A GDS (Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport) gives you many airlines’ fares through one connection, built on fares the airlines file and on PNRs and tickets the whole industry already understands. NDC is IATA’s standard for airlines to sell their own offers directly over modern APIs — often with branded fares and ancillaries the GDS does not carry. Neither replaces the other: most agencies and consolidators now need both, plus direct low-cost-carrier connections, in one search.
The short answer
| GDS | NDC | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A shared marketplace run by a GDS provider, aggregating many airlines | An IATA messaging standard each airline implements for its own offers |
| Content | Fares the airline files for GDS distribution | The airline’s own offers — often including branded fares, bundles and ancillaries |
| Connection | One connection reaches many airlines | Each airline’s NDC channel, directly or through an aggregator |
| Booking record | PNR and e-ticket | Offer and order model (implementation varies by airline) |
| After the booking | Mature, uniform servicing across airlines | Servicing depends on what each airline exposes through NDC |
| Best for | Breadth, multi-airline itineraries, established workflows | Richer airline content and offers not filed in the GDS |
What a GDS is good at
A global distribution system aggregates the schedules, availability and filed fares of many airlines behind one connection. Its strengths are breadth, interline and multi-carrier itineraries, and decades of standard workflows — PNRs, ticketing, queues, voids, refunds and exchanges that work the same way across carriers. Most agencies already have credentials (a PCC, Office ID or SID) and staff who know the cryptic commands. See our Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport integration pages.
What NDC adds
NDC (New Distribution Capability) lets an airline answer a shopping request with its own offer rather than a filed fare: branded fare families, seat and baggage options, bundles and sometimes prices that are only available on the airline’s direct channels. For a seller that means content parity with the airline’s website and more to upsell. The cost is fragmentation — every airline implements NDC slightly differently, which is why most sellers connect through an aggregator rather than airline by airline. Our NDC API page explains that choice.
Servicing: changes, cancellations and refunds
Servicing is where the two differ most in daily operations. In a GDS, voids, refunds and reissues follow familiar, uniform workflows. In NDC, post-booking actions are requested from the airline through its NDC messages, and what is available — voluntary changes, cancellations, refunds, adding ancillaries after booking — depends on how far each airline has implemented its NDC servicing. Before you commit volume to an airline’s NDC content, check:
- Which post-booking actions the airline supports through NDC, and which still need a call or the airline’s own portal.
- How involuntary schedule changes are notified, so your team can rebook before departure.
- How tickets are issued and settled for your accreditation — your own IATA number, a host agency or a consolidator.
- Whether sub-agents can book and service the same content under your rules.
On our platform, GDS bookings get one-click void, refund and reissue (see agency automation), and schedule-change alerts watch bookings after ticketing. For NDC, ask us about the specific carriers on your routes.
Where low-cost carriers fit
Many low-cost carriers sell mainly through their own websites and direct APIs rather than through a GDS, and some have no NDC channel at all. If your customers fly low-cost, you need direct LCC connections as a third source — see low-cost carrier integration.
So which should you use?
For most wholesale and retail sellers the answer is all three, returned side by side so agents compare like with like:
- Keep the GDS for breadth, multi-carrier trips and established servicing.
- Add NDC for the airlines that matter on your routes, where it brings content or prices you cannot get otherwise.
- Add LCCs where your customers fly them.
Innovate Solution connects 3 GDS networks (with your own credentials), 37 NDC carriers and 100+ low-cost carriers into one normalised search, through the flight booking API or the ReservationHub platform. A worked example: unified GDS, NDC and LCC flight search. For hotels, the equivalent question is answered in GDS vs bed-bank vs direct contracting.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between GDS and NDC?
A GDS is a shared marketplace that aggregates many airlines’ filed fares behind one connection, with uniform PNR and ticketing workflows. NDC is an IATA standard that lets each airline sell its own offers directly over APIs, often including branded fares and ancillaries not available in the GDS.
Is NDC replacing the GDS?
Not for most sellers. GDS remains the broadest source and has mature servicing; NDC adds airline content and offers on top. Most agencies and consolidators use both, plus direct low-cost-carrier connections.
Can you change or refund an NDC booking?
It depends on the airline. Post-booking actions are requested through the airline’s NDC messages, and the actions supported — changes, cancellations, refunds, ancillaries after booking — vary by how far each airline has implemented NDC servicing.
Do I need an aggregator for NDC?
Usually yes. Each airline implements NDC differently, so an aggregator connects many NDC airlines once and normalises them alongside GDS and LCC content.
How many NDC airlines does Innovate Solution connect?
Innovate Solution connects 37 NDC carriers, alongside 3 GDS networks and 100+ low-cost carriers in one search.
Related pages
- NDC API and aggregator →
- Flight booking API →
- NDC airline integration →
- Low-cost carrier integration →
- GDS vs bed-bank vs direct →
- Travel technology glossary →
See GDS, NDC and low-cost fares side by side on your own routes.
