Hopper Announces NDC Partnership with Spirit Airlines, Expanding Travel App’s Direct Connect Capabilities in the U.S.

Today, travel-booking app Hopper announced their NDC (New Distribution Capability) partnership with Spirit Airlines, marking the company’s first direct connect implemented with a U.S. carrier. The NDC-based connection will give Hopper customers access to Spirit’s flights and “À La Smarte” options.

This announcement – in addition to Hopper’s other NDC partnership with Lufthansa Group – reinforces Hopper’s long-term commitment to NDC, which includes Hopper’s acquisition of GDX Travel, a Bogota-based travel company that specializes in airline connectivity. This NDC connection will allow Hopper to offer a seamless travel experience by serving the most competitive prices on Spirit trips and maximizing itinerary availability.

Hopper delivers a highly personalized experience for its customers through its conversational commerce model and fintech products. Through its machine learning algorithms, Hopper analyzes the value that customers place on various trip and flight attributes and generates personalized travel recommendations based on the customer’s profile. Further, its suite of fintech products offer customers flexibility and control over their planning, booking and trip-taking experience.

Airlines that connect with Hopper via NDC can present consistent, personalized offers to customers who shop across Hopper and the airline’s digital channels. With the option to customize bundles, this NDC partnership will increase Spirit’s market share and sales across Hopper’s ecosystem.

“As demand continues to rebound after the pandemic, NDC-enabled connections are crucial to determining the right offers for our unique set of customers,” says Dakota Smith, Chief Strategy Officer at Hopper. “We are thrilled to enter into this partnership with Spirit Airlines, which will enable us to closely collaborate on strategic initiatives unique to our customers and provide a more streamlined customer experience.”

“At Spirit, we are constantly looking to drive innovation in the travel distribution market, and Hopper is coming up with some great new ideas,’’ said Bobby Schroeter, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Spirit Airlines. “Hopper’s mobile-friendly model appeals to our customer-base, and this partnership helps us continue to deliver on our ongoing pledge to invest in the Guest’s travel experience.”

About Spirit Airlines: 

Spirit Airlines (NYSE: SAVE) is committed to delivering the best value in the sky. We are the leader in providing customizable travel options starting with an unbundled fare. This allows our Guests to pay only for the options they choose — like bags, seat assignments and refreshments — something we call Á La Smarte. We make it possible for our Guests to venture further and discover more than ever before. Our Fit Fleet® is one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient in the U.S. We serve destinations throughout the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean, and are dedicated to giving back and improving those communities. Come save with us at spirit.com.