An NDC aggregator is a technology provider that connects to many airlines' NDC APIs and exposes them to travel agencies, OTAs and booking tools through a single API or agent desktop. It normalises each airline's NDC version, handles credentials and certification, and lets agencies shop, book and service NDC offers from multiple airlines in one place.
Why do NDC aggregators exist?
Every airline runs its own NDC implementation. Even when two airlines use the same IATA schema release, they differ in authentication, payment and ticketing rules, offer expiry, and which servicing messages they support. For an agency, each direct NDC connection is a small software project with its own commercial agreement.
An aggregator does that work once and resells access. The agency integrates one API, or uses one booking tool, and gets many NDC airlines behind it.
What does an NDC aggregator actually do?
- Normalises schemas: maps NDC 17.2, 18.1, 21.3 and airline-specific variations into one format.
- Manages access: holds or passes through airline credentials, often under the agency's own IATA number.
- Shops in parallel: sends
AirShoppingto several airlines and merges the offers. - Handles the order life cycle:
OfferPrice,OrderCreate, then changes, cancellations and refunds. - Feeds the back office: some aggregators produce reporting files so NDC sales reach mid- and back-office systems.
NDC aggregator vs GDS vs direct NDC
| Direct airline NDC | NDC aggregator | GDS NDC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrations needed | One per airline | One | One (your existing GDS) |
| Airline coverage | Only the airlines you sign | The aggregator's portfolio | Airlines live on NDC in that GDS |
| Content depth | Full airline offer | Usually close to full | Varies by airline and GDS |
| Servicing | Whatever the airline supports | Depends on how much the aggregator has built | Improving, still uneven |
| Low-cost carriers | Separate APIs | Some aggregators include them | Limited |
| Best for | High volume on a few airlines | Agencies and platforms wanting many NDC airlines fast | Agencies already committed to a GDS |
Most agencies combine routes. See Amadeus vs Sabre vs Travelport for the GDS side.
Examples of NDC aggregators
Airlines publish which aggregators they have approved. Qatar Airways' trade portal, for example, lists 21 approved NDC aggregators, including the three GDSs (Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport) and independent providers such as Verteil Technologies, TPConnects, Travelfusion, Mystifly, TravelNDC, Lleego and Travelsky. Other providers, such as Duffel and Babylon NDC, focus on API access for developers and travel platforms.
Lists like this change often, and each airline approves its own set. Check the trade portal of every airline you care about before choosing an aggregator.
10 questions to ask an NDC aggregator
- Which airlines are live in production for my point of sale, not "in progress"?
- Do I book under my own IATA number and airline agreements, or theirs?
- Which servicing flows work per airline: voluntary change, refund, void, schedule change, seat and bag after booking?
- Do they include low-cost carriers and GDS content, or NDC only?
- How are special and corporate fares passed through?
- What payment methods work for ticketing: BSP cash, card, airline wallet?
- How do bookings reach my back office and BSP reconciliation?
- What is the pricing model: per segment, per booking, per search, or a subscription?
- What are the look-to-book limits and search response times?
- Is there a sandbox, and how long does certification take?
NDC aggregators inside Reservationhub
Reservationhub is not a single-source aggregator. It is a booking platform that already connects to NDC aggregators (including Verteil, Travel NDC, Babylon NDC and Duffel), to Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport, and directly to low-cost carriers, as listed on our integrations page. Agencies see all of those fares in one search, with one markup, payment and reporting layer, instead of a separate NDC screen.
Use it as an agency on the Subscription Cloud Edition, own the code with the Source Code Edition, or call the merged content through the TripGic travel API.
Frequently asked questions
What is an NDC aggregator?
An NDC aggregator is a provider that connects to many airlines' NDC APIs and gives travel agencies and platforms access to all of them through one API or booking tool, handling schema differences, credentials and servicing.
Is a GDS an NDC aggregator?
Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport all aggregate NDC content today, and airlines such as Qatar Airways list them as approved NDC aggregators. Independent aggregators compete with them on airline coverage, speed and servicing depth.
Do I need an IATA number to use an NDC aggregator?
Not always. Some aggregators let agencies book under their own IATA number, while others offer ticketing through the aggregator or a consolidator for non-IATA agencies. Ask how ticketing and BSP settlement work.
Are NDC fares from an aggregator cheaper?
The fare comes from the airline, so the aggregator does not set it. NDC can still be cheaper than a classic GDS booking when an airline offers NDC-only fares or adds a surcharge to non-NDC channels.
How long does it take to connect to an NDC aggregator?
Using an aggregator's own agent desktop can take days. Integrating its API into your own platform usually takes weeks to a few months, depending on servicing scope and certification.
Can I show NDC and GDS fares in the same search?
Yes, if your booking platform connects to both and merges the results. That is the main reason agencies use a multi-source booking engine rather than a separate NDC tool.
NDC, GDS and low-cost fares in one search
Reservationhub connects to NDC aggregators, all three GDSs and direct airlines, so your agents never switch screens.
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