BCD Travel has signed an agreement with Qantas to participate in the Australian carrier’s Qantas Channel, giving it access to NDC content.
The agreement applies to all individual global distribution system bookings and BCD is now finalising required agreements with individual GDSs.
The Qantas Channel provides travel agents and TMCs with access to a range of fares and content sourced from the Qantas Distribution Platform. The airline intends to use IATA’s NDC standard to connect to GDSs and online booking tools.
According to BCD, one of the benefits of participating in the Qantas Channel is that it will allow its clients to book reservations on Qantas without paying the airline’s new channel booking fee, which is set to go into effect on 1 August and applies to all bookings made outside the Qantas Channel.
Other TMCs signed up to the Qantas Channel include American Express Global Business Travel.
The agreement is another in a series of steps BCD has taken to give clients access to NDC and to avoid the charges associated with indirect channel bookings on some airlines. It has similar deals in place with Air France KLM, British Airways, Iberia and Lufthansa Group carriers.
The TMC also participates in the Amadeus NDC-X programme, Sabre Beyond NDC and Travelport’s NDC programme.
Rose Stratford, executive vice president of global supplier relations and strategic sourcing, commented: “We’re committed to ensuring that companies retain the ability to shop from among multiple competing offers between like city pairs – and can capture essential data needed to keep travellers safe on the road.”
BCD has launched an NDC website and a white paper to show corporates how its distribution strategy provides access to a comprehensive range of content.
bcdtravel.com