UATP Airline Distribution 2026: What did I learn?
- Veronica Hull
- Mar 18
- 2 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
This time last week, I was lucky enough to be heading towards the SLS in my hometown of Barcelona, to attend the annual UATP Airline Distribution Event. I would say its been at least 10 years since my last attendance, but as this one was local and one of my favourite events on the circuit it was a no brainer to attend.
I always loved the mix of of a single vendor led event over some of the bigger behemoths just because the naturally more intimitate nature, means some real good conversations were to be had. A few takeaways from the week:
The Plumbing Matters: Rebuilding the airline transaction model isn't just a tech upgrade; it’s about making the entire stack—from orchestration to real-time fintech—actually talk to each other.
New Ways to Pay: BNPL isn't slowing down, and the talk around stablecoins and tokenization is getting much more practical. We’re seeing a real evolution in how travelers want to hold and spend value.
AI is the Backbone: It’s no longer a "future" concept for distribution. It’s actively reshaping how we handle the friction points: fraud, identity, and complex distribution logic.
Strategy over Tactics: The direct vs. indirect debate is still alive, but we're finally looking at payments as a lever to unlock demand in emerging markets.
I even managed a sit down with the excellent Lee Hayhurst from Airline Business to give my two pennies worth!
Beyond the sessions, the highlight was the human element. It was great catching up with friends and colleagues, old and new. A huge thanks to the UATP team—especially Wendy Ward and Anthony Russell for a fabulous event! The line between "airline" and "fintech" is officially blurred. It was a productive few days, and I’m glad the rest of the industry got to enjoy my backyard for a bit.
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