NDC Guide

This guide discusses what NDC New Distribution Capability, an XML standard for exchanging data that supports airlines in distributing their content directly to online travel agencies. See the NDC Guide. is and basic differences in support or workflow for NDC and GDS Global Distribution System. A GDS aggregates and distributes air, hotel, and car rental content such as schedules, fares, and upsells. In the JSON APIs, GDS content is distributed from Travelport. content.

Most topics in this online help are for both GDS and NDC content, with differences between them noted as applicable. The NDC menu at the top of every page in this online help groups the topics that apply only to NDC.

You must be provisioned for NDC content both from each participating carrier

An airline. and from Travelport to access NDC content, so NDC-specific parts of the help may not apply to your implementation of the JSON APIs.

For differences between GDS and NDC in the JSON APIs, see the support tables for seats, ancillaries, fare rules, and exchanges, and the NDC and GDS Functionality Comparison.

For differences within NDC by individual carriers, see NDC capabilities by airline through JSON API in the Travelport Knowledge Base. If you need login assistance, see Knowledge Base NDC Resources.

Related Content: JSON APIs Guide, NDC FAQs

In this topic:

NDC Basic Concepts
- What is NDC?
- General NDC & GDS Differences
NDC in the JSON APIs
NDC Carrier Support
NDC and GDS Functionality Comparison Chart

NDC Basic Concepts

NDC (New Distribution Capability) is a travel industry standard for the distribution and retailing of flight content. NDC is not a system, database, or piece of software - it is a standard for exchanging data.

What is NDC?

The Travelport JSON Air APIs support both NDC and GDS content, or simply NDC and GDS. These terms refer to the content distribution method:

GDS stands for Global Distribution System. A GDS aggregates and distributes air, hotel, and car rental content such as schedules, fares, and upsells A fare presented along with the base fare as a higher level of service, usually a branded fare. Returned if filed by the carrier and requested with maxNumberOfUpsellsToReturn in the Search request.. Travelport owns the Galileo, Worldspan, and Apollo GDSs, which are also known by the IATA International Air Transportation Association, an organization that standardizes rules, regulations and fare construction principles for the international travel industry. abbreviations 1G, 1P, and 1V.
NDC is for New Distribution Capability, a program launched by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association for the world's airlines, to facilitate content distribution directly from airlines to online travel agencies. NDC is an XML standard for exchanging data, and is intended to replace the EDIFACT protocol that has been used by Global Distribution Systems (GDS). NDC distributes content directly from airlines to online travel agencies, GDSs, and travel management companies. NDC content is provided and fulfilled directly by the airline, and may include differentiated content available only through the airlines' direct channels.

Although most JSON API workflows, requests, and responses are the same for both GDS and NDC, airline-specific processes do create some differences. Some functionality is supported only for NDC, or only for GDS, as detailed later in this guide. Because NDC is available only to provisioned customers, this online help has a separate NDC top-level menu to group information and processes that apply only to NDC.

If information in the online help doesn't include the text GDS only; not supported for NDC or vice versa, the functionality presented is supported for both NDC and GDS in the same way. Any differences in NDC and GDS functionality are noted where applicable.

Content for both NDC and GDS in the JSON APIs is sourced from the Galileo GDS (Global Distribution System) for most customers. NDC content from the Apollo and Worldspan GDSs is available to specifically provisioned customers. See the NDC Guide for Apollo and Worldspan.

General NDC & GDS Differences

NDC is a shopping-led workflow so there is no availability data. Inventory and price are not guaranteed until the booking A confirmed reservation with the carrier. A held booking is a reservation that has not yet been ticketed. The terms booking and reservation are interchangeable. is fulfilled.
In NDC the airline controls all data available, including offers, booking, storing, servicing, fulfillment, and ticketing.
Involuntary changes are sent using order change notifications and don’t use the AIRIMP codes HK/TK. (To accept an involuntary change in the JSON APIs, see Accept Involuntary Schedule Change in the Workbench Commit API Reference.)
NDC generally allows 20 to 30 minutes to create a booking (the offer In the JSON Search APIs, an offer is a product available at a specific price under a set of terms and conditions. An offer includes the flight or connecting flights for one leg of the itinerary, plus a service level that includes the cabin class and any fare codes that may apply. At booking, the selected offer from the Search response - including the flight/s, service level, price, terms and conditions, and brand if applicable - is converted into a single Offer object that is subsequently returned for that booking. time limit). That time limit varies by airline and is returned in the Search response in ReferenceList/TermsAndConditions/ExpiryDate.
NDC and GDS ticket time limits are the same; a booking will expire if ticketing doesn't take place within a certain time, usually within 24 hours of booking. NDC airlines do not generally return ticket time limit data.
NDC has two ticketing models: Issuing the ticket on the airline's own stock or using third-party FLX stock.

NDC in the JSON APIs

In general, the JSON APIs handle NDC and GDS content in the same way. Most workflows, requests, and responses across the JSON APIs work the same for both GDS and NDC content, with minor differences noted in the help where applicable.

The exception is that changes to a booked air itinerary The entire trip on a booking, including all flights on all legs. Also called a journey., including voids, exchanges, and refunds, are handled by separate JSON APIs and follow different workflows. This results from differences in how NDC carriers implement these processes.

The NDC menu at the top of every page groups these NDC-specific APIs. Otherwise, all Guides and API References apply to both NDC and GDS.

Prerequisites

To access NDC content you must be provisioned for NDC with Travelport and registered with the NDC airline. Validation occurs at these levels when a request for NDC content via any JSON API is received:

Validation that the requester is provisioned for NDC within Travelport.
Request details are sent to the airline system. Airline validates that the requester is registered with them for NDC content.
Aggregated NDC and GDS content is returned as requested.

Identifying GDS/NDC Offers in the JSON APIs

The JSON APIs identify each offer as either GDS or NDC by returning the value GDS or NDC in the ContentSource object. The examples below show ContentSource as returned in the Reservation Retrieve response. ContentSource is returned in all reservation and ticketing APIs that return the offer on the booking. An upcoming release will add support for returning ContentSource in the Search and AirPrice API responses.

Although Offer/ContentSource provides the simplest way to identify GDS/NDC content, note that Offer/Identifier/authority returns the carrier code for NDC while the value Travelport is returned for GDS.

To request NDC content, in the initial search request, send contentSourceList with either only the value NDC, or both values NDC and GDS. If contentSourceList is not sent, only GDS content is returned.

Show Example indicator for NDC content

This example excerpt for NDC content starts is from the beginning of the Reservation Retrieve response and for brevity is truncated after ContentSource.

{
    "ReservationResponse": {
        "@type": "ReservationResponse",
        "Reservation": {
            "@type": "Reservation",
            "Identifier": {
                "authority": "Travelport",
                "value": "7018cf18-9c54-4905-a9d5-ccf6926c3555"
            },
            "Offer": [
                {
                    "@type": "Offer",
                    "id": "offer_1",
                    "Identifier": {
                        "authority": "QF",
                        "value": "ZTNjN2Q3YTgtNGI2NC00OGQ1LTg1ZTYtMDkwZDYyNjFmMWRkfFBFMEJFNkE0My1EMDFELTQ2NDAtOEIyRGc0dm03bzh0NG94NnAtMS0x"
                    },
                    "ContentSource": "NDC", ...

Show Example indicator for GDS content

This example excerpt for GDS content starts with the Offer object and for brevity is truncated after ContentSource.

  ..."Offer": [
    {
     "@type": "Offer",
     "id": "offer_1",
     "Identifier": {
      "authority": "Travelport",
      "value": "a3b191ad-1709-48da-bd58-741ed7addac7"
     },
     "ContentSource": "GDS", ...

General Support

The following table outlines broad areas of support in the JSON APIs. More details are provided in the following sections.

NDC Item	Supported in the JSON APIs
IATA NDC schemas	17.2, 18.1, and 18.2
Itineraries supported	Single airline on a booking, multiple passengers
Payment	Generally cash, credit card, and banked funds; varies by carrier
Settlement	ARC and BSP
Travelport booking file	Passive segment A flight or flights under one flight number. One flight equals one segment. A segment could have multiple flights if the flight number remains the same, which happens if a flight makes a stop without changing planes. (ZK)
Mid and back office	MIR/TAIR (DI lines)

NDC for Apollo and Worldspan

Passive Booking Record (PNR)

In the traditional GDS distribution channel, Travelport issues the ticket using the GDS ticketing system, while for NDC the airline itself issues the ticket and handles payment and any subsequent changes. Because the NDC carrier maintains its own booking record (also called a PNR Passenger Name Record. Unique six-digit alphanumeric number that identifies a booking, e.g. JS7GH4. Sometimes used to refer to the booking record itself. Because the term PNR is specific to GDS, this online help uses the more generic term "reservation locator".), Travelport maintains on its host system a passive booking record or passive PNR. This passive PNR generally mirrors the carrier PNR and allows the JSON APIs to return and store information about the booking. At applicable points in the booking workflow, the JSON APIs synchronize this passive booking record with the carrier's booking record.

A successful booking returns a unique six-digit alphanumeric number called the reservation locator Unique six-character alphanumeric code returned for a successful booking, e.g. JS7GH4. For NDC the airline returns an additional locator code, which can be called the vendor locator code. Sometimes called a PNR and used to refer to the booking record as a whole, but because the term PNR is specific to GDS, this online help uses the more generic terms "booking" for the booking record and "reservation locator" for the six-character code. in Receipt/Confirmation/Locator. One instance of Receipt contains the passive record locator for Travelport's passive PNR, returning the locator code itself in Locator/value and a value of either 1G, 1P, or 1V in Locator/source. Another instance of Receipt contains the NDC airline booking reservation locator. This instance returns a carrier code in Locator/source, such as UA or AA, and a different unique code in Locator/value. When sending the record locator in subsequent requests, such as a reservation retrieve, be sure to send the Travelport reservation locator, aka passive PNR code.

The following example shows the Receipt object for a held NDC booking. NDC locators are returned with the carrier code as the source value. In this example, the NDC record locator is returned in the first instance of Receipt/@type ReceiptConfirmation/Confirmation/Locator, with a source value of AA. The Travelport locator, or passive PNR, is returned in the second instance of Receipt/@type ReceiptConfirmation/Confirmation/Locator, with a source value of 1G.

Show Example locator codes

   "Receipt": [
    {
     "@type": "ReceiptConfirmation",
     "id": "receipt_1",
     "Identifier": {
      "authority": "AA",
      "value": "fe6d1272-c9cf-4858-88ff-f00ebde2fadc"
     },
     "OfferRef": [
      "offer_1"
     ],
     "Confirmation": {
      "@type": "ConfirmationHold",
      "Locator": {
       "source": "AA",
       "sourceContext": "OrderId",
       "value": "AA001HD1YYTA7"
      }
     }
    },
    {
     "@type": "ReceiptConfirmation",
     "id": "receipt_2",
     "Identifier": {
      "authority": "AA",
      "value": "50ade55b-09e9-4e06-bd8d-af7039cca702"
     },
     "OfferRef": [
      "offer_1"
     ],
     "Confirmation": {
      "@type": "ConfirmationHold",
      "Locator": {
       "source": "AA",
       "sourceContext": "VendorLocator",
       "value": "NRAHSL"
      }
     }
    },
    {
     "@type": "ReceiptConfirmation",
     "Identifier": {
      "authority": "Travelport",
      "value": "6ec7bf8f-961c-44fc-8670-87d98aa0d789"
     },
     "Confirmation": {
      "@type": "ConfirmationHold",
      "Locator": {
       "source": "1G",
       "value": "3HPDLQ"
      }
     }
    }
   ],

Filed Fares

AirReservation applies the following handling to filed fares in the passive PNR:

Updates handling of filed fare details so that if the price changes between the time of booking and ticketing, the passive booking record reflects the updated price at ticketing.
Updates handling of filed fare details so that if there is any change in the itinerary (date change, time change, routing change, etc.) and the airline exchanges the original ticket for a new ticket, the filed fare for the original ticket is canceled and replaced with the filed fare for the exchanged ticket. This ensures the exchange Cancel or modify a ticketed itinerary and issue a new ticket. See the Cancel, Exchange, and Refund Options Guide. is handed and reported per ARC/BSP standards and that the same information is sent to the MIR (management information report) and the back office system. (In the BSP market, when the original ticket is exchanged for a new ticket, the fare is collected either as a NO ADC or an ADC. In the ARC(US) market, the fare is created with the total values which includes base fare, taxes and total fare.)

Filed fares are not accessible through the JSON APIs but rather through agency-based software such as Smartpoint Cloud.

MIR (Machineable Interface Record)

AirReservation supports generating a MIR (machineable interface record) for ticket issuance, ticket exchanges, and ticket voids for NDC in the same format as for GDS ticket issuance, exchange, and void Voiding a ticket cancels the ticket and payment and is based on rules for the market in which the ticket was issued. Generally a ticket can be voided only the same day it was issued, usually up to midnight local agency time. See the Exchange, Refund, and Void Guide.. This ensures consistent mid- and back-office reporting and handling for NDC as well as GDS itineraries.

MIRs are not accessible through the JSON APIs but rather through agency-based software such as Smartpoint Cloud.

NDC Carrier Support

Because NDC content is created and supplied directly from the NDC airline, supported capabilities differ by carrier. See the Travelport Knowledge Base article linked for each carrier in the table below for a complete list of carrier-specific differences.

For differences in support between NDC and GDS in the JSON APIs, see the support tables for seats, ancillaries, fare rules, and exchanges. Also see the NDC and GDS Functionality Comparison Chart below.

Knowledge Base NDC Resources

Where applicable, this online help lists differences between support for GDS and NDC content in the JSON APIs. Within NDC, however, individual NDC carriers differ in their support for various functionality. The following Travelport Knowledge Base article lists carrier support for functionality and provides links to carrier-specific pages:

KB0040467: NDC capabilities by airline through JSON API

You must be logged into the customer portal to view articles. If the link above does not work, or you are not logged in:

Log into https://my.travelport.com.
In the Help and Resources menu at the top of the page, select Knowledge base.
Enter either NDC Capabilities by airline or KB0040467 in the search bar at the top of the page.

If you do not have a Travelport customer login, please contact your Travelport representative.

Participating Carriers

The JSON APIs have been certified to provide NDC content from the carriers in the following table. The linked Knowledge Base articles provide carrier-specific differences.

NDC carrier	Travelport Knowledge Base article
Air France/KLM (AF/KL)	NDC AF/KL - New Distribution Content for Air France & KLM
American Airlines (AA)	NDC AA - New Distribution Content for American Airlines
avianca (AV)	NDC AV - New Distribution Content Avianca Airlines
British Airways (BA)	NDC BA - New Distribution Content for British Airways
Emirates (EK)	NDC EK - New Distribution Content for Emirates
Iberia Air Lines (IB)	NDC IB - New Distribution Content for Iberia
Lufthansa Group (LHG)	NDC LHG - New Distribution Content for the Lufthansa Group
Malaysia Airlines (MH)	NDC MH - New Distribution Content Malaysia Airlines
Qantas (QF)	NDC QF - New Distribution Content for Qantas
Qatar Airways (QR)	NDC QR - New Distribution Content for Qatar Airlines
SAS (SK)	NDC SK - New Distribution Content for SAS Scandinavian Airlines
Singapore (SQ)	NDC SQ - New Distribution Content for Singapore Airlines
United (UA)	NDC UA - New Distribution Content for United Airlines
Finnair (AY)	NDC AY - New Distribution Content for Finnair

NDC Support by Country

NDC carrier content is available for booking through the JSON APIs in the countries listed below. Where NDC content is available, your Travelport account manager will ensure you have been enabled for the content. You may also need to register directly with the airline to gain access to the NDC content.

Country	American Airlines (AA)	Qantas Airways (QF)	Singapore Airlines (SQ)	Air France (AF)	KLM (KL)	United Airlines (UA)	British Airways (BA)	Lufthansa Group	Iberia (IB)	Emirates (EK)	Qatar (QR)	avianca (AV)	SAS (SK)	Malaysia Airlines (MH)	Finnair (AY)
Afghanistan
Albania			Yes				Yes				Yes		Yes		Yes
Andorra	Yes				Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes				Yes
Angola				Yes							Yes
Antigua	Yes					Yes	Yes	Yes
Argentina	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes		Yes	Yes
Aruba	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes				Yes
Australia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Austria	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Azerbaijan							Yes	Yes			Yes
Bahamas	Yes					Yes	Yes
Bahrain		Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes		Yes*		Yes
Bangladesh			Yes					Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes
Barbados	Yes					Yes		Yes
Barbuda						Yes	Yes	Yes
Belarus			Yes
Belgium	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Belize						Yes		Yes
Benin				Yes	Yes			Yes			Yes
Bermuda	Yes					Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes
Bolivia	Yes											Yes
Bonaire	Yes			Yes	Yes			Yes
Bosnia and Herzegovina			Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes				Yes		Yes
Botswana							Yes				Yes
Brazil	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes		Yes	Yes
British Virgin Islands	Yes
Bulgaria			Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes				Yes		Yes		Yes
Burkina Faso				Yes	Yes			Yes			Yes
Cambodia (Vietnam)			Yes								Yes			Yes	Yes
Cameroon				Yes	Yes			Yes			Yes
Canada	Yes	Yes				Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes*		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Cayman Islands	Yes					Yes	Yes	Yes
Chad				Yes	Yes			Yes			Yes
Chile	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes
China	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes		Yes			Yes	Yes
Colombia	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
Congo Brazza				Yes	Yes
Cook Islands	Yes							Yes
Costa Rica	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes
Croatia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes*		Yes		Yes		Yes
Curacao	Yes			Yes	Yes			Yes				Yes
Cyprus	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes		Yes		Yes
Czech Republic	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes		Yes
Denmark	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Dominica	Yes						Yes	Yes
Dominican Republic	Yes					Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes
Ecuador	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes*
Egypt				Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
El Salvador	Yes					Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes
Estonia	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Ethiopia								Yes		Yes	Yes
Fiji		Yes						Yes
Finland	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
France	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
French Guiana	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes					Yes
French Polynesia		Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Gabon				Yes	Yes			Yes			Yes
Georgia				Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes
Germany	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Ghana	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes				Yes
Gibraltar	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
Greece	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes
Greenland	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
Grenada	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
Guadeloupe	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes				Yes	Yes
Guam						Yes
Guatemala	Yes					Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes
Guyana	Yes						Yes
Haiti	Yes					Yes
Honduras	Yes					Yes		Yes				Yes
Hong Kong	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Hungary	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes		Yes
Iceland			Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes					Yes		Yes
India	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes	Yes
Indonesia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes	Yes
Ireland	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes
Israel	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Italy	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Ivory Coast				Yes	Yes						Yes
Jamaica	Yes					Yes	Yes	Yes
Japan	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Jordan	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
Kazakhstan	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes		Yes*		Yes
Kenya	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes			Yes	Yes
Kiribati	Yes							Yes
Kuwait	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
Kyrgyzstan	Yes
Latvia	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Lebanon		Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes			Yes
Lesotho	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
Liechtenstein	Yes						Yes	Yes
Lithuania	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Luxembourg	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes	Yes
Macao							Yes								Yes*
Macedonia			Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes				Yes		Yes*		Yes
Malawi				Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes
Malaysia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes		Yes*	Yes	Yes
Maldives			Yes
Mali				Yes	Yes						Yes
Malta	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes					Yes
Marshall Islands
Martinique	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes					Yes
Mauritania				Yes	Yes						Yes
Mauritius				Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes
Mayotte	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
Mexico	Yes	Yes				Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes*			Yes
Micronesia						Yes
Moldova	Yes		Yes										Yes
Monaco	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes	Yes
Mongolia											Yes
Montenegro	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes				Yes		Yes
Montserrat	Yes							Yes
Morocco				Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes		Yes		Yes
Mozambique											Yes
Myanmar (Thailand)			Yes											Yes
Namibia	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes		Yes
Nepal	Yes		Yes								Yes			Yes
Netherlands	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
New Caledonia		Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes
New Zealand	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nicaragua	Yes					Yes		Yes				Yes
Niger				Yes	Yes						Yes
Nigeria				Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes				Yes
North Mariana Islands						Yes
Norway	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes*		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Oman	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes		Yes		Yes
Pakistan		Yes	Yes				Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
Palau						Yes
Panama	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes
Papua New Guinea		Yes						Yes
Paraguay				Yes		Yes			Yes*			Yes
Peru	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
Philippines	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes				Yes		Yes*	Yes	Yes
Poland	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes		Yes		Yes
Portugal	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Puerto Rico						Yes			Yes			Yes	Yes
Qatar	Yes	Yes				Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes			Yes	Yes
Reunion Island	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes					Yes
Romania	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes*		Yes		Yes		Yes
Russia			Yes	Yes	Yes				Yes	Yes	Yes
Rwanda											Yes
Saba	Yes							Yes
Saint Barthelemy	Yes			Yes				Yes
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Yes						Yes	Yes
Saint Lucia	Yes						Yes	Yes
Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	Yes			Yes	Yes			Yes
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Yes						Yes	Yes
Samoa
San Marino	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes
Saudi Arabia	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes
Senegal				Yes	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes
Serbia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes						Yes		Yes
Singapore	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes
Sint Eustatius	Yes							Yes
Slovakia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes*		Yes		Yes		Yes
Slovenia	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes*				Yes		Yes
South Africa	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes
South Korea	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Spain	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Sri Lanka (India)	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes			Yes
Suriname		Yes		Yes	Yes						Yes
Swaziland	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes
Sweden	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Switzerland	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Taiwan	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes		Yes*	Yes	Yes
Tanzania	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes				Yes
Thailand	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes		Yes*	Yes	Yes
Togo				Yes				Yes			Yes
Trinidad & Tobago	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes				Yes
Tunisia				Yes	Yes			Yes			Yes
Turkey	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes		Yes		Yes
Turks and Caicos	Yes						Yes	Yes
Uganda	Yes			Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes
Ukraine			Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes		Yes**
United Arab Emirates	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes
United Kingdom	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
United States	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Uruguay	Yes			Yes		Yes		Yes	Yes			Yes
Vatican									Yes
Venezuela								Yes
Vietnam	Yes	Yes	Yes			Yes		Yes			Yes			Yes	Yes*
Zambia		Yes					Yes				Yes
Zimbabwe											Yes

NDC and GDS Functionality Comparison Chart

As the NDC technology continues to develop, the JSON APIs handle certain functionality differently between NDC and GDS:

Ticketing: In the GDS distribution channel, Travelport issues the ticket. For NDC, the airline itself issues the ticket and handles payment and any subsequent changes. The general JSON API booking workflow is the same for both GDS and NDC in the JSON APIs.
Changes to a booking: After booking, however, GDS and NDC use separate APIs and workflows for voids, exchanges, refunds, and certain modifications. This results from differences in how these processes are implemented by the NDC carriers.
Payment: Payment processes can differ between GDS and NDC, and for individual NDC carriers.

The NDC menu at the top of every page in this online help groups the NDC-only topics. Otherwise, all topics in this online help apply to both NDC and GDS with differences noted where applicable.

For NDC / GDS support differences in the JSON APIs, see the support tables for seats, ancillaries, fare rules, and exchanges. Also see the NDC Carrier-Specific Notes above.

For differences within NDC between individual carriers, see the Travelport Knowledge Base article NDC capabilities by airline through JSON API. If you need login assistance, see Knowledge Base NDC Resources.

The following table outlines the functionality differences between NDC and GDS in the JSON APIs.

API and Functionality	NDC Only	GDS Only	Supported for both with differences
General (functionality across multiple APIs)
Identifier values for system-generated IDs			The value returned in responses for Identifier/authority value for GDS is Travelport while for NDC this value is the code for the issuing NDC carrier. See Identifiers in the JSON APIs for more about identifiers across all JSON APIs.
Identifier values for short IDs			NDC and GDS use a different numbering scheme for short identifiers for offers, products, brands, etc., in which NDC incorporates the carrier code while GDS does not. For example: NDC offer ids on Qantas start as QF_CPO0, QF_CPO1, etc. NDC product ids on Singapore Airlines start as SQp0, SQp1, etc. These numbers for GDS would start with o0 and o1 for offers on all carriers and p0 and p1 for products on all carriers. See Identifiers in the JSON APIs for more about identifiers across all JSON APIs.
Branded fares			Branded fares are returned for both NDC and GDS with the following minor differences: NDC does not return the brand An upgrade from the base fare that includes certain features in the price, such as wifi or seat selection. Features included in a brand are specified in the brand attributes (BrandAttributes object). tier.
Net fares net ticket data (NTD) The information returned for a net fare. Can include details specific to the negotiated price and not shared with the public, such as commission, BT (base ticket), IT (inclusive tour), and value code. GDS only; NDC carriers do not generally offer net fares. Several APIs return several objects with NTD for any fare with a private fare Special air fares negotiated by agencies. Private fares may use account names, account codes, contract codes, or corporate IDs. component; however, NDC does not support net fares.		GDS only
AvailabilitySourceCode object (returned in ReferenceList/ReferenceListFlight to assist in troubleshooting)		GDS only
Search
Content Optimizer (formerly Search Control Console)		GDS only
Air Availability API		GDS only
Flight Specific Search (both reference and full payload In the JSON APIs, an API call that sends all details of the flight/s to be shopped, priced, added to the workbench, etc. instead of sending a reference to an offer in a previous API response.)		GDS only
Infants per adult passenger			For NDC carriers, only 1 INF (infant in lap) is allowed per 1 adult PTC Passenger Type Code, used to categorize travelers. The most common PTCs are adult (ADT), child (CNN), and infant (INF). You can request a maximum of 9 passengers in one Search request.. NDC content is not returned if there are more INF than adults.
The following objects in TravelerGeographicLocation, used to support local citizen fares: residentGeographicCode specialLargeFamilyResidentDiscountInd generalLargeFamilyResidentDiscountInd	NDC only
The following optional indicators in the Search request: excludePenaltiesInd excludeSurchargesInd excludeBaggageFeesInd includeFareCalculationInd excludeUnbundledFaresInd accountCodeFaresOnlyInd		GDS only
The following pricing modifiers (PricingModifiersAir) in the Search request: Fare restrictions such as excluding the return of fares that are non-refundable or that require an advance purchase. Currency override to override the PCC Pseudo city code. A travel provider's identification code for the JSON APIs, provisioned from Travelport. Used to determine access and other settings in the JSON APIs for your company. default currency Net fares (NDC does not support net fares) Fares based on sell or ticket location (sellCity and ticketCity) Whether to return CAT16 change and cancel Cancel a ticket outside the void period without rebooking on another itinerary. Depending on the airline ticket policy, canceling a ticket may result in a full, partial, or no refund. penalties (excludePenaltiesInd) Set brand restriction preferences (returnMostRestrictiveBrandInd) Request only fares that meet certain change criteria (ChangeOptions) Request only fares that meet certain refund criteria (RefundOptions) Request split ticketing itineraries (includeSplitPaymentInd) Increase or decrease the base fare (ManualFareAdjustment) Mark all or specific taxes as exempt (TaxExemption) Override default plating carrier (validatingCarrier)		GDS only
The following pricing modifiers (PricingModifiersAir) in the Search request: PromotionalCode FareQualiferString (sic)	NDC only
Refundability and changeabiility options (sent in PricingModifiersAir/FareSelection in the Search request)			Up to 6 selection criteria can be sent in for NDC; up to 12 are supported for GDS.
The following journey modifiers (SearchModifiersAir) in the Search request: Exclude interline connections (NDC does not support interline connections) (excludeInterlineConnectionsInd) Prohibit change of airport (prohibitChangeOfAirportInd) Class of service preferences (ClassOfServicePreference) Cabin preference at the leg The flight or connecting flights between one origin and destination pair. For example, on a round-trip flight, LAX > MSP could be the first leg (aka outbound leg) and MSP > DEN > LAX could be the second leg (aka inbound leg). The JSON APIs use the term product for one leg of the itinerary. level (CabinPreference at the itinerary level is supported for NDC) Exclude ground transportation (excludeGround) Maximum connection A change to a different airplane on the way to the destination. duration (maxConnectionDuration) Maximum overnight time (MaxOvernightDuration) Preferences for connecting location (ConnectionPreferences) Alliances Prohibited carriers (CarrierPreference/PreferenceType=Prohibited)		GDS only
Applying journey modifiers (SearchModifiersAir) at the leg level in the Search request instead of to the full itinerary.		GDS only
In the Search response, the following objects are returned only for GDS: ProductBrandOptions/flightRefs Brand/tier PriceBreakdownAir/Commission (returned for GDS if an airline files a commission in a CAT35 fare) PriceBreakdownAir/Surcharges Flight: Departure/terminal Arrival/terminal operatingCarrierNumber subjectToGovernmentApprovalInd indicator ReferenceList/Product/PassengerFlight/FlightProduct/ticketDesignator (ticket designators are returned for NDC in FlightProduct/fareBasisCode by appending a slash (/) and the ticket designator after the fare basis code) ReferenceListProduct/Product/FlightSegment/boundFlightsInd (in Next Leg Search) ReferenceListTermsAndConditions/TermsAndConditions/TourCodes PassengerFlight/FlightProduct/fareTypeCode TicketingAgency PricingAgency TourCodes		GDS only
Behavior when upsells are not requested (maxNumberOfUpsellsToReturn)			For GDS, when maxNumberOfUpsellsToReturn is either not provided or is sent as 0, the lowest priced offer is returned. For NDC: When maxNumberOfUpsellsToReturn is not sent, the response returns the lowest priced offer of each available brand or cabin. When maxNumberOfUpsellsToReturn is sent as 0, the response returns the lowest priced offer.
In PriceBreakdown: Discount In PriceBreakdown/Amount/taxes: description In ProductBrandOffering: Price (see note at right)	NDC only		As part of support for multi-city An itinerary that includes multiple destinations; e.g., LHR > CDG > AMS > BCN. offers with stopovers (GDS only), the ProductBrandOffering/Price object was removed from all GDS offers across all search responses. Price details for GDS are returned only in ProductBrandOffering/BestCombinablePrice. NDC offers continue to return price details in both ProductBrandOffering/Price and ProductBrandOffering/BestCombinablePrice. A future deployment will remove ProductBrandOffering/Price from NDC offers.
The UpsellOffering object in the Search response is returned by default for NDC offers on United Airlines (UA) only when dynamic bundle fares (DBF) are available and NDC content has been requested. Not returned for other NDC carriers.	NDC only; United Airlines only
AirPrice
AirPrice full payload request			The full payload request is supported for NDC only on specific carriers. The AirPrice reference payload request is supported for all supported NDC carriers.
Upsells at AirPrice	NDC only		Upsells are supported only in the full payload request, only for specific NDC carriers, by sending MaxNumberOfUpsellsToReturn set to the number of upsells to return.
The following objects in the AirPrice request: validateInventoryInd (check availability in requested class of service - NDC carriers already validate inventory at pricing.) TravelerGeographicLocation (local citizen fares) Fare calculation ladder (net fares - NDC does not support net fares)		GDS only
Pricing modifiers in the pricing request: SellCity and TicketCity TicketingPCC and PricingPCC FareSelection/fareType=NetFaresOnly value All FareSelectionDetail indicators: prohibitAdvancePurchaseFaresInd, prohibitMaxStayFaresInd, prohibitMinStayFaresInd, refundableOnlyInd TaxExemption accountCodeFaresOnlyInd ManualFareAdjustment		GDS only
In the AirPrice response: FlightProduct/faretypecode and ticketDesignator TicketingAgency PricingAgency		GDS only
Fare Display API		GDS only
Ancillaries and EMDs
Support for specific ancillaries (e.g., paid bags, carbon offset)			Supported ancillaries differ for NDC and GDS, and by NDC carrier. See the support section of the Ancillaries and EMDs Guide.
Ancillary workflow support			Ancillaries can be shopped and booked at various points in the workflow. See the support section of the Ancillaries and EMDs Guide.
Ancillary price	NDC only
EMDs			Payments and EMDs for Seats and Ancillaries Sending payment and issuing an EMD for a seat or ancillary Any paid optional service filed for a flight. Industry examples include paid seats, paid baggage, carbon offsets, pet transport fees, and unaccompanied minor charges. See the Ancillary and EMD Guide for supported ancillaries. in the same workbench as shopping and booking that seat/ancillary is supported only for specific NDC carriers. For some NDC carriers and all GDS carriers, you must commit API call that ends a workbench session, finalizing all changes and requests in that session. Depending on the workbench transactions, the commit workbench request may create a reservation, issue a ticket or EMD, exchange tickets, or modify a reservation. the booking workbench to confirm the seat/ancillary, and send payment and issue the EMD Electronic miscellaneous document (EMD); issued for a paid seat, ancillary, or any other paid service after successful payment. See the Ancillary and EMD Guide. in a separate workbench. For ancillary payment requirements by NDC carrier, see NDC capabilities by airline through JSON API in the Travelport Knowledge Base. (If you need login assistance, see Knowledge Base NDC Resources.)
Returned in the Ancillary Shop response to normalize baggage data for GDS carriers with data returned in Travelport SOAP/XML API: TermsAndConditions: fulfillmentType associatedItem Refundability validatingAirline PriceBreakdown/inclusiveOfTaxInd PriceBreakdown/Commission/application PriceBreakdown/Description/issuanceReasonCode and /value		GDS only
EMD refund & void		GDS only
Ancillary Cancel API			The Ancillary Cancel API supports canceling baggage and/or seats for both GDS and NDC, and canceling non-baggage paid ancillaries for NDC. Canceling non-baggage paid ancillaries for GDS is not supported.
Seats (also see EMDs above)
Seats support			Support varies for NDC and GDS, and by NDC carrier. See the support section of the Seats Guide.
Standalone Seat Map API (full payload seat map request)		GDS only
Seat map caching after Search and AirPrice requests			Seat map results are not cached outside a workbench for NDC, and the seat map request must be repeated during booking. See the support section of the Seats Guide.
Booking seats in multiple workbench sessions			For NDC you must select all seats in the same workbench session; you cannot make additional seat selections in a subsequent workbench session.
Seat Book response			GDS responses return an identifier for each booked seat and the corresponding seat details, including seat assignment. NDC seat book responses return only an identifier for each booked seat and no seat details.
Seat modify instead of cancel and rebook		GDS only
Seats bundled with airfares (UA dynamic bundled fares only); available for shop but not currently available for booking	NDC only; United Airlines only
Standalone Fare Rules
Fare rules			Fare rule support varies between GDS and NDC. See the Fare Rules Guide.
AirReservation
Instant Pay workflow (create reservation and issue the ticket in the same initial booking session)	NDC only
Add Product booking workflow (alternate workflow that skips the Search and AirPrice requests that usually initiate the JSON APIs workflow; includes the Add Product and Standalone Price requests)		GDS only
Add Offer request			NDC supports only the reference payload Add Offer request. GDS supports both the full and reference payload In the JSON APIs, an API call that sends identifers referring to a previous response for the itinerary to be shopped, priced, added, etc. instead of full itinerary details. requests.
Multiple Add Offer reference payload requests to book multiple air offers on one booking		GDS only
All pricing modifiers in Add Offer request		GDS only
Send multiple Add Offer requests to combine multiple offers into one booking		GDS only
Add offer to reservation with expired booking			GDS uses the Add Offer request to renew an expired booking. NDC uses the Reprice API to reprice a booking either before or after the price guarantee expires.
Add Traveler: Telephone/extension object TravelDocument/docType enum value PassportCard Comments object for traveler name remarks		GDS only
Add Form of Payment (FOP): Adding FOP when creating a held booking Non-standard credit cards FOP Agent invoice FOP Check FOP Pay in installments with credit card (ExtendedPayment object) Multiple FOP on one reservation		GDS only	NDC supports adding FOP only in the instant pay and ticketing workflows. If FOP is sent for NDC during the workflow that creates a held booking, the FOP is not stored.
Add Form of Payment credit card CVV			Required for NDC, optional for GDS.
Delete Form of Payment and Update Form of Payment			Supported in the initial booking workflow for both GDS and NDC, where these requests delete or update an FOP added in the same booking workbench. For an existing reservation, supported only for GDS.
In the workbench commit: In the request, sending Notification/Date to update or delete the ticketing time limit date. In the response, returning a notification message if the flight time or fare has changed since the offer was added.		GDS only
Sending the account code/corporate ID number in the workbench commit, if that code was sent as a pricing modifier A modifier that refines the API request based on fare and ticketing options and not the travel itself; sent in the PricingModifiersAir object. See the Air Shopping Guide for a list. in OrganizationInformation/OrganizationIdentifier in the Search request.	NDC only
Reservation Retrieve request: Retrieve reservation by ticket number (identifierType query parameter); for NDC, retrieve reservation by reservation locator code Request the return of brand attributes (viewBrandCompleteInfoInd) Request the return of additional baggage details (viewBaggageDetailInd)		GDS only
Reservation retrieve response: Fare rules Certain ticketing information including terms and conditions specific to ticketing, and ticketing time limits. NDC does not return the notificationDate object, which returns the ticketing time limit. Tax code description subjectToGovernmentApprovalInd indicator secureFlightPassengerDataRequiredInd indicator Any travel agency details associated with the booking Retrieve itineraries with multiple air offers		GDS only
Modify air itinerary on a held booking	NDC only
Shell bookings (a reservation that does not have any air segments booked and contains only traveler details, created in certain cases when a booking fails and the autoDeleteDate query parameter has been set)		GDS only
Reservation cancel			Canceling a reservation for NDC requires a workbench session and a cancel request that sets the RetainFlag parameter to false to indicate the cancel operation. Send a single request to cancel a GDS reservation. Does not use RetainFlag.
Remarks & Service Requests
Specific remarks: Form of ID (FOID) SSR Child DOB (SSR CHLD) Document override remarks, including traveler-specific commission		GDS only	See the Remarks and Service Requests Guide / API Reference for detailed remark/SSR support and carrier-specific details.
Additional request in the same workbench session to add or delete same type of remark			On an existing reservation, to send an additional request for the same type of item (such as deleting an SSR and adding a new SSR, or deleting two SSRs): For GDS you can make multiple adds or deletes in the same workbench session, but you must retrieve the workbench between each request. For NDC you can must commit the workbench before you can add or delete another of the same type of item.
AirTicketing
Apply the balance on an unused ticket as form of payment to a separate booking	NDC only; limited carrier support
Display fees in the Workbench Commit response		GDS only
Ticket display			To retrieve a GDS ticket use the Ticket Retrieve API. To retrieve an NDC ticket use the NDC Ticket Retrieve API.
Ticket void, cancel, and refund			For NDC, use the same process to void a ticket or cancel and issue a refund, depending on whether the ticket is inside the allowable void period. See the Exchange, Refund, and Void Guide. For GDS, only ticket void is supported. Cancel/refund functionality is under development.
Air Modify, Exchanges, and Refunds
Air modify and exchanges			For NDC, use the NDC Exchange APIs (Reshop, Reprice, and Resell) to modify the air itinerary on either a held booking or a ticket. For GDS, use the GDS Exchange APIs (Exchange Eligibility and Exchange Search) to exchange a GDS ticket. For a held booking, you cannot modify the air itinerary; you must cancel and rebook. See the Exchange, Refund, and Void Guide for both GDS and NDC processes.
Refunds	NDC only		See the Exchange, Refund, and Void Guide.

NDC Guide

NDC Basic Concepts

What is NDC?

General NDC & GDS Differences

NDC in the JSON APIs

Prerequisites

Identifying GDS/NDC Offers in the JSON APIs

General Support

NDC for Apollo and Worldspan

Passive Booking Record (PNR)

Filed Fares

MIR (Machineable Interface Record)

NDC Carrier Support

Knowledge Base NDC Resources

Participating Carriers

NDC Support by Country

NDC and GDS Functionality Comparison Chart

General (functionality across multiple APIs)

Search

AirPrice

Ancillaries and EMDs

Seats (also see EMDs above)

Standalone Fare Rules

AirReservation

Remarks & Service Requests

AirTicketing

Air Modify, Exchanges, and Refunds