Qantas NDC: how agencies and developers access Qantas content
The July 2025 distribution model, EDIFACT and NDC surcharges, dynamic commission, GDS NDC availability, and the ways to connect.
By the Tripgic team · Last updated
What is Qantas NDC?
Qantas NDC is the airline’s IATA New Distribution Capability channel, delivered through the Qantas Distribution Platform. Since July 2025 agencies choose between EDIFACT, Standard NDC and invitation-only Premium NDC, each with different content and per-segment charges.
Qantas built its NDC channel market by market from 2019 and, from 1 July 2025, replaced its Qantas Channel agreements with a three-tier model that charges more for EDIFACT and rewards Premium NDC with the widest content and dynamic commission. See our plain-English guide to NDC for the standard itself.
Qantas NDC timeline: key dates
| Date | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2021 | Amadeus starts giving pilot agencies Qantas NDC offers from the Qantas Distribution Platform, including ancillaries not in EDIFACT. | source |
| May 2022 | The Qantas NDC channel expands beyond Australia and New Zealand to South Africa, the UK and the US. | source |
| Nov 2022 | Travelport+ offers Qantas NDC content in 52 countries, including frequent-flyer and corporate fares, hold-and-pay-later and servicing. | source |
| Nov 2024 | Qantas announces a new global agency model from 1 July 2025 with three routes: EDIFACT, Standard NDC and invitation-only Premium NDC. | source |
| Dec 2024 | Sabre renews its multi-year Qantas deal covering EDIFACT and NDC content; Sabre has carried Qantas NDC since 2021. | source |
| Jul 2025 | Ticketed EDIFACT bookings carry A$11.50 per segment in Australia and up to US$13 elsewhere, with some routes exempt. | source |
| Jul 2025 | Standard NDC via Amadeus, Sabre or Travelport carries A$4.50 or US$3.00 per segment; certified technology partners, the QDP portal and Premium NDC carry no surcharge. | source |
| Apr 2026 | Qantas offers New Zealand Premium NDC agents bonus commission, shown as Dynamic Commission in the Offer Price response, of up to 10% on selected routes. | source |
Qantas states its surcharge amounts as correct at 27 November 2024 and subject to change. Confirm current terms on Qantas Agency Connect. Qantas Agency Connect — What is NDC.
Three ways to access Qantas NDC
You can connect to Qantas directly, through a GDS that carries its NDC content, or through an NDC aggregator. The right choice depends on your engineering capacity and how many airlines you sell.
| Direct to Qantas | GDS NDC | Aggregator (Tripgic) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Large agencies and TMCs with their own NDC engineering team | Agencies already working in a GDS desktop or GDS API | OTAs, B2B platforms and startups that want REST/JSON |
| What you build | Premium NDC or a certified technology partner connection with Qantas | The GDS’s NDC workflow, separate from EDIFACT | One REST API; Qantas NDC blended with GDS and LCC fares |
| Airline tier and fee changes | You track Qantas’s model | Handled by the GDS | Handled in Tripgic’s connector; your JSON stays the same |
| Other airlines | One integration per airline | NDC carriers that GDS supports | Other NDC airlines, 3 GDS networks and 67 LCCs |
Qantas EDIFACT vs Standard NDC vs Premium NDC
- EDIFACT: A$11.50 per segment in Australia, up to US$13 elsewhere, from 1 July 2025.
- Standard NDC (via a GDS): A$4.50 or US$3.00 per segment.
- Premium NDC / certified partners / QDP portal: no surcharge; Premium NDC carries Qantas’s widest content range.
- NDC extras: dynamic commission, price lock of up to five days, and visibility of Qantas Points and Status Credits.
How NDC differs from the GDS in general: NDC vs traditional GDS.
Frequently asked questions
What is Qantas Premium NDC?
Premium NDC is the invitation-only tier of Qantas’s July 2025 agency model. It carries Qantas’s widest content range with no surcharge, plus dynamic commission and a price lock of up to five days.
How much does Qantas charge for EDIFACT bookings?
From 1 July 2025, ticketed EDIFACT bookings carry A$11.50 per segment in Australia and up to US$13 at other points of sale, with some routes exempt. Standard NDC through a GDS carries A$4.50 or US$3.00 per segment.
Can I book Qantas NDC in a GDS?
Yes, as Standard NDC. Travelport+ offered Qantas NDC in 52 countries from November 2022, Sabre has carried it since 2021, and Amadeus started pilot bookings in July 2021.
What is Qantas dynamic commission?
It is commission that Qantas returns per offer in the NDC Offer Price response. In April 2026 New Zealand Premium NDC agents could earn up to 10% on selected international routes.
How do I access Qantas NDC through Tripgic?
Tripgic holds the Qantas NDC connection. You integrate one REST API with sandbox credentials, and Qantas NDC offers come back blended with GDS and low-cost carrier fares in the same normalized JSON, with no per-airline NDC certification on your side.
Sources
- Amadeus — Amadeus celebrates new NDC milestone with Qantas (Jul 2021)
- TravelNews — QF drives SA trade to NDC (May 2022)
- Travelport — Qantas NDC content to agents in 52 countries (Nov 2022)
- Karryon — Qantas to launch new NDC model for travel agents (Nov 2024)
- Asian Aviation — Qantas, Sabre extend distribution agreement (Dec 2024)
- Qantas Agency Connect — New distribution model for travel agents (Nov 2024)
- Qantas Agency Connect — Bonus Commission on Qantas international flights (Apr 2026)
- Qantas Agency Connect — What is NDC
Other airline NDC guides
- British Airways NDC
- Emirates NDC
- Qatar Airways NDC
- Riyadh Air NDC
- Saudia NDC
- Etihad Airways NDC
- Turkish Airlines NDC
- Lufthansa Group NDC
- Air France-KLM NDC
- Singapore Airlines NDC
- American Airlines NDC
- United Airlines NDC
- Cathay Pacific NDC
- Iberia NDC
- Finnair NDC
- Air India NDC
- Biman Bangladesh Airlines NDC
- flydubai NDC
- Gulf Air NDC
- Oman Air NDC
- Malaysia Airlines NDC
Related
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Qantas NDC, GDS and LCC content in one normalized REST API. Sandbox credentials at no charge.
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