Introducing FLX Select: A New Era in Airline Retailing

At Accelya, we’ve always been strong advocates of NDC, pioneering its development and rollout.

We believe the industry will fully embrace this retailing transformation only by scaling NDC and making it widely accessible. 

With this goal in mind, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of FLX Select, a new NDC service enabling fast and standardized implementation, powered by AWS. This initiative is a testament to our commitment to revolutionizing the airline industry by providing quicker, more standardized solutions for NDC implementation. 

Why We Are Launching FLX Select 

The airline industry has long been constrained by legacy distribution and retailing systems that limit airline control, efficiency, and revenue potential. At Accelya, we understand the pressing need for a transformative solution that can break these constraints and usher in a new era of modern retailing. FLX Select is our answer to this need, designed to leverage our extensive experience and market-leading technology to bring the benefits of NDC to the broader industry swiftly and effectively. 

Our goal with FLX Select is to simplify and standardize the NDC implementation process, enabling airlines to generate offers and create orders via NDC in just 90 days. This rapid deployment capability is crucial in an industry where time-to-market can significantly impact competitiveness and profitability.

The Benefits of FLX Select for the Airline Industry 

1. Immediate Access to a Wide Network of Travel Suppliers

One of the standout features of FLX Select is its ability to connect airlines with a vast network of global and regional travel suppliers. We’ve partnered with major travel sellers and aggregators, including industry leaders Travelfusion and Navan, to ensure that airlines joining FLX Select can quickly start driving NDC bookings. 

2. Faster Return on Investment

FLX Select is designed to deliver a fast return on investment for airlines. By enabling incremental ancillary revenue and achieving distribution cost efficiencies, airlines can see financial benefits almost immediately. This is a critical advantage in an industry where margins are often thin, and the ability to quickly realize additional revenue streams can make a significant difference.

3. Improved Customer Experience

Modern retailing is not just about operational efficiency; it’s about enhancing the overall customer experience. FLX Select allows airlines to remove the constraints of legacy systems, offering a more streamlined and responsive service to their customers. By providing a consistent and standardized deployment, we ensure that airlines can offer a better, more personalized experience to their passengers, which is increasingly important in today’s competitive market. 

4. Simplified and Standardized NDC Implementation

Accelya has always been at the forefront of NDC innovation, and FLX Select encapsulates our expertise into a simplified and standardized program. This includes API partner and travel seller onboarding, our industry-leading sales portal, merchandising capabilities, and servicing. By standardizing these components, we make it easier for airlines to adopt and benefit from NDC, reducing the complexity and barriers to entry that have historically hindered widespread adoption. 

A Testament to Our Market Leadership 

Our leadership in the NDC market is well-documented, with Accelya powering 57% of all NDC sales in 2023 and creating 31 billion offers a day across our FLX platform. The launch of FLX Select is a natural progression in our journey to support airlines in their retailing transformation. As T2RL reported, our increased market leadership position is a clear indication of the trust and confidence the industry places in our solutions. 

Partnering for Success 

The success of FLX Select is built on strong partnerships. Ian Fette, VP Engineering at Navan, expressed his excitement about partnering with Accelya on this initiative, highlighting the benefits of simplified and standardized NDC deployment for both airlines and passengers. Similarly, Eytan Bicaci Baruh, Vice President Commercial of Travelfusion, emphasized how FLX Select will decomplexify NDC for more airlines, allowing them to take control of their distribution. 

Looking Ahead

At Accelya, we are committed to empowering our customers to take control of their retailing and distribution strategies. FLX Select is a significant step in this direction, offering a fast, efficient, and standardized approach to NDC implementation as the first step to offer order transformation. We are confident that this new service will bring immense value to the broader airline industry, helping airlines enhance their operations, improve customer experience, and achieve financial success. 

We are excited about the future and look forward to continuing to innovate and lead the way in airline retailing. 

Sam Gilliland  
CEO, Accelya