By Kavita Mistry 
United Airlines and Travelport have announced a new phase of collaboration designed to accelerate innovation in airline retailing and enhance the travel agency ecosystem through early access to NDC-enabled extras, deeper technical cooperation, and a new suite of Online Booking Tool (OBT) features.
The multi-year agreement provides Travelport with early access to United’s NDC-enabled capabilities, enabling both organisations to co-develop and bring new features to market faster. This deeper partnership moves beyond the traditional airline-distributor model, integrating dedicated development resources from both companies to create modern retailing tools tailored specifically for Travelport+, the company’s unified retail platform for travel agencies.
Through this collaboration, United and Travelport aim to deliver faster innovation cycles, enhanced user experiences, and improved access to United content for agencies and corporate buyers worldwide.
“United prioritises development efforts with partners who can move quickly and deliver real innovation to the marketplace,” the airline stated. “Our work with Travelport exemplifies how deep technical alignment and shared commitment can modernise the retailing experience for both travellers and agents.”
The partnership also introduces United’s portfolio of OBT extras to Travelport’s Deem OBT platform, extending new functionalities to travel management companies and end users. These include:
-The ability to pool unused United travel credits,
-Direct enrolment in the United MileagePlus loyalty programme,
-The use of United Jetstream amenity funds as a form of payment for ancillaries, and
-Additional capabilities to streamline corporate travel management.
These OBT extras will also be available via Travelport+, ensuring that travel counsellors and agencies can access and manage the same advanced retailing capabilities within their workflow.
The implementation will take place in phases, with initial launches in early 2026 and continued feature rollouts throughout the year. United will deploy specialised support teams to assist travel agencies during the transition, ensuring smooth adoption of the new NDC-powered features and maximising value for Travelport-connected partners.
The agreement reinforces both companies’ shared commitment to modernising airline distribution while maintaining strong collaboration with travel agencies and corporate travel buyers – key pillars of the global travel industry’s retail transformation.
