Skift Take
In Australia, the New Distribution Capability is moving from a vague concept to an active business model, as Qantas urges travel agents to sign up to a new channel with expanded content. Those who miss the June 30 deadline could lose out on some enhancements but also face new fees for airline bookings.
Travel agencies are being urged to sign up for Qantas’ new distribution channel, with technology providers like Sabre pressing their industry partners to join soon if they want to be included in the August 1 launch.
A Sabre email to customers obtained by Skift warned that agencies must finalize agreements with both Qantas and Sabre prior to June 1 “to guarantee access to the Qantas channel from 1 August 2019.” The email continued, “Effective 1 August 2019, Sabre-powered travel agencies who sign up to the new Qantas channel will enjoy a wide range of content from the airline, and have the ability to leverage reliable and up-to-date information to create rich, personalized offers for their customers.”
It’s understood that Qantas has extended its deadline subsequent to the Sabre agent outreach and will now accept sign-ups to the Qantas channel until June 30. Agencies will be able to register for the Qantas channel any time after the deadline, but that will mean that they may only get the Qantas channel content after August.
The Qantas channel, according to the airline, will include special offers unavailable outside the channel and will deliver “a more personalised experience for customers.”
Traditional Alongside Special Content
Mike Orchard, principal of consultancy Festive Road in Australia, said Qantas is working with all three major global distribution systems (Sabre, Travelport and Amadeus) to provide access to “
