SOUTHLAKE, Texas, Jan 26, 2004 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Jurni Network, the unique offline leisure travel agency consortium operated by Sabre Travel Network, today announced its first list of preferred suppliers from the cruise, tour, car and hotel segments. Thirty-three suppliers, including Royal Caribbean International, The Mark Travel Corporation, Avis Rent A Car and Budget Rent A Car have agreed to provide travel products in specific markets to Jurni Network agency members.
The initial list of preferred suppliers includes:
- Cruise Lines: Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Orient Lines, Royal Caribbean, The Delta Queen Steamboat Company, and Viking River Cruises
- Tour Operators: Adventure Tours, AeroMexico Vacations, ATA Vacations, Blue Sky Tours, Club Med, Cosmos, Creative Leisure International, Funjet Vacations, Globus, Las Vegas and More, Midwest Airlines Vacations, MGM MIRAGE Vacations, Mountain Vacations, Pleasant Holidays, Showtime Tours, Southwest Airlines Vacations, Sports Empire, TransGlobal Vacations, Travel Charter, Travel Impressions, United Vacations and US Airways Vacations
- Car Rentals: Auto Europe, Avis and Budget
- Hotels: Sabre Exclusives merchant hotel program, which includes over 1600 properties, representing 101 brands in 220 cities.
“We are excited to participate in this new consortium model, backed by the strength of Sabre Travel Network, that allows us to benefit from this highly targeted distribution channel. The Jurni Network concept will evolve to be a critical distribution channel for us,” said Bill LaMacchia Jr., of The Mark Travel Corporation. “We are confident in the potential for increased sales, brand awareness and yield, as well as the value and efficiencies we will gain by being a Jurni Network charter supplier.”
“We have strategically selected these suppliers to partner with Jurni Network in specific target markets,” said Chris Kroeger, general manager of Jurni Network. “Jurni Network enhances the effectiveness of the agency channel by enabling agencies to turn more shoppers into buyers, through the integration of detailed marketing intelligence directly into the selling process. Suppliers can create targeted messages and offerings to increase the sales of their products via this channel. Enhanced revenue opportunities are generated for both suppliers and member agencies.
“This is the peak season for cruise and tour bookings, as a result today’s announcement of suppliers reflects our focus on these key leisure travel products. We are currently in negotiations with other suppliers across the spectrum of travel products that will complement and enhance this inaugural list,” continued Kroeger.
Jurni Network has received over 210 travel agency applications and is currently finalizing contracts with those agencies that, along with Nexion, will become charter agency members of the Jurni Network. Agents choosing the host agency model will also have access to Jurni Network’s preferred suppliers, direct marketing programs and the market intelligence capabilities.
About Jurni Network
Jurni Network is a leisure travel agency consortium, operated by Sabre Travel Network, that enables offline agencies to sell more products from preferred travel suppliers by using sophisticated market intelligence. This highly targeted distribution channel creates a whole new value proposition for suppliers and optimizes earnings for both suppliers and agencies. Additional information about Jurni Network is available at www.jurni.com .
About Sabre Travel Network
Sabre Travel Network, a Sabre Holdings company, provides access to the world’s leading global distribution system (GDS) and products and services enabling agents at more than 53,000 agency locations worldwide to be travel experts. Originally developed in 1960, the Sabre GDS was the first system to connect the buyers and sellers of travel. Today the system includes more than 400 airlines, approximately 60,000 hotels, 53 car rental companies, nine cruise lines, 36 railroads and 232 tour operators.
Sabre Holdings Corporation (NYSE: TSG) is a world leader in travel commerce, retailing travel products and providing distribution and technology solutions for the travel industry. More information about Sabre Holdings is available at http://www.sabre-holdings.com .
Statements in this press release which are not purely historical facts, including statements about potential for increased sales or gain in value or efficiencies or other statements about anticipations, beliefs, expectations, hopes, intentions, or strategies for the future, may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based upon information available to the Company on the date this press release was released. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Any forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events or results described in the forward-looking statements, including risks or uncertainties related to the Company’s revenues being highly dependent on the travel and transportation industries. The Company may not succeed in addressing these and other risks. Further information regarding factors that could affect our financial and other results can be found in the risk factors section of the Company’s most recent filing on Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE Sabre Travel Network
Dawn Dorman of Sabre Travel Network, cellular
817-312-7680,
or dawn.dorman@sabre-holdings.com
http://www.jurni.com
