Carriers on a travel technology platform deploy XML schemas, direct card processing, APIs to fix legacy standards, rejection rates, operational risks.

Airlines worldwide oversee expansive route networks and fleet operations, facilitating billions of passenger bookings annually amid Asia Pacific outbound travel surging at an estimated 13.5% compound annual growth rate.

These carriers have faced entrenched digital retailing challenges: legacy distribution infrastructures that hampered delivery of real-time; data-driven personalized offers; and granular product differentiation across fares and ancillaries. Payment processing limitations can add friction, with suboptimal UnionPay card acceptance in indirect channels — for cards prevalent in 85 countries and regions — leading to extended settlement periods, heightened fraud exposure, and diminished loyalty program participation.

​In early 2026, industry announcements spotlighted a strategic partnership introducing native integrations via a travel technology platform that interconnect airlines with more than 60,000 global travel sellers, harmonizing direct e-commerce channels with indirect agency sales to capture rising Chinese outbound demand. Specific pain points targeted included:

  • Rigid electronic data interchange standards such as EDIFACT, which curtailed merchandising of ancillary services such as seat upgrades or baggage alongside dynamic pricing responsive to market fluctuations
  • Fragmented payment ecosystems that yielded rejection rates surpassing 20% for cross-border transactions, progressively eroding profit margins in an intensely competitive sector

Technical digital transformation takes flight

Airlines on the travel technology platform were able to leverage several solutions:

  • Hybrid distribution frameworks fusing traditional messaging protocols with extensible XML-based content schemas — exemplified by New Distribution Capability (NDC) paradigms — to propagate comprehensive fare structures, bundled ancillaries, and algorithmically generated real-time offers, granting agencies unfettered portfolio access.
  • Consolidated payment orchestration platforms supporting direct UnionPay transaction handling across every channel, expediting fund settlements from days to hours; incorporating bespoke fraud management algorithms; and safeguarding loyalty benefits even in indirect bookings.
  • Sophisticated retailing application programming interfaces that democratize ancillary inventory availability, enforce end-to-end pricing transparency, and automate post-booking servicing protocols, thereby elevating seller conversion efficiencies by an estimated 10–15% through enhanced product differentiation.

These enable traveler data utilization for bespoke bundles, amplifying revenues.

According to Javier Laforgue, Executive Vice President (Travel Unit, Asia Pacific), Amadeus, the travel tech platform involved in supporting airline , such partnerships are part of “modernizing airline retailing and expanding access to high value content for travel sellers worldwide. Together, we will continue driving NDC adoption and enabling more flexible and personalized booking experiences across channels.”