The Qantas Channel provides travel agents who sign up for it with access to a wider range of fares and content sourced from the Qantas Distribution Platform. The airline intends to use the International Air Transport Association's (IATA's) new distribution capability (NDC) to connect to GDSs and online booking tools. Under a multi-year deal, BCD will work with Qantas and participating GDSs to leverage the Qantas Distribution Platform to improve the travel experience for mutual clients and travelers.

One of the benefits of participating in the Qantas Channel is that it will let BCD clients book reservations on Qantas without paying the airline's new channel booking fee. Set to go into effect on Aug. 1, the fee is being imposed on all bookings made outside the Qantas Channel.

"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 travelers safe on the road," said Rose Stratford, Executive Vice President of Global Supplier Relations and Strategic Sourcing.

BCD's deal with Qantas is just the latest agreement to ensure its clients the broadest possible access to content. BCD previously struck channel booking deals with Air France/KLM and British Airways/Iberia. BCD also has signed NDC agreements with Lufthansa Group, the Amadeus NDC-X program, Sabre Beyond NDC and Travelport's NDC program. To learn how BCD's distribution strategy ensures its clients continued access to the most comprehensive range of content, visit BCD's NDC website and download our NDC white paper.