Airlines hope flashier content for travel agents boosts sales

Airlines are betting that a new system for showcasing their wares on travel agents' screens will help sell fancier seats, tastier meals, lounge access and flight options - and give profits a lift. Airlines typically sell about 70% of their tickets via third parties, such as travel agents and websites. But in recent years, with more emphasis on selling extras on top of bookings, simply presenting fares and flight times in text wasn't enough, an industry association said. Instead, a more engaging visual approach to marketing was needed: airlines wanted potential passengers to be able to view their planes, seats and even meals as though they were browsing a shopping site. The resulting system, new distribution capability (NDC), is beginning to show results 3 years after it was introduced, airlines say. <br/>