FAQs: Getting started

These frequently asked questions provide information about accessing NDC content, supported Smartpoint versions, supported airlines, required endpoints, and supported applications.

Refer to the other FAQ topics for information about shopping and booking, seats, servicing, and reporting/MBOS for NDC content.

Question

Answer

What do I do if the plugin opens in a blank window?

If the plugin opens with a blank window, you may need to update your graphics card driver.

Where can airline-specific NDC information be found?

NDC airline capabilities provides a high-level list of features supported by each airline, as well as featured planned for a future release.

For airline-specific NDC information, visit Travelport Support, then search for NDC and the airline code or the airline name (for example, search NDC SQ or NDC Singapore Airlines).

NDC airline-specific information is currently found in the following knowledge base articles:

Which version of Smartpoint do I need to use to see NDC content?

10.0 and above. We recommend that you install the most recent Smartpoint Desktop version. NDC content is accessible from v10.0 and higher. Please contact your account team to be enabled for certain airline content.

Which airlines are available via the plugin?

American Airlines have designated Travelport with a trusted partner status and therefore all Travelport customers using Smartpoint v10.0 and above have access to American Airlnes NDC content without additional airline registration requirements.

For other airlines, agencies need to sign up for each airline's NDC program directly with the airline.

Once an agency has completed the sign up process with the airline, and completed the relevant Travelport paperwork, they will then have access to the airline’s content. Travelport will enable the access.

How do agencies access the NDC content via Smartpoint?

Travelport's enablement team provisioned ONLY 1P/1V PCCs/SIDs (roughly 3,500 across 1P/1V). Agencies that are enabled and transacting on 1G (after being upgraded to Travelport+) were not included in the bulk provisioning, as they should be accessing AA NDC via 1G and not 1P/1V, even if those cores are still active.

Once an agent has access to the NDC content, will they get access to all the airlines?

Each airline has a different approach to which travel agency customers have access to their NDC content. During alpha and beta testing, selected agents will be selected by the relevant airline to participate. Agents should only make NDC bookings with the airline with which they have been selected to participate.

Please speak to your Travelport Account Manager regarding specific roll out plans for your country.

How do I know which NDC airlines I have access to?

Your agency needs to be signed up for each NDC airline individually, and when the relevant paperwork is completed, Travelport will grant access to the airline through the NDC plugin (for Desktop) or NDC content through Smartpoint Cloud. Once access is granted, you would see the airlines in the drop down menu of the Search panel.

American Airlines have designated Travelport with a trusted partner status and therefore all Travelport customers using Smartpoint Cloud have access to American Airlnes NDC content without additional airline registration requirements.

Do I need a special sign on to gain access via Smartpoint?

After clicking to access NDC, there is a login page where agents are required to enter their MyTravelport credentials. If the agent does not have MyTravelport credentials, they will need to contact their Travelport account representative to create credentials.

NDC on Smartpoint requires access to the certain endpoints. Refer to Endpoints for a complete list.

How is the plugin invoked?

See Access NDC.

Will agents who use the plugin need to login to get access?

There is a login page where agents enter their MyTravelport credentials. If the agent does not have MyTravelport credentials, they will need to contact their Travelport account representative to create credentials.

What are the session time limits?

  • MyTravelport is used to validate your identification. Once you enter these credentials, the MyTravelport session remains active for 24 hours.

  • You will remain logged into the plugin for 4 hour and you will remain logged in while you work in it.

  • If your host session times out after a period of being idle and the plugin screen is open, no message displays to advise you that your host password has timed out. You will need to close the window, log in to the host again, and relaunch the plugin. Unsaved Host booking file data may be lost at this stage, so it is important to ER the booking once changes are made.

  • If the MyTravelport session times out after 24 hours, there is currently no message to advise that it has timed out. There is no timer to warn that it is due to time out.
    Important: If a request was sent at this time, for example a book request or a cancel request, there is a possibility it may fail. If so, please log in and try the request again. If any problems recur, please contact the Help desk.

Will all agents’ current scripts and plugins work with the Flight Search?

We have not been able to test every scenario; however, the only place where the Flight Search should impact scripts and plugins is on end transactions scripts, as the booking is ended via the plugin window, not in Smartpoint. Our recommendation is for customers to test each individual plugin and if created by the third party, contact the third party to ensure compatibility.

Will the plugin work on Smartpoint Pro?

Although we have tested the plugin in Smartpoint Pro, we have not tested every scenario. Therefore, we would like to include a Smartpoint Pro user as part of our alpha program to ensure they test in their own environment, so we can identify any possible issues and address them at the alpha phase.

If you are a Smartpoint Pro user and would like to be part of the alpha program, provided the airline is distributing NDC content in your country, please contact your Travelport Account Manager for further details.

Can we use SCC rules to optimize shopping results returned?

As part of Travelport CCL (Content Curation Layer) we are looking to provide the capability to allow the agency to optimise the content based on rules. More information will follow.

Can I book a car or hotel in a booking file that contains NDC content?

Yes you can. We recommend booking the NDC flight first, then adding the car and hotel segments either graphically or using the Desktop GUI booking screens. The car or hotel segment displays alongside the NDC segment in the booking file viewer window.