Qantas to Charge Fee for Non-Users on New Sabre Channel

Qantas and Sabre will officially debut the new Qantas Channel on the GDS starting Aug. 1, 2019, and will be charging a $12.50 fee for all non-users booking Qantas flights. 

In an email to its users this week, Qantas said that it had renewed its content agreement with Sabre that includes the Qantas Channel, initially announced earlier this year, which will give advisors access to “the widest range of Qantas fares, products, and information for agents.”

The channel uses IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) to provide better information at the point of sale, new offers, and a personalized booking experience, Qantas said.

Advisors who want to sign up for the new channel can do so by registering with their IATA, TIDS, or ARC number and signing an agreement with Qantas. Agreements have to be signed and finalized with Qantas and Sabre before June 1 to guarantee access on Aug. 1.

Those who do not sign up for the channel will still be able to make Qantas bookings, the airline said, but will have to pay a $12.50 fee and will not be able to use all the features of the new channel.

“We recognize that some agencies may choose not to sign a Qantas Channel agreement with Qantas. Those who do not sign the agreement can continue to book Qantas content in Sabre, but may only have access to limited content from the airline, and be subject to a Channel Fee from Qantas,” Sabre wrote in a letter to its users this week.