Choosing or evaluating a GDS in 2026 looks different than it did even three years ago — NDC adoption, AI-powered tools, and shifting airline distribution strategies are all changing what "best" means. Here's an updated look at where Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport stand right now.
The Landscape Has Shifted
NDC bookings made up roughly 24% of indirect airline ticket sales globally in early 2026, up from just 11% in 2023 — and North American corporate NDC volumes grew 168% year-over-year. This matters because all three major GDS platforms have responded differently, and that response is now a real factor in choosing between them.
Amadeus in 2026
Amadeus remains the largest GDS by global market share, with particularly strong coverage in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Beyond core booking, Amadeus has built out a wider product ecosystem — including Selling Platform Connect for cloud-based agent access and Cytric for corporate travel and expense management with built-in CO2 reporting.
2026 consideration: Amadeus has been actively integrating NDC content rather than treating it as a separate channel, which matters if your agency is trying to avoid juggling multiple booking interfaces.
Sabre in 2026
Sabre continues to dominate the North American market. A notable 2026 development is SabreMosaic Travel Marketplace, which aggregates content from multiple sources and incorporates an AI agentic layer (built on the Model Context Protocol) supporting automated rebooking during disruptions and other AI-assisted servicing tasks.
2026 consideration: If you're evaluating Sabre, ask specifically about Sabre Red 360's current NDC servicing capabilities — automated rebooking support for NDC-specific bookings is still maturing industry-wide.
Travelport in 2026
Travelport (which absorbed Apollo, Galileo, and Worldspan) continues to invest in its Travelport+ retailing platform. Recent additions include AI-powered search that removes duplicate results and surfaces the most relevant, profitable options, plus deeper integration with corporate booking tool Deem covering NDC deals.
2026 consideration: Travelport notably exited the B2B payments business in 2020 (selling eNett and Opal to WEX), so agencies relying on integrated payment processing should clarify how that gap is currently handled.
Side-by-Side: What's Changed Since Our Last Comparison
| Factor | Amadeus | Sabre | Travelport |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDC integration approach | Built into core platform | AI-layered via SabreMosaic | Travelport+ with AI search |
| Notable 2026 feature | Cytric CO2 reporting | Agentic AI rebooking | Deem/Travelport+ NDC integration |
| B2B payments | Own platform | Conferma Pay (acquired) | Exited in 2020 |
Pricing Is Still Opaque
One thing that hasn't changed: none of the three major GDS providers publish straightforward pricing. All three want you to contact them directly for a quote, which makes it hard to do a clean apples-to-apples cost comparison without going through a sales conversation with each.
Rather than asking "which GDS is best," ask "which GDS's NDC roadmap and AI tooling fits how my agency actually operates." The three platforms are converging in capability faster than they're differentiating — the real decision factor now is often which one your host agency, regional market, or existing airline relationships favor.
Does the Choice Still Matter as Much?
Somewhat less than it used to. As NDC adoption grows and more booking content becomes accessible regardless of underlying GDS, the platforms are converging in what they can ultimately deliver. The bigger differentiator in 2026 is increasingly which platform's AI and automation tooling best fits your agency's day-to-day workflow — not just raw content access.
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