In October, Datalex hit a major product milestone with the official certification of the latest 21.3 Schema version, as we join a handful of other technology providers certified on this version.
Datalex is laser focused on continuously adding advanced retailing capability for our airline partners across our product portfolio - our NDC 21.3 certification is another important step in the retailing journey we are bringing our customers on.
But did you know that Datalex fully supports many previous versions too? Schema versions are an important aspect of the overall NDC conversation, but despite their importance they are still misunderstood in the market.
History of Schema Versions
There’s a lot of jargon in the travel industry, particularly with recently released standards such as NDC which is still in relative infancy. So, what are the schema versions that IATA proposes?
Simply put, these ensure a simplified NDC messaging standard across the industry. Each version release leverages the feedback IATA received from earlier versions, deployments, and pilots. The NDC Schemas fulfil the business requirements for each messaging service such as Shopping, Order management, or payment and ticketing.
The numbering of the schema versions can also be confusing. The reason for each version is deliberate however - they simply refer to the year and quarter IATA released it. Up until the end of 2020, IATA produced the NDC api version twice a year, with the year first, followed by a ‘dot 1’ or ‘dot 2’ after it for the 1st or 2nd half of the year. However, from 2021 onwards, IATA started to release four versions of the api a year, meaning it is in quarters rather than halves. The latest 21.3 version therefore was released by IATA last year in Q3 and technology providers like Datalex are getting certified on it now.
IATA doesn’t claim to hold hard and fast rules on what airlines use what versions and what technology providers support what versions – it is very much a case-by-case basis which we will explain below.
Misconceptions around 21.3 Schema Versions
There are several misconceptions that we regularly counter around schema versions. Let’s take a look at the most common misunderstandings around these releases:
21.3 – A milestone version?
Schema 21.3 has been heralded as a milestone version for a number of reasons. For airlines that fit the criteria for its messaging, 21.3 could be the right version for them. Let’s look at the benefits that the latest Schema version, 21.3 offers:
Register for Datalex and IATA NDC Webinar “Airlines and Travel Agents: How NDC is Reimagining the Relationship.”
Thursday 1st December 2022, 13:00 GMT
This Datalex and IATA webinar will explore the latest trends and opportunities in NDC, how to get the industry to the next level of NDC, ensure greater adoption and ultimately realise greater retailing for all – the airline, the agent and the traveler.