Key Takeaways
- A GDS (Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport) gives agents one connection to hundreds of airlines; NDC lets each airline sell its own richer offers through APIs.
- NDC is not a replacement for the GDS for most agencies — the practical answer is to use both.
- NDC fares are refundable or not according to their fare rules, exactly like GDS fares; what changes is how you service them.
- The "best" GDS depends on which airlines dominate your market and who your consolidator or ticketing partner uses.
A GDS is a shared network that connects travel agents to many airlines through one system, while NDC is IATA’s XML standard that lets each airline sell its own offers — including bundles and extras — directly through APIs. Most agencies now use both: the GDS for coverage and servicing, NDC for content the GDS does not carry.
What is a GDS in travel?
A Global Distribution System is a network into which airlines load their schedules, fares and seat availability. An agency connects once and can then search, book and ticket across hundreds of airlines. The three major systems are Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport (which runs the Galileo, Worldspan and Apollo brands).
The GDS model was built around fare filing: airlines publish fares in advance, and the GDS displays them. That works well for comparing flights, and badly for selling anything that is priced in the moment or bundled — which is most of what airlines now want to sell.
What are NDC fares?
NDC (New Distribution Capability) is a data standard created by IATA. Instead of filing fares in advance, the airline builds each offer when the agent searches and returns it through an API. That lets it include seat selection, bags, flexibility options and personalised prices — the same products travellers see on the airline’s own website.
An "NDC fare" is simply a fare obtained through an NDC connection. Some are the same as the GDS fare; some are only available through NDC.
GDS vs NDC side by side
| GDS | NDC | |
|---|---|---|
| How you connect | One connection, many airlines | Per airline, or through an aggregator |
| Content | Filed fares, standard ancillaries | Airline-built offers, bundles, dynamic pricing |
| Servicing (changes, refunds) | Mature, standardised | Through each airline’s API; still maturing |
| Integration effort | Low once connected | Higher — implementations differ by airline |
| Cost to the agency | GDS agreements and incentives | Depends on airline and aggregator |
Why airlines are pushing NDC
GDS distribution costs airlines money, and it limits what they can sell. Several large airline groups have therefore added surcharges to bookings made through traditional GDS channels, or kept their lowest fares and best bundles for NDC and their own websites. For an agent, the practical effect is that the cheapest or most attractive offer is sometimes not in the GDS at all.
For agents: check, airline by airline, whether you are seeing the full range of fares. If a client finds a cheaper fare on the airline’s website, the gap is often NDC-only content.
Are NDC fares refundable?
NDC fares are refundable or not according to their fare rules, just like any other fare — NDC changes the channel, not the rules. A flexible NDC fare can be refunded; a basic one may not be. What is different is the process: changes and refunds go through the airline’s NDC API, so your booking platform has to support servicing for that airline, not just booking.
Which GDS is best for travel agents?
There is no single best GDS. Choose based on:
- Market coverage — which system the airlines that matter to your clients use most in your region.
- Your ticketing route — if you issue through a consolidator, use what they support.
- Commercial terms — incentives and fees differ by market and volume.
- NDC support — how much NDC content the GDS itself now carries.
- Your booking platform — which GDS APIs it already integrates.
How to run GDS and NDC together
The agencies coping best with the shift put both behind one booking engine: GDS content for breadth and dependable servicing, NDC connections for the airlines whose best content lives there, and low-cost-carrier APIs for the rest. The agent searches once and sees one comparable list. That is an integration problem, not something to manage by switching between screens.
Frequently asked questions
What does GDS stand for in travel?
What does NDC stand for in travel?
Will NDC replace the GDS?
Are NDC fares refundable?
Keep reading
Hotel and Flight APIs for Travel Businesses: Providers, Costs and How Integration Works
3 min read Buyer GuidesWhite Label Travel Portal Cost in 2026: What You Actually Pay (India, UAE & Global)
5 min read Buyer GuidesHow to Choose the Best B2B Travel Portal: 12 Questions for Agencies in India, UAE and the GCC
3 min read