Release note 15.7

“New Distribution Capability” NDC Connectivity

Context: Orchestra is APG’s technological partner for the deployment of its NDC compliant distribution platform. APG is a global representation and service network (covering more than 170 countries) for airlines. The APG platform facilitates the distribution of airlines in certain zones with little cover and allows additional revenue to be generated by selling “ancillaries”.

In 2014, Orchestra and APG were among the first NDC pilots for IATA.
In 2016, the platform deployed for APG was recognised as NDG Certified and NDC Capable, Level 2.
In 2017, it obtained the highest level of certification becoming NDC Certified and NDC Capable, Level In 2017, the NDC compliant APG platform was launched.

What: Orchestra develops direct connectivity in NDC mode with many airlines. The functions available via this connectivity are limited to date but are being gradually enriched and allow a distribution of airlines’ complete offering

Where: These connectivities are available for the sales procedures for flights, dynamic packages and pre-packages.

How: NDC connectivity via REST web services has been implemented with the following airlines :

  • British Airways,
  • American Airlines,
  • S7 Airlines,
  • Emirates,
  • Iberia,
  • Westjet,
  • Lufthansa,
  • Swiss,
  • Austrian,
  • Brussels Airlines.

All these airlines are now available in direct connectivity.

Platform improvement

Reinforcement of user account and customer account password encryption.

Professional tools: increased session duration

Increase in the length of the default session which is now 1 hour instead of 30 mins. This value can also be configured.

Improvements in the B2B solution

  • Addition of new search criteria based on Easyvoyage scores. In addition to the main score, it is now possible to search for packages via their secondary scores (Accommodation, Activities, Beach, Decoration, Catering, Facilities, Spa, Location).
  • Addition of a button on the product sheet allowing a travel agent to send a notification about an Easyvoyage review, in order to report errors, for example.
  • Integration of the IP-Label “Rumbi” tracking solution in order to monitor the browsing performance of each agency, in particular for login, search and package information sheet display steps.

Service package: improved caches

Improvement of the management of application caches in order to improve management of call peaks when the caches are empty.

Catalog service: technical improvement

Technical improvement allowing more efficient searches for editorial content.

Three improvements in the administration tool

  • When entering and when displaying a hotel information sheet, the order of the “latitude” and “longitude” geolocation fields have been inverted in order to correspond to the standard order.
  • Modification of the filter allowing products to be removed. The “Delete/No longer import” action has been replaced by “Place in recycle bin/No longer import”. Products are now sent to the recycle bin and, therefore, have to be deleted from the recycle bin in order to disappear completely.
  • At the level of XML flow exports, technical improvement allowing additional configuration parameters to be inserted into the exported flows.

Several improvements in internal production

  • Modification of agency commission application rules in order to improve compatibility with yield rules.
  • Possibility of searching for internal hotels by country in the hotel booking process in addition to search by city.
  • When entering a special offer on an internal hotel, addition of a control to prevent entry errors in the “Duration” field.
  • At the level of the management of internal hotels, possibility of modifying the room codes, rates and services that already exist.
  • At the level of the management of internal hotel room occupation, possibility of defining a min/max number of people, not taking account of babies.

Two improvements in the booking process

  • In the case of a booking validation taking longer than normal, a page is displayed indicating to the user that the booking is in progress. This page that already exists can now display the contact details of the agency associated with the booking in progress.
  • When selecting services, it is possible to preselect the number of adults, children and babies selected by default so that they match the passengers for the booking in progress. This is compatible with all booking procedures offering activities, transfers or other options for each passenger.

Package connectivity: comments and baggage not included

  • Possibility of sending a “comment” zone in the book request for the provider Voyamar.
  • For packages with transport by the provider TUI, improvement of connectivity in order to display the pictogram “luggage not included” when this is the case.

Flight connectivity: Hitit update

Technical update of connectivity with the Hitit flight source in order to take account of changes in their API.

Several improvements in payment connectivity

  • For the Payline payment system, improvement of the display of the payment popin which is now centred.
  • Improvement of connectivity with the Payline payment system in order to send additional parameters about the buyer and the characteristics of the trip booked.
  • For the SIPS/Atos payment system, technical improvement in order to allow different 3DS configurations by channel.
  • Updating of connectivity with the Amadeus Wallet. First name information has been added.
  • Possibility of using the Orchestra anti-fraud system with the Ogone payment system in order to activate 3DS mode or not.
  • For the Limonetik payment system, addition of a Wallet allowing users to save their credit card, and pay with one click using the credit card saved.
  • For the Limonetik payment system, addition of the possibility of paying a credit card down payment in the case of several payment methods being activated simultaneously.

Post-booking: GDS improvement

Improvement of connectivity with Gestour in order to manage a few specific cases better.

Back-office:
payment method and autocompletion

  • For payments with the Be2bill system, possibility for the travel agent to ask for the payment to be activated in 3DS mode.
  • Improvement of auto-complete for the “Destination” field in order to take account of countries in addition to cities.