Qantas has reached agreements with the major global distribution systems to provide bookings through its Qantas Channel, which will provide a workaround for a $12.50 per-segment GDS booking surcharge Qantas plans for later this year.
This week, both Sabre and Amadeus announced distribution agreements with the Australian national carrier that include the Qantas Channel, which will launch Aug. 1 and will offer "access to the widest range of Qantas fares, products and information for agents," according to Qantas. The carrier said it also has an agreement with Travelport to make the channel available.
The channel will source content from the Qantas Distribution Platform, which launched last year and is certified Level 3 under the International Air Transport Association's New Distribution Capability standard.
Qantas will implement a $12.50 ($17.50 Australian) surcharge per segment on GDS bookings outside the channel. Agencies not participating in the private channel also may lose access to some fare categories, The Beat reported. Qantas reported that many of its agency partners—including Flight Centre, Helloworld, Corporate Travel Management, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, ATPI Voyager, CT Connections, Webjet, Consolidated Travel Group, Virtuoso, Express Travel Group and Expedia Group and Egencia—have agreed to participate in the channel. "We're working towards having the vast majority of our agency partners signed up to the Qantas Channel in the coming months, and we're excited to continue to innovate with them and share in the benefits of this new technology," according to Qantas chief customer officer Vanessa Hudson.
Sabre also announced that Qantas has joined its Beyond NDC distribution testing and development program. It joined Amadeus' NDC-X program last June.