United Airlines & Travelport Forge Strategic Partnership to Accelerate NDC and Modern Airline Retailing

Published on December 6, 2025

In a landmark announcement that signals a fundamental shift in the travel industry, United Airlines and Travelport have entered into a long-term strategic partnership. This collaboration is not just another distribution agreement; it represents a new model of cooperation designed to accelerate modern airline retailing and finally deliver on the promise of the New Distribution Capability (NDC) for travel agencies and corporate buyers.

Moving past the historically arms-length relationship between airlines and Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), this agreement sees United and Travelport working hand-in-hand. The goal is to rapidly deploy next-generation retailing features that give travel professionals—and the travelers they serve—access to richer content, more flexibility, and a truly personalized booking experience that rivals what’s available directly on an airline’s own website.

The Heart of the Deal: NDC and Co-Development

At the core of this strategic relationship is a deep commitment to the New Distribution Capability (NDC), a technology standard created by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). NDC allows airlines to move away from the decades-old, restrictive GDS framework and embrace a modern retailing environment—think of it as turning a static catalog into a dynamic, personalized online store.

Here’s how the collaboration is changing the game:

• Early Access and Co-Development: Travelport is gaining early access to United’s NDC technology roadmap and co-development opportunities. This means instead of building their systems separately and trying to integrate them later (which often led to frustrating glitches and delays), teams from both companies will work closely together to build capabilities specifically for Travelport’s next-generation platform, Travelport+. This level of technical cooperation is unprecedented for a major GDS and airline.
• Accelerated Innovation: By prioritizing Travelport as a key strategic partner, United is ensuring new features and functionality—like bundled fares, dynamic pricing, and rich product descriptions—can be rolled out to travel agencies and corporate buyers faster than ever before. This is a crucial step in eliminating the “friction” that travel agencies have long experienced when trying to offer their clients the best, most current airline deals.

Putting Power into the Hands of the Traveler

The ultimate beneficiaries of this partnership are the travelers themselves, especially those who book through travel agencies and corporate booking tools. The integration focuses heavily on bringing formerly exclusive, direct-channel content and services into the agency workflow:

• Richer Ancillaries and Bundling: Agencies using Travelport+ will now have seamless access to United’s full suite of ancillary services, including options for extra-legroom seats, checked baggage, and lounge access. This allows travel counselors to create and sell personalized bundles that truly meet the specific needs of their clients, whether they are budget-conscious travelers or high-end corporate flyers.
• Corporate Travel Enhancements (OBT Extras): A major focus is the integration of United’s Online Booking Tool (OBT) extras into Travelport’s Deem OBT platform. This is a huge win for corporate travel managers, simplifying complexities like:
  • Pooling Unused Credits: The ability to pool and use unused United travel credits directly within the booking tool.
  • Loyalty Integration: Streamlining direct enrollment into the United MileagePlus loyalty program.
  • Amenity Fund Usage: Allowing corporate travelers to use United Jetstream amenity funds as a form of payment for ancillary purchases.

As Andrew Nocella, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of United Airlines, put it, the partnership is “setting a new standard for transparency, flexibility, and value in air travel distribution,” ensuring agency and corporate buyers benefit from the “most innovative retail travel solutions available.”

A New Model of Collaboration: Why It Matters

Historically, the relationship between airlines (who create the product) and GDSs (who distribute the product) has often been adversarial, slowing down technological progress. This new strategic model is a public acknowledgement that cooperation is essential for the future of travel.

The deployment of these new capabilities will be implemented in phases, beginning in early 2026 and continuing throughout the year. United has also committed to providing specialized support teams to assist travel agencies during the transition, highlighting the commitment to a smooth and successful adoption of the new NDC-powered features.

This deal is a clear signal to the rest of the industry that modern retailing is here to stay. It shows that major airlines are willing to prioritize partners who can move fast and innovate, and it elevates the role of the GDS from a transactional booking engine to a dynamic, collaborative retailing platform. For travel agents and corporate buyers, it translates into a better, more competitive, and richer shopping experience that can finally deliver the kind of customized service their clients expect in the digital age.