NDC Frequently Asked Questions

Cathay’s goal is to provide curated offers to our customers in both direct and indirect sales channels and hence creating a level playing field for all travel intermediaries who wish to access Cathay’s products and sell through their own channels. Our NDC solution helps to achieve that. Following are some notable benefits from connecting to Cathay NDC:

• No ADMs from fare discrepancies as Cathay creates the offers and issues the tickets; travel intermediaries do not have to worry about incorrect manual pricing
• Travel intermediaries now have the opportunity to create a one-stop-shop solution for everything as on Cathay’s flagship site. Less time spent hopping between GDS and airlines website to shop for flights and ancillaries for customers
• Shopping, booking, ticketing, changes, and cancellation can be through own agent portal
• Rich content will be available through Cathay’s NDC for you to explain to your customers what they will expect on their flight journey
• Cathay will also be enhancing our personalization ability to provide offers matching with a customer profile or corporate policy

With the advancement of NDC schema each year and the continuous development on our distribution strategy, more product offers, ancillaries, and services will be provided through the NDC channel. Content availability may differ on market level. You may approach our local sales team for further information on the content differentiation available for your market.

There are 2 ways a Travel Seller can connect with Cathay.

1. Connect via a Cathay approved NDC aggregator. You may access to Cathay NDC content via one of our live aggregator partners.
2. Direct connect with Cathay NDC API. You may approach Cathay NDC commercial team for further information. However, please note that certain criteria needs to be met to qualify for a direct connection with Cathay NDC.

Yes, Cathay members can be identified during the booking process when they input their Frequent Flyer Programme membership number. The respective member entitlements will be applied for their booking accordingly.

Please refer to the “How to connect to Cathay NDC” section on our Cathay NDC page. 

There is no plan for Cathay to introduce surcharge at the moment, but we will continue to review our distribution strategy and share with the trade when there is any new development.

In order to connect to Cathay NDC, travel sellers will need to read our Cathay NDC Connection Terms and Conditions which is available after logging into your CXagents.com account; acknowledge and tick the check box on the NDC registration form.

For direct connection, please approach Cathay NDC’s commercial team or your local account manager more details regarding the criteria and required documents.

There is no fee/cost charged by Cathay to connect with Cathay NDC. Cost may however be incurred depending on your choice of tech partner(s) to provide NDC solution/content. You may contact your chosen tech partner(s) to find out more.

Servicing can be supported by your choice of connected aggregators via NDC servicing API.

The Cathay NDC Connection Terms and Conditions will continue to apply perpetually as long as the agent or partner continue to use NDC to do bookings with Cathay. Cathay holds the right to amend conditions of sale on products made available through the NDC channel.

Cathay NDC supports delegation flow but it depends on each aggregator partner's capabilities. For non-IATA agents, please register with IATA for a TIDS number and complete application for Cathay NDC via CXAgents.com.

TIDS and GoLite agents can create NDC bookings themselves and issue tickets through consolidator(s) who have already onboarded Cathay NDC.

An integration through an aggregator or GDS will be much faster ranging between 1 – 3 weeks. However, it is good to note that the time taken may vary depending on your arrangement with your chosen aggregator.

Cathay accepts BSP cash and customer credit card settlement. (card settlement applicable to certain fare products only and subject to Cathay's local payment policies.) You are advised to check with our local sales team on what payment options is accepted in your market.

Unfortunately, Cathay NDC currently does not support IATA EasyPay and ARC at the moment.

Unfortunately, Cathay NDC currently does not support group bookings at the moment.

Unfortunately, Cathay NDC currently does not support waitlisting at the moment.

Yes, most of the aggregators connected with Cathay’s NDC has developed servicing capability, allowing you to make changes to your customers’ bookings. Please approach your preferred aggregators to understand more about the servicing capabilities they can support.

Currently Cathay does not offer such booking portal. Please approach one of our listed aggregator partners to start your connection and obtain Cathay’s NDC content.

Yes, similar to how GDS works these days, Travel Sellers who connect to an aggregator should gain access to the content of all airlines the aggregator is connected with, subject to the consent of other airlines.

Yes, Cathay NDC supports selling interline and codeshare flights.

Private fares can be retrieved by account codes for eligible agents to input during airshopping.

If the booking involves Cathay and other airlines, ticketing time limit will show CX ADTK.

Please refer to the "NDC Support" Section on our NDC Page to understand more.

No, since EDIFACT and NDC bookings utilize 2 different sets of messaging standards, you are unable to service either booking using the others’ system.