew 12.1%. The company maintained its 2025 outlook.
Saudi low-cost carrier flyadeal signed a new global distribution agreement with Amadeus, which becomes the carrier's preferred provider, distributing content to travel sellers worldwide through the Amadeus travel platform. flyadeal will begin with the domestic Saudi market and phase its content rollout to the trade in more countries over the next few months; once complete, its full content will be viewable and bookable on the Amadeus platform. flyadeal currently operates over 200 daily scheduled services from bases in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to more than 30 year-round and seasonal destinations across Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and South Asia with a fleet of 42 Air…
Amadeus Cytric has launched its global Prime Partner Program to recognize and empower partners across the business travel ecosystem. At its core is a group of TMCs meeting rigorous performance, governance, and strategic alignment standards, including Arrive Agencies, BCD Travel, DER BUSINESS Travel, Lufthansa City Center, Nautalia Empresas, Travel Support, and Viajes El Corte Inglés Empresas. Prime Partners gain access to operational support and a first look at new Amadeus Cytric innovations.
Amadeus signed an agreement with Scandic Hotels, the largest hotel chain in Scandinavia, to deploy the Amadeus Agency360 Enterprise Solution, marking the first enterprise adoption of Agency360 in Scandinavia. The travel intelligence software tracks travel agency bookings from the industry's three major GDSs and will help Scandic analyze agency data across its 280 properties in the Nordics as well as Poland and Germany. The enterprise edition provides 12 months of forward-looking data and 24 months of historical insight, with bookings analyzable by owner, property category, and region.
Bulgaria Air expanded its long-term collaboration with Amadeus, broadening its IT deal and signing a full content distribution agreement. The carrier will migrate to Amadeus Reference Experience, a self-service interface, and adopt Enhanced Re-accommodation and Disruption Transfer for disruption management. Through Travel Intelligence modules such as Traffic Analytics and Schedule Analytics, the airline can use market data to improve route planning and capacity utilization. Amadeus-connected travel sellers worldwide will gain access to the carrier's up-to-the-minute schedules, fares, seat availability, and inventory.
SAP Concur launched the Hotel Connector API for new Concur Travel, displaying TMC or hotel aggregator rates directly in the platform to combine consumer-grade choice with corporate compliance controls. The feature supports connecting to multiple content aggregators, giving access to up to six million accommodation options versus 650,000 with GDS only. HRS is the first hotel-focused technology provider to go live with fully certified features through Hotel Connector. Features include richer content and amenities, omni-search, optimized booking workflows, sustainability indicators, more payment options, and e-receipt integration.
SAP Concur announced it has added Amadeus' NDC content to the existing NDC content base in the new Concur Travel, making Amadeus' 27 globally NDC-activated carriers available to corporate customers. SAP Concur says business travelers will get a richer booking and flight management experience, while travel managers gain access to new offers including continuous pricing and more retail and merchandising options.
SAP Concur announced its biggest update to Concur Travel in years. The Q4 2023 release will introduce a new end-to-end booking experience for customers whose TMCs use the Sabre GDS from the US point of sale. Updates include improved content and images, time savings, sustainability options, search capabilities, and Concur Expense integration. Some features are not yet available and will auto-redirect or require opt-out.
SAP Concur unveiled new Concur Travel experiences at the GBTA Convention, including an end-to-end booking experience for Sabre GDS from U.S. point of sale, with plans to extend to Amadeus and Travelport+ in 2024. The new experience offers consumer-grade UX, richer content including NDC, sustainability options, omni-search, and integration with Concur Expense. Concur Travel bookings are up 8% from Q2 2022.
At the GBTA Convention, SAP Concur announced a major evolution of Concur Travel, introducing a new end-to-end booking experience for air, hotel, and car rental on Sabre GDS from U.S. point of sale, with Amadeus and Travelport+ planned for 2024. The new experience emphasizes a consumer-grade UX, NDC content integration, sustainability options, and seamless integration with Concur Expense.
SAP Concur announced updates to Concur Travel and Concur Invoice at its Fusion conference. Concur Travel will introduce a new car rental booking experience, starting with customers whose TMCs connect to Concur via the Amadeus GDS, with a restricted release planned for Q1 2023, adding EV filtering and average emission ratings. A hotel booking experience is planned for restricted release by end of Q2 2023. Concur Invoice plans to introduce virtual card payments and Invoice Payment Manager's batch scheduling and manual payment release features by Q2 2023.
SAP Concur published a blog explaining how customers can access American Airlines NDC content via Concur Select Access or TripLink after the airline removes certain fares from traditional GDS channels. American plans to provide all publicly available fare content via ATPCO starting April 2023, but some content will not be ticketable; GDSs will filter NDC fares through ATPCO Category 15 sales restrictions. Customers without Select Access enabled will see only ticketable fares in Concur Travel.
In an SAP Concur community AMA recap, Ralph Colunga discussed travel policy and new trends. On New Distribution Capability (NDC), he said Concur offers NDC connections through Travel Fusion to multiple carriers including the Lufthansa Group, United Airlines, and American Airlines, and supports hundreds of low-cost carriers and 42 NDC direct airlines. On sustainability, he noted corporations elevated it to a top-tier focus over the past two years, recommending training so employees understand the impact of individual actions and considering rail instead of flying where available. On supplier direct booking (SDB), he argued the key is not control but transparency, with TripLink feeding direct…