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24.04.07
British Airways and Sabre Travel Network sign new long-term, full content agreement
Airline names Sabre Travel Network ‘preferred GDS’
British Airways and the world’s largest global distribution system (GDS), Sabre Travel Network, have reached a new three-year full content agreement that awards the GDS with preferred provider status and will see the airline’s fares and inventory made available to all Sabre Connected travel agents worldwide.
British Airways has guaranteed its full range of fares to Sabre Connected customers, including published fares that the airline sells through its own web site, any third-party web site, and its own reservation offices. Sabre Connected agents in the UK and Ireland will be required to join a new opt-in programme to access these fares.
Tiffany Hall, British Airways’ head of marketing and distribution, said: “The Sabre GDS is an important part of our overall marketing strategy. We are delighted to have reached an agreement with Sabre Travel Network that meets the needs of all parties involved and we look forward to working with them over the next three years.”
Richard Adams, Sabre Travel Network’s senior vice-president, EMEA said: “Our travel agency customers have repeatedly told us that their priority requirements from us are full content, access to the lowest basic fares, and long-term airline deals that guarantee stability in terms of preserving the efficiency of the GDS. We are very pleased to have reached an agreement that ensures these priorities are addressed and that provides continued access to British Airways’ full content, which is so important for our customers to remain competitive and provide the service their customers expect.”
Sabre Travel Network becomes the last GDS operator to introduce an opt-in programme in the UK. The new Sabre opt-in programme guarantees travel agents in the UK and Ireland, through adjusted financial terms with Sabre Travel Network, full access to the current British Airways content in Sabre, including the complete range of published fares that British Airways sells through its own web site, any third-party web site, and its own reservation offices.
More details of the opt-in programme will be made available shortly by Sabre Travel Network, directly to its UK and Ireland travel agency customers.
The agreement between the two companies continues a broad relationship between British Airways and the wider Sabre Holdings organisation. In addition to participation in the Sabre GDS, British Airways also uses decision-support technology from Sabre Airline Solutions to optimise its flight scheduling, resource management and daily flight operations.
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