How should an agency prepare for Delta's NDC launch?

Delta is the last of the big three US airlines to bring NDC to agencies. Its launch is due by the end of 2026, and agencies have a few weeks to get ready. Here is what Delta has said so far and how to prepare.

When does Delta's NDC go live?

Delta says by the end of 2026. It first gave that target on August 27 and confirmed it at its Business Showcase on September 24, where Patrick Crowley, Delta's director of distribution sales and innovation, set out the plan. Delta announced NDC testing in April 2024, and live testing with agencies is underway.

The content will come through the three big GDSs and through selected direct connections. Delta is also working with American Express Global Business Travel to bring its NDC offers into corporate booking tools.

What can agencies do at launch?

Delta's launch list, as reported in the trade press after the showcase:

After launch, Delta plans quarterly releases that add servicing features, and later phases reach more international points of sale.

Do we have to move our Delta bookings to NDC?

Delta says agencies can keep working with it through the channels and workflows they use today, and decide when NDC fits. Delta has also said repeatedly that its existing GDS content stays free of a surcharge, and that it will keep that content in the GDS channel. Air France-KLM and the Lufthansa Group take the opposite approach and charge for GDS bookings.

That gives agencies time. A sensible approach is a small test first, then a wider rollout once servicing works the way your team needs.

Where will servicing need the most care?

Travel managers and TMCs point to servicing as the hard part of NDC across airlines. The cases they cite:

• changes after booking
• refunds
• involuntary rebooking after a schedule change
• exchanging an older GDS ticket for an NDC fare

Delta's launch list covers voluntary changes on wholly unused tickets. Before you book live trips, ask your GDS and your Delta sales contact how each of the other cases works on day one, and who your agents call when a change fails.

What changes in the weekly ARC close?

The report and the Tuesday deadline stay the same. Delta's NDC sales settle through ARC, so they land in IAR beside your GDS tickets. Two checks help in the first weeks:

1. Match every Delta NDC sale. Each one should appear in IAR and in your accounting system. Our guide to NDC and the agency week covers rejected sales and mid-office data.
2. Watch the first refunds and changes. Confirm each one reaches the report the way your accountants expect, before volume grows.

How do we get ready in the next few weeks?

1. Ask your GDS for its Delta NDC date. Find out what your agency has to switch on, and what training your agents need.
2. Check your corporate contracts. Private fares and corporate priority benefits are on the launch list. Confirm your clients' Delta deals show up in NDC shopping.
3. Pick one team for the first bookings. A few agents and a few simple trips make problems easy to spot.
4. Write a servicing cheat sheet. List each common change and where the agent makes it, in the GDS, in Delta's tools or by phone.
5. Brief your accounting team. Tell them when the first NDC sales go out, so they look for them in the next ARC week.
6. Plan for the quarterly releases. Review your cheat sheet each time Delta adds a feature.

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