“We’ve done our homework”: Inside WestJet’s “partner-first” NDC launch set for May 2026

“We're not going live until we’re ready. And ready for us means, all channels, online, on day one.”

That’s the message from Todd Lindy, director of sales at WestJet, as the Canadian airline moves closer to launching its long-anticipated New Distribution Capability (NDC) platform.

After several years of planning, development and industry consultation, WestJet says its NDC rollout remains on track for May 2026, with a strategy designed to bring travel advisors along for the journey rather than forcing abrupt changes.

Speaking to PAX via video link on Friday (March 13), alongside Jorge Rozo, senior vice-president of revenue and distribution and deputy chief commercial officer, Lindy outlined a partner-centric approach that emphasizes transparency, testing and distribution flexibility for the travel trade.

WestJet first announced its intent to adapt an NDC strategy back in 2023. “We’re now nearing the end zone in terms of being ready to present a product, which we're really proud of,” Lindy said.

As the launch approaches, the airline has been ramping up communication with travel advisors, sharing regular updates about its progress and gathering feedback to shape the final product.

“We're really putting our best foot forward to make sure the travel trade is aware – that they're comfortable and ready for what’s to come,” Lindy said.

A "partner-first" strategy

WestJet’s approach to NDC has been guided by what Lindy describes as a “partner-centric and partner-first” philosophy — a deliberate choice that partly explains why the airline waited several years before bringing its NDC solution to market.

“We wanted to make sure that we've done this not for our partners, but with our partners,” he said. 

Over the past year, Lindy and his team have worked closely with the trade through a closed user group representing a range of agency types and distribution models.

Lindy says these partners have been testing the platform across multiple channels, providing feedback and helping WestJet refine the experience before launch.

Those testing efforts have helped the airline identify key priorities for advisors — especially when it comes to servicing bookings, Lindy said.

“The number one piece of feedback I've taken away is that bookings need to be serviced,” Lindy said. “It’s necessary for a successful solution.”

An omni-channel approach 

WestJet gathered those insights into what Lindy calls a “master list” of requirements, which then informed the scope of work for the NDC product.

One of the defining features of WestJet’s NDC strategy is its multi-channel distribution model, designed to meet agencies wherever they prefer to book.

When the platform launches, travel advisors will be able to access WestJet’s NDC content through three main channels: Direct Connect with Accelya, Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), including Sabre, Travelport and Amadeus, and a technology aggregator option. 

“We want to meet the partner in the channel of their choice,” Lindy said. “We're not coming to market with a Direct Connect solution, saying, ‘If you want access to WestJet content, you have to connect with us via Direct Connect.’”

Instead, the airline has developed what Lindy calls an “omni-channel approach” that allows advisors to maintain their existing workflows.

“You'll be able to connect via your preferred GDS,” he said. “We've also got technology agreements in place with our aggregator partners, to ensure that they'll be able to connect via technology aggregator as well.”

Rozo says this flexibility was a key request from agency partners. “The big thing is that partners don’t need to change GDS providers. That’s a big differentiation,” he said. “It’s more trying to empower our travel trade partners, more than just imposing something.”

A "boring" launch 

Communication has been another cornerstone of WestJet’s NDC strategy.

Rozo says the airline has been consistently updating the travel trade about the development of its NDC platform, sharing progress reports and technical milestones long before the official launch.

“Every single month, we've been going back to the travel trade, telling them what we're working on,” Rozo said.

That transparency, he said, should help make the eventual launch feel almost uneventful — in a good way.

“This is going to be the most boring launch,” he said, “because all of our partners and everybody in the industry already knows what we’re doing.”

The airline has also invested in extensive testing to ensure the platform is stable by the time it goes live.

“We have a third party that we’ve hired that puts thousands of test cases on a daily basis to ensure that the solution is up to speed by the time that we launch,” Rozo said.

New features & servicing improvements

Ahead of launch, WestJet has been rolling out details about upcoming features that aim to improve the servicing experience for travel advisors.

In February, the airline briefed partners on a new capability arriving with Accelya’s 11.5 release: automated involuntary exchange.

The feature will allow agents to Reshop for alternative flight options if a client experiences a schedule change or disruption. The enhancement is designed to help advisors manage disruptions more efficiently and deliver a smoother customer experience.

Additional features currently in testing include prepaid bags, true Reshop functionality and category 31 automated voluntary exchanges.

Understanding NDC

Although it’s been a frequent topic of debate in the industry, NDC itself is not new.

The initiative was first introduced in 2012 by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which created the standard — officially known as New Distribution Capability — to modernize airline retailing and replace limitations in legacy systems.

Adoption accelerated around 2015, when many of the world’s largest airlines began modernizing their retail systems. In the Canadian landscape, Air Canada launched its NDC program in June of 2023. 

Even so, NDC remains a controversial topic in parts of the travel retail community, where some agencies continue to question its operational complexity and the impact on established booking workflows.

From WestJet's perspective, however, the technology represents a major shift in how air travel is sold.

Moving away from the legacy EDIFACT “green screen” infrastructure that has powered airline distribution for decades, NDC enables carriers to customize fare bundles and pricing, integrate ancillary products such as seat selection and baggage, deliver richer product descriptions and offer these options to agencies in a standardized digital format.

Rozo believes the industry is still only beginning to tap the potential of the technology.

“If you see the adoption that exists, and how it has changed, it’s very clear that there’s still a lot of runway to go,” he said.

And times are changing. Rozo noted that earlier implementations of NDC often struggled due to fragmented systems. 

“You had very bespoke NDC solutions that were difficult to implement from a GDS perspective," he said. "But standardization is coming." 

Why WestJet waited

While some airlines moved quickly to adopt NDC, WestJet chose a more cautious path.

Rozo says that delay allowed WestJet to learn from other airlines’ experiences — both successes and challenges.

“We've been able to learn what has worked and what hasn’t,” he said.

Technology maturity of NDC was another factor. “There are multiple releases and versions,” Rozo explained. “There was a time when we lacked the confidence to sell our products fully, and we believed our partners might encounter challenges.”

Only after the technology evolved — and the airline secured the necessary resources and GDS partnerships — did WestJet feel confident moving forward.

“We want to launch a product that's ready,” he said. “That's why we didn't rush into the market.”

WestJet plans to offer market-competitive incentives for agencies connecting through its NDC channels, particularly those opting for direct connections.

While specific amounts have not yet been disclosed, Rozo said the airline has benchmarked its incentives against current industry levels.

“We have committed to partners that they will be compensated at what the market is paying now,” he said.

The airline will also introduce a surcharge for certain non-NDC bookings, although Rozo emphasized that the fee (US$20 – $22) will apply only to the lowest booking class within each cabin, rather than across the entire fare structure.

Importantly, he stressed that WestJet’s NDC strategy is not primarily about reducing distribution costs.

“For us, NDC is not a way of cutting costs,” he said. “The business case is built on the value revenue generation and better products that will allow us to connect better with the travel trade and our guests.”

Looking ahead

For travel advisors, Lindy believes NDC will ultimately make it easier to find and sell the most relevant options for their clients.

“What NDC will allow us to do is narrow the scope of that travel agent and provide them with the right content, or the right fare, at the right time,” he said.

He also sees the technology playing an important role in helping advisors navigate the growing complexity of travel retail.

“To be a travel agent today is very different than it was 20 years ago,” Lindy said. “With the amount of information that’s available, being able to create that personalized touch is getting more challenging.”

Despite ongoing skepticism in some corners of the industry, both executives believe the broader shift toward NDC is irreversible.

“From an NDC perspective, there's no going back,” Lindy said.

But even with strong preparation and industry engagement, WestJet expects the transition to NDC to happen gradually.

Rozo says the early adopters — particularly agencies that participated in testing — will likely begin using the platform soon after launch.

But the airline is realistic about the pace of change.

“We're not expecting 50, 60 or 70 per cent of our bookings to come from NDC starting from day one,” he said.

Still, because the airline has spent years preparing its partners, adoption may ramp up faster than previous NDC launches in Canada, Rozo said.

“If you know what's coming, and you're doing the work ahead of time, then by the time you do launch, your adoption doesn't start from zero,” Rozo said. “We’ve done our homework.”

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