The French-Dutch company has still not solved all technical problems for the business market in the field of NDC, the New Distribution Capability, which should largely replace GDS bookings. NDC enables airlines to easily offer differentiated products and fares.
Grunt
For the tourism market, Air France-KLM introduced the GDS surcharge in 2018, following the example of the Lufthansa Group and the International Airlines Group. Although travel agents initially grumbled, the charge has now become standard in many bookings.
The rate for the GDS levy at Air France-KLM gradually increased from the initial 11 euros per booked travel segment to 17 euros at present. A new price increase is expected next year, to 21 euros.
However, there are many more snags to business tickets. For example, business travelers want more flexibility in their travel schedules. In practice, it is more difficult to apply NDC by business travel agents, which is why Air France-KLM is leaving the GDS surcharge for the time being.
