Nearly 70 travel agents and aggregators were today introduced to a new partnership between Air France-KLM and Verteil, focusing on the New Distribution Capability (NDC), the popular data exchange standard developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This partnership complements Air France-KLM’s existing NDC services and provides agents with a more efficient and flexible way to book, compare, and sell flights.
The NDC is designed to enable airlines to distribute more personalized and relevant offers to customers, opening up new business opportunities for travel agents and aggregators. This digital transformation is aimed at enhancing the way airlines interact with both customers and agents, providing more control and transparency over pricing, booking, and customer service.
Through the integration with Verteil’s platform, travel agents now have the ability to search, compare, book, and service Air France-KLM flights through a unified interface. This streamlined system offers a range of benefits, including exclusive pricing models and fare structures that are only available via the NDC channel. In addition to these pricing advantages, the system allows agents to apply for refund within 24 hours of issuance.
“NDC presents a major opportunity for us to provide agents with more tailored and competitive offers while improving the efficiency of the booking process. Against this backdrop, we are excited to launch the Air France-KLM NDC integration with Verteil, which now offers a seamless experience for our travel agents in Kenya,” said Hildabeta Amiani, the Air France-KLM Country Sales Manager for Kenya and offline markets.
Abdul Bijur, the Chief Growth Officer at Verteil Technologies Pvt Ltd, also shared his enthusiasm for the partnership.
He noted, “Today’s travellers demand simplicity and efficiency, and NDC allows us to deliver that. By integrating with platforms like Verteil, agents are able to access exclusive fares, provide dynamic pricing, and offer customers greater flexibility—all within an intuitive system.”
One of the significant advantages of NDC is the ability for Kenya’s over 300 travel agents to secure better fares, thanks to the availability of exclusive offers such as promotional discounts, corporate rates, and special bundles. Additionally, the NDC system provides the ability to sell tickets in various fare bands, giving customers more options and control over their travel plans. Agents further receive a 10% discount on paid seats and dynamic seat bundles, adding further value to their offerings.
To access these enhanced NDC offers on Verteil, travel agents must sign an onboarding agreement with AirFrance-KLM. Following this, they are trained on how to use the integration and can immediately begin booking flights through the Verteil platform. The Air France-KLM-Verteil integration supports all agencies with an IATA number, regardless of their financial bearing.
Shilen Jobanputra from Travel ‘N Style, one of the early users of the Verteil platform (44% adoption) in Kenya, shared his positive experience with the system.
“The platform is incredibly user-friendly. It offers everything you can do on traditional systems, but with the added benefits of selecting extra baggage, choosing seats, and more—all in one place. Once you make your booking, the system generates your ticket number and the required documents with a single click. In comparison to older systems that require multiple steps and sometimes fail to sync, Verteil makes everything seamless,” he said.
In addition to its user-friendly features, Verteil’s platform enables travel agents to maximize savings through greater flexibility and access to a wide range of fares and services.
“The savings are substantial, and the ability to choose how to sell tickets makes it a powerful tool for our business,” Mr. Jobanputra added.
To support agents using the NDC platform, an exclusive customer support unit is available via chat and provides real-time support in English, as well as French, Dutch, German, Italian, and Spanish.
The Air France-KLM – Verteil NDC integration in Kenya, sets the stage for a more dynamic, efficient, and customer-friendly approach to air travel distribution. This partnership is expected to streamline operations for agents while giving travellers access to better pricing and more flexible options, ultimately shaping the future of air travel bookings.
