Emirates to roll out GDS fees as it moves sellers toward an NDC solution

Emirates will implement a GDS surcharge beginning July 1 as it vies to push agent channel sales to an NDC-powered portal that it will launch on the same day.

The charge will range between $14 and $25 per ticket depending on sector length.

Agencies and travel advisors who do use the direct connect portal, called Emirates Gateway, will steer clear of the surcharge and gain access to better deals and more varied product offerings than will be available in the GDSs, including access to differentiated ticket pricing such as dedicated promotional fares and pre-sales; the ability to sell excess baggage; differentiated pricing for select ancillary services; and faster access to new ancillary products.

Advisors will be able to access Emirates Gateway content through the online Emirates Partner Portal or through an NDC-supported direct connect.

The Dubai-based carrier rolled out Emirates Partner Portal, its online gateway for the travel trade, last August, calling it, "a one-stop shop for travel industry partners to quickly and securely access the full range of information on Emirates' latest products, services and policies and obtain technical support."

*This article originally appeared in Travel Weekly.