Turkish Airlines has entered a new partnership with AirBooking to give travel agents, corporations, and travelers direct access to Turkish Airlines’ exclusive content and pricing, bypassing traditional distribution channels. The collaboration leverages AirBooking’s NDC-enabled platform to deliver offers that were previously unavailable through conventional Global Distribution Systems (GDS).
AirBooking, an IATA-certified NDC distribution platform, has officially become a Turkish Airlines TKCONNECT partner. The arrangement enables agents and customers to view Turkish Airlines’ exclusive content side by side with a broad array of GDS inventory on AirBooking’s unified platform. This integration supports managing seats, baggage, upgrades, and other ancillaries within a single transaction. Real-time dynamic pricing is updated based on customer profiles, and the previously incurred GDS distribution surcharge of $24 USD, introduced in October 2024, is eliminated under this setup.
Corporate clients stand to benefit from customized pricing based on travel volume and company agreements, along with streamlined expense management, consolidated reporting, and policy compliance tools. The direct airline relationship within AirBooking also unlocks exclusive promotions, priority support, and simplified procurement for complex itineraries. Additionally, the platform enables dynamic bundling of flights and ancillary services, further simplifying the booking process for complex trips.
AirBooking emphasizes its credentials and long-term expertise in modern airline retailing. The company highlights that its platform, backed by a robust travel technology team, has achieved the first IATA NDC Level 4 certification in 2019 and is designed to comply with IATA NDC 21.3 standards. The partnership with Turkish Airlines represents a significant milestone in expanding access to exclusive content and transparent, cost-effective pricing across a broad global network.
George Rajan, AirBooking’s Chief Experience Officer, notes that the collaboration showcases how modern airline retailing should work—delivering exclusive content and cost savings while preserving comprehensive inventory coverage for travel professionals. The integration aims to deliver a more flexible, personalized, and efficient booking experience for agents, corporations, and end customers alike.
Key benefits of the partnership include:
– Access to Turkish Airlines’ exclusive NDC content alongside extensive GDS inventory on a single screen
– Simplified management of ancillaries (seats, baggage, upgrades) within one transaction
– Real-time dynamic pricing aligned with customer profiles
– Elimination of the $24 GDS distribution surcharge
– Customized corporate pricing, expense management, reporting, and policy controls
– Exclusive promotions and priority support via a direct airline relationship
– Dynamic bundling of flights and ancillaries for streamlined itineraries
Summary
Turkish Airlines’ alliance with AirBooking marks a meaningful shift toward airline retailing that blends traditional GDS access with modern NDC capabilities. By offering exclusive content, flexible pricing, and streamlined procurement for travel professionals and corporate clients, the partnership aims to deliver a more transparent, efficient, and potentially cost-saving booking experience for a wide range of travelers.
Additional context and potential implications
– Industry impact: The move reinforces the ongoing transition toward NDC-based distribution, challenging conventional GDS models and encouraging more airline-centric pricing and packaging.
– User experience: Travel agents and corporate buyers can expect a more unified booking flow, with better visibility of exclusive fares and bundles.
– Future developments: Monitoring how Turkish Airlines expands its TKCONNECT offerings through AirBooking could reveal further exclusive content, dynamic pricing opportunities, and enterprise-level procurement features.