Maximize Your NDC Potential: Practical Strategies for Travel Agencies from Finnair and TPConnects
NDC is creating new selling opportunities for travel agencies with richer content, stronger product differentiation, and modern retailing capabilities that were previously difficult to access at scale.
But one thing is increasingly clear: content expansion only works if operational simplicity keeps up.
That’s exactly what we explored in our recent Finnair x TPConnects webinar. With strong attendance and real-time polling, the session surfaced a practical view of where agencies are focused in 2026, what’s truly slowing NDC adoption down, and how the right technology solutions can address these challenges. For those who couldn’t attend or want to revisit the key insights, here’s what we covered and why it matters for your agency’s NDC strategy in 2026.
A Partnership Built on Shared Vision
Our partnership with Finnair started over three years ago with a clear vision: to transform how Finnair connects with travel sellers through modern distribution technology. Since then, we’ve been working hand-in-hand, providing continuous technology upgrades to ensure Finnair not only keeps pace with industry changes but stays ahead of them.
What makes this partnership particularly powerful is that we’re addressing both sides of the distribution equation:
Finnair’s agency portal built on TPConnects Astra NDC platform – providing direct access and deep functionality
TPConnects Iris – an aggregator solution designed specifically for travel sellers to work efficiently across multiple airline partners, including Finnair.
The beauty of this ecosystem is how these solutions work together, giving agencies flexibility to choose the approach that best fits their business model.
What Agencies Are Really Focused On in 2026
We kicked off the session with real-time polling to understand where agencies are prioritizing their efforts. What agencies told us: growth and efficiency must move together.
This mix matters. Agencies aren’t choosing between growth and operations — they need both.
More content is a commercial advantage. But if content expansion results in more systems, more workflows, and more training, it can become an operational drag. That’s why agencies are prioritizing efficiency almost as strongly as content growth.
The biggest blocker to NDC scale: managing multiple airline connections
The second poll made the challenge very tangible.
This is the core reality of modern distribution: NDC adoption isn’t an “airline-by-airline project” anymore. For agencies, it becomes a multi-source operational challenge that must work across:
- different airline APIs and workflows
- multiple agent groups and branches
- business travel and leisure requirements
- servicing scenarios that can’t fail under pressure
The market message is clear: agencies want NDC value, but they don’t want fragmented operations.
Finnair’s Distribution Transformation: Advancing Their NDC Strategy
Finnair’s update focused on how their distribution transformation has been progressing and what agencies should pay attention to as NDC maturity grows.
Key points discussed included:
- A distribution transformation approach with a strong focus on business travel needs and related capability requirements
- Continued scaling of NDC in home markets and Europe
- Focus on NDC development across the US, Asia & Oceania
- NDC content availability, including unsurcharged, continuously priced fares, domestic itineraries, all ticket types, a new corporate bundle, a full range of ancillaries, and campaign benefits
- A demonstration of workflows through the FAST platform powered by TPConnects, including shopping, order view, and servicing
For agencies, the takeaway is practical: NDC is not only about connectivity. It increasingly shapes:
- what content you can access
- how it is priced and packaged
- how effectively you can service and support the traveller
Solving the Operationalization Challenge with Iris
The TPConnects team demonstrated how Iris addresses the number one challenge agencies identified in our poll: managing multiple airline connections. The focus wasn’t on connecting to one more airline. It was enabling agencies to run a consistent workflow across:
- NDC content (including Finnair)
- GDS content
- LCC content
All without forcing agents to switch systems or learn a different process for every airline connection.
In the live demo, the emphasis was on practical agency execution:
- a consistent workflow for shopping and booking.
- servicing readiness – because adoption stalls when servicing breaks.
- commercial controls that fit real agency models: pricing, commission awareness, content prioritization.
This aligns with what agencies told us in the polls: the challenge isn’t intent, it’s operationalization.
Two Paths to Finnair Content: Choose What Fits Your Business
One of the most valuable aspects of the webinar was seeing how agencies can access Finnair’s NDC content in the way that works best for their business model.
Option 1: Finnair’s Agency Sales Tool (FAST)
Built on TPConnects’ Astra platform, FAST provides deep, direct access to Finnair’s full NDC capabilities with a dedicated, purpose-built interface. Ideal for agencies with significant Finnair volume or those wanting maximum control and functionality.
Read more and sign up for Finnair NDC
Option 2: TPConnects Iris (Aggregated Access)
Perfect for agencies managing multiple airline partnerships who need one consistent workflow across all content sources. Access Finnair alongside your other airline partners without the complexity of managing separate connections.
The best part? These solutions complement each other. Some agencies use both – Finnair’s portal for dedicated Finnair sales while leveraging Iris for multi-airline efficiency. The choice depends on your operational model and business priorities.
Realistic Outcomes: What Success Actually Looks Like
Every agency has a different baseline, but the webinar discussion pointed to practical outcomes travel sellers can measure as NDC adoption scales:
- Reduced system switching – faster handling time per booking
- Higher agent consistency – fewer servicing mistakes and less rework
- Increased adoption confidence – faster rollout across branches and teams
- Improved upsell readiness better ancillary attachment where applicable
- Greater commercial control structured pricing and preferred content strategy enforcement
These are the results agencies look for when they invest in modern distribution not just “more content,” but better operational performance with measurable commercial impact.
Closing thought
NDC is moving quickly and Finnair’s direction reflects where the industry is headed: richer content, modern pricing models, and stronger retailing capability through the NDC channel.
But the webinar reinforced what matters most to travel sellers:
NDC value only scales when workflows stay simple and servicing stays reliable.
If your agency is planning NDC growth in 2026, start by solving the blockers revealed in the poll: multi-connection complexity, integration overhead, and training burden then build from there.
Want a walkthrough?
If you’d like to see the workflows demonstrated in the session or discuss how Iris supports multi-source booking and servicing for your agency model reach out to the Iris Sales team. Sales@tpconnects.com
