SOUTHLAKE, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–June 28, 2005–Sabre Airline
Solutions, the industry leader in airline operations technology,
reported sales through SabreSonic Web for the period Jan. 1 to May 31
totaling more than US$1.5 billion in revenue. Activity transacted on
the powerful airline Internet booking engine averaged more than US$340
million per month for this five-month period. May revenue alone marks
a 36 percent increase over revenue booked through the Web component
during the same period of 2004.
The Web component has also delivered a dramatic increase in the
number of passenger bookings over the same period last year. May
showed a strong increase with 48 percent growth over last year and the
first five months of 2005 mark a greater than 50 percent increase over
the same period in 2004 as the popularity of the Web component, and
online booking in general, continues to increase.
“Booking numbers and revenues continue to escalate because of the
flexibility and ease of use of the Web component,” said Gianni
Marostica, president of Airline Passenger Solutions for Sabre Airline
Solutions. “Since its launch in January of 2004, the customer-centric
shopping and booking method has provided a true and unique value to
travelers everywhere. Travel consumers are clearly choosing air travel
with carriers that offer the best options for booking, check-in and
exchanges. The Web component does all that.”
The benefits of the SabreSonic solutions led 10 new customers to
select the Web component during the last 18 months.
The Web component offers airlines and their customers a variety of
features from basic booking capability to connecting consumers with
their hotel and car partners, providing added value to self-service
travelers at an airline’s Web site. Other enhancements include
customer-executed ticket exchanges online, support of airline
promotional offers, support of eight languages and an airline-branded
Web site that can integrate a customer’s existing bookings and
frequent traveler account information.
The Web component air search page offers travelers the ability to
book by itinerary or price; request nonstop flights; and select from
one-way, round trip or multiple destination searches. The Web
component can also be configured to provide separate storefronts for
specific airline needs, such as corporations and travel agents,
helping carriers better serve the specific needs of various customer
segments.
Sabre Airline Solutions has also introduced various configurable
options within its Site Manager administration tool. The highly
flexible tool streamlines booking processes and provides a customized
look and feel that promotes the airline brand identity. Other
configurable options of the Site Manager tool include:
-- Dynamic origin and destination drop-down menus
-- Dynamic language capabilities
-- The ability to preview changes made in Site Manager prior to
production release, eliminating the need for a test site.
“Self-service, particularly online, is becoming a foundation of
travel ease in the airline industry, and even a measure of an
airline’s level of customer-friendliness,” added Marostica. “The Web
component has proven itself in the marketplace as a smart solution
that directly responds to the travel consumer’s demonstrated desire to
drive the shopping and booking process. The component provides the
necessary tools and technology to address customer self service online
by integrating the SabreSonic solutions in an integrated method that
provides a true ‘B2C’ online offering.”
Majors, regionals, and low-cost carriers worldwide are using the
open-systems technology of the SabreSonic solutions for its
customer-oriented functionality, flexibility, speed and ease of use.
The Web component can be purchased as part of the full lineup of
SabreSonic solutions or purchased on a stand-alone basis, enabling
carriers to take advantage of the Web component regardless of the
existing reservations system.
About Sabre Airline Solutions
Sabre Airline Solutions, a Sabre Holdings company, is the world’s
largest provider of software products, reservations and departure
control systems and other passenger management systems, and consulting
services that help airlines simplify operations and lower costs. Sabre
Airline Solutions’ proven leadership is demonstrated by the growing
number of airlines that leverage the technology and services: More
than 200 airlines worldwide use Sabre Airline Solutions’ broad
portfolio of smart solutions for decision-support tools to increase
revenues and improve operations. More than 100 airlines worldwide rely
on Sabre Airline Solutions for passenger management solutions, with
eight new carriers choosing SabreSonic, the first new generation
reservations system offered in the market, in 2004 and six carrier
renewals. In addition, more than 100 clients worldwide have turned to
the Sabre Airline Solutions consulting group for strategic, commercial
and operational consulting. More than 500 contracts worldwide were
signed in 2004 across the breadth of Sabre Airline Solutions’ leading
technology solutions.
Sabre Holdings Corp. (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/.
Sabre Airline Solutions, the Sabre Airline Solutions logo and
SabreSonic are trademarks and/or service marks of an affiliate of
Sabre Holdings Corporation. All other trademarks, service marks, and
trade names are the property of their respective owners. (C) Sabre
Inc. All rights reserved.
CONTACT: Sabre Airline Solutions, Southlake
Media Contact:
Kathryn Hayden, 682-605-2252
kathryn.hayden@sabre-holdings.com
SOURCE: Sabre Airline Solutions