By any measure, the quiet achievers of Australia’s corporate travel sector are no longer playing quietly. Medium-sized, technology-driven travel management companies are now leading the nation’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) transformation, and Connections Travel Group (CTG) intends to make sure nobody misses it.
At the heart of the conversation at the FACTS 2025 conference, CTG’s strong showing across expert panels and the exhibition floor underscored a market reality that’s impossible to ignore: the future of airline retailing in Australia is being shaped not by the global giants, but by the agile middle.
Chief Commercial Officer Andre Moten, addressing a high-profile NDC panel at the conference, put it bluntly.
“The rise of the medium-sized TMC is real. These are the brands corporate buyers haven’t always known, yet they’re the ones leading the way on NDC — faster to implement, faster to innovate, and delivering access to the right kind of NDC content. If buyers aren’t looking beyond just the big global names, they’re missing what’s actually happening in the Australian market,” says Andre Moten, Chief Commercial Officer, Connections Travel Group.
Technology Muscle Without the Bureaucracy
On the exhibition floor, CTG showcased its expanding technology ecosystem — a tangible reminder that scale and speed no longer belong exclusively to the global multinationals. As a Beta Partner with Serko, CTG has secured early access to the newest Zeno capability, including self-service NDC changes and cancellations, real-time repricing, and enhanced visibility across both NDC and EDIFACT behaviours.
In practical terms, this means sharper cost control, tighter policy management, and fewer friction points for corporate travellers all while finance teams maintain more transparent oversight of spend and compliance.
CTG’s early-adopter stance has already delivered measurable commercial impact. The company was among the first travel management firms in Australia to transition all clients to Qantas Premium NDC, unlocking average savings of 9 per cent across the top 15 domestic routes. On selected Business fares, variances of up to 20 per cent have been recorded, alongside full exemption from the $11.50 EDIFACT sector surcharge.
Add to that enriched NDC-only benefits, including seat inclusion, companion fare options, and enhanced frequent flyer offers, and the value proposition becomes increasingly complex for corporate buyers to ignore.
Not All NDC Is Created Equal
As enthusiasm around NDC intensifies, Moten cautions against complacency. The market, he says, is now awash with providers claiming NDC capability, but not all NDC access delivers the same commercial impact.
“Not all NDC is created equal. The real cost savings and the real value are in Premium NDC. Corporate buyers need to ask one simple but powerful question: What type of NDC content are you giving me access to? The correct answer is ‘Premium NDC’.”
It is a distinction that could mean the difference between marginal gains and genuine dollar-for-dollar savings, particularly as airline retailing models continue to evolve rapidly under IATA’s NDC framework.
The Middle Market Finds Its Voice
CTG’s visibility at FACTS 2025 reflected a broader shift underway in the sector. Once perceived as the quiet middle tier, technology-led medium TMCs are now emerging as the industry’s most nimble innovators, large enough to invest, yet agile enough to deploy change without the inertia of global bureaucracy.
Over the two-day conference, discussion repeatedly returned to the same theme: the convergence of NDC, AI-driven analytics and modern airline retailing will radically reshape corporate travel programs over the next five years.
For buyers, the challenge is no longer whether they adopt these tools but how intelligently they select the partners who deliver them.
“If buyers want the best content, the best technology stack, and the best economic outcome for their travel program, they must widen their net. The innovation is happening in the medium-sized segment. It’s happening now, and it’s happening fast,” Moten said.
A Market No Longer Defined by Size
The historical assumption that scale alone guarantees sophistication is rapidly unravelling. Today’s corporate travel clients are no longer impressed by logo size; they are focused on fare transparency, policy control, automation and accurate retail pricing.
What CTG’s performance at FACTS 2025 makes clear is that the competitive edge has shifted to firms that combine deep airline access with flexible technology and highly responsive service models.
As Qantas accelerates its NDC transition and more airlines follow suit, corporate travel buyers are being forced to confront a simple reality: distribution is no longer a back-office function; it is now a frontline commercial strategy.
And in that strategy, the once-overlooked medium TMC is no longer the supporting act. It is fast becoming the headline performer.
by Christine Nguyen – (c) 2025
Read Time: 4 minutes
About the Writer
Christine’s journey is one of quiet courage and unmistakable grace. Arriving in Australia as a young refugee from Vietnam, she built a new life in Sydney brick by brick, armed with little more than hope, family, and a fierce curiosity about the wider world. She studied Tourism at TAFE and found her calling in inbound travel, working with one of Sydney’s leading Destination Management Companies—where she delighted in showing visitors the real Australia, the one beyond postcards and clichés.
Years later, when the call of the sea and a gentler pace of life grew stronger, Christine and her family made their own great escape. She turned her creative hand to designing travel brochures and writing blogs, discovering that storytelling was as natural to her as breathing. Today, she brings that same warmth and worldly insight to Global Travel Media, telling stories that remind us why we travel in the first place.
