In a world where three-letter acronyms often bring more pain than promise, ATPI’s “NDC = NAP!” has flipped the script—and then some. It might just be the breath of fresh air Australian universities didn’t know they desperately needed.
When Qantas, our flying kangaroo, leapt fully into the New Distribution Capability (NDC) jungle on 1 July 2025, it left many travel managers clutching their spreadsheets and muttering about complexity, chaos, and surprise charges. But not everyone was caught flat-footed.
ATPI, a long-time heavyweight in managed travel, was already ahead of the curve—and, quite possibly, sipping an espresso while others scrambled.
Cracking NDC Without Cracking Heads
Enter ATPI’s university-specific solution, where NDC doesn’t mean nightmares—it means “Not A Problem!” And in case that acronym wasn’t enough of a comfort blanket, Commercial Director Peter Hosper laid it out with the confidence of a man who’s seen travel tech trends come and go.
“We’ve built a university-centric solution which can also be used in the corporate sector, on a rock-solid Not A Problem! foundation: our approach to NDC,” Hosper said.
ATPI’s approach has solved NDC and taken the headache out of one of the more complex travel ecosystems: university travel.
Let’s be frank: university travel isn’t your average corporate jaunt. It’s fieldwork, grant funding, labyrinthine approval chains and, often, researchers heading into the wilds (sometimes literally). All must be above board for the ATO to meet FBT requirements. Fun, right?
A Custom Build for Complexity
To that end, ATPI has developed its own custom-built online platform—tailored specifically for higher education, but flexible enough for the corporate crowd. The platform, fully integrated with Cytric Travel, does the heavy lifting behind the scenes so academics and admin staff alike can focus on the real work (or finding their passport).
ATPI’s system dramatically simplifies the process rather than swamping staff with approval chains and manual intervention. One of the country’s largest universities has already reported a 78% reduction in manual booking interventions. That’s not just tidy—it’s transformational.
There’s no need for staff retraining, no frantic how-to sessions, and certainly no hand-wringing over system errors. As Hosper put it, “No disruption. No training trauma. Just results.”
Seamless, Sensible, and Surprisingly Slick
At the heart of ATPI’s model is seamless NDC integration. Whether it’s content from NDC, EDIFACT, or even low-cost carriers (LCCs), everything’s streamlined into a single, easy-to-use interface via Cytric. It’s a bit like a good butler—efficient, unobtrusive, and handling all the details while you get on with life.
“With one major university, 99% of Qantas online bookings are now NDC and no one even realises it,” Hosper said. And that, dear reader, is precisely the point.
This isn’t NDC for NDC’s sake. It’s NDC working for the traveller—not the other way around.
No Surprise Fees. Real Results.
And here’s where the old-school value proposition shines: no hidden costs, no gotchas.
ATPI doesn’t charge NDC fees for online bookings made through Cytric. On top of that, there’s up to 11% savings per ticket to destinations like Melbourne. That’s not a rounding error. That’s serious money when you’re managing thousands of bookings annually.
The proof’s in the pudding, since rolling out the model, ATPI has re-signed one major university client and brought another on board. Talks are already underway with more institutions and corporate clients across the country.
Designed for Universities. Engineered for Efficiency.
Let’s not forget that universities today are under pressure, juggling research grants, compliance demands, and the eternal call to “do more with less.” ATPI’s platform speaks to that world without demanding an overhaul or a new way of thinking.
“Others talk transformation. We’re already delivering it,” said Hosper with a quiet authority that suggests this isn’t just marketing fluff—it’s lived experience. “We didn’t retrofit a corporate tool—we engineered a university travel solution that simply works.”
In the land of travel technology, that’s practically poetry.
Final Boarding Call
So while others are still grappling with the NDC alphabet soup, ATPIs have taken the wheel and driven straight through it, with universities riding comfortably in the back seat.
For the sector, it’s a win wrapped in a sigh of relief. For ATPI, it’s another tick in the “delivered without drama” column. And for the rest of the industry? Well, perhaps it’s time to take notes—or better yet, make a booking.
For more information or to connect with ATPI’s team of travel-simplifying masterminds, visit: www.atpi.com.
By Christine Nguyen
