What is NDC?
The New Distribution Capability (NDC) is an initiative from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). NDC is a data transmission standard for how airlines distribute their fares to travel agents and travellers. It is not a platform, software, or database.
The goal of NDC is to enable airlines to deliver a faster, broader, and more personalised range of air content directly to travel bookers and agencies. NDC airfares are additional offers on top of the content already available to you. NDC is always changing, with airlines building unique frameworks to distribute their fares.
What are the benefits?
NDC was created to optimise the way you can shop, book, and service flights – bringing a modern e-commerce experience to air travel. As airlines continue to develop their own NDC offerings, the benefits for business travellers can include:
- More Pricing Options
Access exclusive lower fares and promotions through NDC, and dynamic pricing models that update in real-time.
- Personalised Experience
Receive more relevant and tailored price, loyalty, and ancillary offers, sometimes bundled together, based on your unique booking history and preferences.
What are the current considerations for NDC?
NDC content is an addition to your existing content options, not a replacement. While the industry is focused on NDC as the future of air content distribution, it is still maturing. NDC is constantly changing, and it is important to consider if it is the right fit for your corporate travel programme.
There are functional nuances to NDC content, and we will work with you to assess if these are compatible with your travel policy, compliance, use of credits, and more.
- Airline Commitment and Capability
Not all airlines have finished building their NDC capability, and it may not meet your expectations when arranging travel. Airlines must decide on their NDC strategy, often through content removal or exclusive offers.
- Integration and Testing
Thorough testing and seamless integration are essential. At Flight Centre Business Travel, we rigorously test end-to-end for every airline to ensure the solution is right for our customers.
- Servicing
Some aspects of servicing NDC bookings may require your travel arranger to work differently, such as needing to call airlines to make changes manually. We are working with our airline and technology partners to continue to enhance servicing capabilities.
- Savings
In some cases, the cost savings of the NDC content can be outweighed by slower servicing, which impacts your SLA.
- Pricing
Some airlines have adopted different pricing models for their NDC content, but NDC doesn’t fully resolve price parity with airline direct websites. Airlines will continue to offer direct-to consumer deals, typically aimed at the leisure market. However, these offers often lack the full servicing, duty of care, and support that a TMC like Flight Centre Business Travel provides.
As NDC continues to evolve, each organisation needs to make an informed decision about its NDC journey, considering the airlines, content, and capabilities that are most important to its programme. Flight Centre Business Travel is here to help you navigate the complexities of NDC to ensure you get the most out of NDC content when it is suitable for your business.
What is Fight Centre Business Travel’s NDC approach?
Flight Centre Business Travel is firmly positioned at the forefront of developments in the distribution landscape. Our strong industry partnerships, the expertise of our people, and our NDC technology capability ensure that we can offer you the widest range of business travel content.
- Strong partnerships building on expertise
We are working closely with 3rd parties to upskill and you can trust that our expertise in NDC distribution is building fast. Alongside our long-standing relationships with airlines, global distribution systems (GDS) and aggregators, our team are accustomed to navigating airline industry shifts and optimising air inventory.
- Keeping innovation at the forefront
Keep your NDC strategy future-proof with the confidence we can leverage technology to enhance corporate travel. Through partnering with the best technology partners, we're delivering a robust and scalable solution for business travel.
- Customer-first and consultative
Whether you consider yourself an NDC pro or novice, we never want you to feel alone in your journey. We'll guide you through the complexities so you can make the best decisions for your travel programme. All new distribution capability content is validated before roll-out so we know it fulfils your needs.
How do we deploy NDC content?
We are committed to deploying NDC content in a way that works seamlessly for your business travel programme. As your partner, we collaborate closely to identify the best solutions for your business travel needs.
We focus on making sure NDC content integrates smoothly into our end-to-end workflow, from booking availability right through to consolidated reporting.
We will work with you to shape your NDC journey and help you maximise the benefits as part of your overall business travel programme.
If you have any questions, please connect with your Travel Manager or Account Manager.
Qantas and Singapore Airlines NDC content coming to Flight Centre Business Travel
Flight Centre Business Travel has been selected as a Qantas Premium NDC Partner.
We will activate Qantas and Singapore Airlines NDC content for bookings for all customers by 1 July 2025.
Please review the following FAQs for how this change may impact you.
You will have the flexibility to activate NDC in alignment with your program requirements. We would encourage you to speak with your dedicated Travel Manager or Account Manager about evaluating the suitability of NDC for your needs.
What are the benefits of NDC?
Tailored Travel Programs: Most NDC content aligns seamlessly with your policies, budgets, and goals, guaranteeing that your travel program is both effective and compliant.
Future-Ready Solutions: We ensure innovative distribution methods with minimal disruption to your operations.
Enhanced Traveller Experience: Access personalised offers, richer content, and increased transparency, contributing to a superior travel experience for your team.
Improved Cost Control: Optimise your budget effectively through competitive pricing and transparent fare structures, supporting your strategic financial management.
Alignment with Your Needs: Activate only the NDC content that matches your program objectives, ensuring productivity and relevance within your travel policy.
What additional benefits do I gain from Qantas providing Flight Centre Business Travel with Premium NDC content?
Travel management companies are required to express interest and then be invited to access Qantas Premium NDC Content. Without this partnership, other TMCs will only be able to access the standard NDC offering.
As a Premium NDC partner, FCBT will be able to provide significant advantages for your travel program:
Access to Exclusive Offers: You’ll benefit from reduced surcharges, gaining access to lower fares and special promotions not available through standard channels.
Enhanced Customisation: You will receive a wider range of booking ancillaries, including free seat selection for Bronze Frequent Flyers, allowing greater flexibility in tailoring travel plans to meet specific needs.
Improved Cost Efficiency: Through Premium NDC, we provide differentiated pricing compared to standard NDC, giving access to all available NDC sale fares and future product offers, maximising value and supporting your strategic financial management objectives.
Our partnership confirms our commitment to providing the best travel solutions, leveraging cutting-edge technologies and exclusive content to enhance your travel experience.
How do I know if NDC is a good fit for my travel program?
When considering NDC content, it’s important to note that differences can vary based on the airline and the method of access—whether offline or online, and depending on your online booking tool.
We encourage you to consider the limitations below when evaluating the impact of NDC on your travel program. As technical enhancements are introduced, these limitations may evolve.
Current Limitations Across Airlines and Online Booking Tools
Group bookings are unavailable for both offline and online bookings.
Credits on Hold (CoH)
Most airlines do not allow existing traditional credits to be used for NDC flights. Recommendations for utilising your existing credits are outlined later in these FAQs.
Involuntary schedule change notifications (eg for flight time changes) are not currently automated and will be sent manually. This item is on our development roadmap.
Reporting and Visibility: Offline NDC bookings will effectively be reflected in Best Fare of the Day logic and reports.
Singapore Airlines Limitations
Only one passenger per booking is supported.
Unavailable for complex mixed fares, stopovers, and corporate deals.
We also recommend not using NDC for mixed fares/cabins, stopovers, multi-stop, open-jaw and other complex itineraries due to challenges involved in changes.
Will Qantas be applying a surcharge?
There will be no Qantas surcharge if booking NDC content. Most traditional fares will attract an AUD$11.50 segment fee for Point of Sale in Australia, NZD$17.50 for Point of Sale in New Zealand and USD$13.00 Point of Sale for the Rest of the World.
How will I know I am booking an NDC fare?
Your FCBT Travel Manager will offer you content in line with your agreed travel policy. You will have the flexibility to activate NDC in alignment with your program requirements. We would encourage you to speak with your dedicated Travel Manager or Account Manager about evaluating the suitability of NDC for your needs.
How can I make use of my existing Credits on Hold?
Whilst you won’t be able to apply existing credits to NDC fares, your Travel Manager will be able to utilise standard edifact content to help you in redeeming these. Please advise your Travel Manager when you have a credit you are wishing to utilise when making a booking.
Do I still have access to regular Qantas / Singapore Airlines content?
Yes. You maintain the flexibility to request traditional content whenever you are making a booking with your Travel Manager.
Are corporate route deals available?
Based on prior negotiations, certain corporate deals may apply to NDC fares. Reach out to your FCBT representative for specific insights.
Is there a difference in how airline points are collected for NDC fares?
Points collection remains consistent across all content sources, including NDC fares. You may also be offered special promotions, bonus points, or status credits with tailored NDC offers, adding extra value to your travellers loyalty program.
When will you be offering additional airlines?
Although our current focus is on Qantas and Singapore Airlines, as more airlines introduce their NDC content to market, we will integrate these into your program.
How can I opt out of activating NDC for my travellers?
NDC bookings will be activated for all FCBT customers and we are unable to deactivate per customer. However, when making an offline booking, you can request your travel manager only books regular fares.
We recommend discussing an update to your Travel Policy with your Travel Manager.
What's next?
We would encourage you to speak with your dedicated Travel Manager or Account Manager to understand how NDC might affect you and to evaluate the suitability of NDC for your needs.
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