Aer Lingus has been granted ‘Airline Retailing Maturity’ status as an airline, by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), under the organisation’s ARM index Program.
This status recognises that Aer Lingus has a shared goal of modern retailing with IATA’s travel agency partners.
Susanne Carberry, Aer Lingus’ Chief Customer Officer said: “Receiving IATA’s recognition is another key milestone for the airline as we continue to improve customer experience for all who choose to fly with Aer Lingus. We look forward to working with more travel retailers around the world on expanding our product offerings to their customers.”
The ARM index program – launched by IATA – helps airlines and their partners on their journey towards digital selling, where New Distribution Capability (NDC) is an essential enabler for streamlining processes for airlines to create and distribute relevant offers to customers regardless of how they choose to book. NDC simplifies and improves the communication between airlines and travel agents and supports improved capabilities that enable travel sellers to sell and customise travel ancillary products for customers.
Recognitions by IATA on the Airline Retailing Maturity (ARM) index are granted to airlines, sellers and technology providers that demonstrate technical capabilities, partnerships, and potential value captured while on the journey to airline retailing.
IATA said: “This is a significant step made by the airline, demonstrating its commitment and continuous investment in improving customer experience by enhancing offerings to customers who book via travel partners.”
An NDC portal has been established on Aer Lingus’ website, where travel partners can find out more about NDC. This centralised hub also allows our travel partners to register for NDC. For more details travel partners can visit https://www.aerlingus.com/ndc-portal/.
