BA jumps on Nevio platform

British Airways has selected Amadeus as its technology partner with Amadeus’s Nevio platform delivering its Offers and Orders.

Amadeus Nevio will encompass the entire travel journey, allowing airlines and agents to integrate additional services like car rentals, hotels and activities and provide bookings on NDC alongside the Amadeus GDS.

Agents will not have to register with each airline to use the content, but they will need to sign up with the Nevio platform itself.

Next generation

Amadeus’s GDS offering primarily focuses on data exchange. Airlines upload their fares, schedules, and seat availability, and travel agents can search and compare options through a single interface.

Now, Amadeus Nevio has brought a more innovative approach to airline retailing. It offers greater flexibility and customisation compared with traditional GDSs and goes beyond the static fares displayed on the GDS. Airlines participating in Nevio can create dynamic offers that can change based on factors like demand, seasonality, and customer preferences, just like NDC.

Bertrand Cognard, Corporate External Communications for Amadeus, told Travel News that the partnership would see British Airways and Amadeus collaborating on the design of Nevio’s Offer and Order capabilities, designed to meet the needs of modern airline retailers.

Explained Cognard: “Built around IATA Offer and Order principles, this totally new, open, modular platform benefits from the latest advances in AI and will help the carrier build demand, differentiate itself in the market and drive value across its entire business at speed.”

In a recent press release, Colm Lacy, BA’s Chief Commercial Officer, expressed the airline’s desire to become a world leader in airline retailing and transform its digital customer experience, all of it underpinned by its £7bn (R162bn) investment to transform the airline.

“Alongside our partners at Amadeus, British Airways will be able to collaborate on the design of the latest technology to enhance our business processes with greater agility, and help us anticipate the needs of modern, digital travellers, providing them with exceptional experiences across their journey,” said Lacy.

Nevio vs GDS

Amadeus Nevio is not intended to replace GDS entirely. Some airlines will likely continue to utilise both systems. But Nevio offers a more modern and flexible alternative for airlines that want to create and distribute dynamic offers. Both Amadeus Nevio and the GDS represent different approaches to airline distribution, with Nevio offering its dynamic and flexible solution, while GDS remains a well-established and widely used platform.

Said Cognard: “While Amadeus Nevio is primarily designed to benefit airlines, travel agents will have advantages utilising this new technology platform. Real-time information and streamlined booking processes will enable travel agents to be more competitive and offer clients more than ever before.

“Overall, Amadeus Nevio has the potential to improve the way travel agents serve their clients by offering richer content and even greater transparency. However, the impact on travel agencies will depend on airline adoption and integration efforts. Effectively, agents will be able to control their content and reach.” 

So far, three carriers have signed up for Nevio – Finnair, Saudia Airlines and British Airways. Cognard confirmed that Amadeus would give South African users regular updates when features were available to them via the Nevio product. He also said that more airlines were expected to take up with Nevio in the near future.