From calls to a few clicks. Booking seems effortless today, but behind that simplicity lies a decades-long journey of innovation and partnership. We have always worked hand-in-hand with technology leaders and travel experts to make booking faster, smarter, and more efficient for our corporate clients and agency partners.
From paper to partner API: The evolution of booking
The dawn of digital
In the 1970s and 1980s, it became increasingly efficient for airlines to move from paper-based systems to the first Computer Reservation Systems (CRS). This massive leap replaced manual processes with digital speed, revolutionizing efficiency for travel partners. At first, every airline had their own CRS, until in the 1980s, the major three CRS became independent from their airlines and established themselves as the go-to distribution systems: Amadeus, Sabre, and Galileo.
The age of online access
In the 1990s, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines were among the first to launch a website with online booking, followed by SWISS and Brussels Airlines in the early 2000s, empowering our customers and partners with direct, 24/7 access to our network and offers for the very first time.
Today: The NDC revolution
Through NDC (New Distribution Capability), we are leading the industry towards a new era of personalized travel. This technology allows our B2B partners to access richer content and more flexible, tailored offers, creating smarter and more efficient solutions for modern business travel.
