Open Axis Group

April 2, 2014

NDC A Different Perspective

Tweet There has been a great deal written about IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC). Essentially NDC is an XML standard designed to allow airlines to deliver dynamic content and price based on a traveler’s value. It shifts control over pricing from a traditional published process to a dynamic repsonse controlled by the airlines. NDC has created a lot of controversy.  Major […]
April 30, 2012

The Impact of Mobile OS on Travel Distribution

Tweet Update: July 10th 2012 – Apple awarded iTravel Patent! The approaching wave of mobile OS travel buttons (Apple iTravel, Google Travel, Bing!Travel Mobile) need to be viewed within a historical context of travel distribution. At the heart of these efforts is a new customer interface for travel. During the pre-Web days, traditional travel agents controlled distribution through their mastery of GDS […]
April 8, 2011

DOJ Approves Google ITA – What does it mean?

Tweet   Today’s announcement about the conditional approval by the U.S. Department of Justice of the acquisition by Google of ITA Software  is sending some shock waves through the travel industry. But at the end of the day what does this really mean? Here are some of  my initial  thoughts: General search becomes meta-search – There are very valid reasons why sites […]
February 8, 2011

Travel Distribution 2011 – an Update

Tweet Since my December post, a number of developments have occurred on the evolving travel distribution front: Sabre and AA have called a temporary truce and are in negotiations to resolve their conflict Priceline has embraced the AA direct connect strategy clearly following an independent path from Expedia and Orbitz USAir has signed a multi-year agreement with Expedia which includes […]
December 22, 2010

Orbitz – AA Ruling – Is 2011 the year we will see Permanent Changes in Air Distirbution?

Tweet News this week that AA successfully defeated the Orbitz  motion for a temporary injunction allowing AA to remove its content from Orbitz has uncovered some interesting news that may foretell major changes in air distribution for 2011 and beyond. As reported in the Beat, sources are indicating that Priceline may be the first of the four major OTAs to […]
November 10, 2010

Open Axis Group – “Who’s Asking?” – But Do Airlines Really Know?

Tweet The Open Axis Group, the not-for-profit industry organization promoting XML- based airline distribution connectivity has produced a video and whitepaper in an effort to persuade the indirect channel (TMCs, Corporate Booking Tools & GDS) to adopt their XML schema to access airline content including ancillary services. A key thrust of this effort is to allow airlines to provide more […]