All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest and 5-Star airline for eight consecutive years now makes it possible to book flights directly through Google.
Fully integrated with the company’s “Book on Google” *1 service, passengers will be able to find ANA flights and book them by using the ticket comparison search platform “Google Flights”*2. This capability was made possible by implementing a platform that adheres to New Distribution Capability (NDC)*3 guidelines.
Previously, when customers wanted to make a reservation for an ANA flight through “Google Flights”, they would need to enter flight information such as date and destination. After selecting the flight on “Google Flights”, the passenger would be re-directed to ANA’s official website to make a reservation and purchase a ticket. The introduction of the “Book on Google” service streamlines the process and allows for flights to be easily booked through the following steps:
- After conducting a search on “Google Flights”, customers can complete the reservation and purchasing procedure on the “Google Flights” page without going to the official ANA website.
- Travelers can view and purchase optional upgrade services such as securing seat reservations and additional baggage allowance in advance. These options used to be offered mainly on ANA reservation sites and call centers.
- Once customers log in to their Google accounts, their registered names and contact information will automatically be displayed when filling out travel details. In addition, if the customer has registered their credit card with Google PayTM their credit card information will also be displayed automatically to allow for a smoother transition from search to reservation to payment process.
*1 Book on Google
“Book on Google” helps complete airline ticket reservations on Google-owned platforms. Currently, users have to move from “Google Flights” to ANA’s official website, but with this launch it will be possible to search, reserve and pay on “Google Flights” without transitioning to the website.
*2 Google Flights
Please see below URL for details on Google Flights:
www.google.com/flights
*3 NDC (New Distribution Capability)
NDC is the latest communication standard established by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to deliver information on airline tickets and their ancillary services. Through platforms that comply with this standard, ANA’s reservation systems are directly linked to those of our external partners. This enables us to obtain a wide range of information, including in-flight services, seats, and the number and size of carry-on baggage, and to purchase optional services, such as paid lounge services, which were limited to purchases by ANA’s official website and some travel agencies. As it is a global industry standard, we will collaborate with various partners around the world.
*There are some restrictions on optional services available for purchase.
*International flight tickets are available through the service. Tickets for domestic flights and/or tickets for domestic and overseas tours are not applicable.
*Google and Google Pay are trademarks of Google LLC.
