SOUTHLAKE, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 9, 2004–Sabre Airline Solutions, the industry leader in airline operations technology, reported record SabreSonic Web year-to-date activity through September 2004 totaling over $2.3 billion in revenue. Third quarter revenue activity transacted on the powerful airline Internet booking engine averaged more than $260 million per month. The strong performance marks a $10 million increase in the tool’s average monthly activity in 2004 since last announced in June.
September 2004 SabreSonic Web bookings marked a 32 percent year-over-year growth based on revenue. By the end of 2004, Sabre Airline Solutions expects the dollar value of tickets booked through SabreSonic Web to exceed $3 billion.
“In our June announcement we noted the dramatic uptick in online ticket sales associated with the launch of SabreSonic Web,” said Gianni Marostica, president of Airline Passenger Solutions. “That increase persists as records continue to be broken. Bookings have grown 56 percent over last year, and nine percent over last month. Customers clearly return to carriers that offer the most flexibility and the best service. SabreSonic Web helps carriers develop that customer loyalty.”
SabreSonic Web offers a variety of features from basic booking capability to connecting consumers with a carrier’s hotel and car partners, providing added value to self-service travelers at the airline website. Other enhancements include:
-- Customer-executed ticket exchange online
-- Support of airline promotional offers
-- Supports 12 different languages
-- Enhanced customer online experience end-to-end with the
integration of Sabre VirtuallyThere and Web check-in
-- Airline branded website that can integrate a customer's
existing bookings and frequent traveler account information
The SabreSonic Web 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. SabreSonic Web 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.
In addition to the traveler-centric enhancements, SabreSonic Web is introducing various configurable options within its administration tool, Site Manager. The highly flexible tool helps streamline booking processes and provides airlines with a unique look and feel with the use of frames and cascading style sheets for a customized booking site that promotes the airline brand identity. Other configurable options of the Site Manager administration tool are:
-- 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
Carriers across the globe have selected SabreSonic’s open systems technology for its customer-oriented functionality, flexibility, speed and ease of implementation, and cost savings, from major network carriers to a growing base of low cost carriers.
“Online services have become a cornerstone of travel ease in the airline industry, and they are critical to our customer service strategy,” Lowell Miller, director of IT business solutions for Frontier Airlines said. “Sabre Airline Solutions has been very proactive in helping us develop our online offerings, leveraging open systems technology to provide us with tools that are simple, flexible and cost-effective — a great fit with our corporate philosophy. We view SabreSonic Web as a key component to a scalable IT infrastructure that will enable Frontier to provide an efficient and seamless experience for our customers as we continue to grow our airline.”
SabreSonic Web can be purchased by airlines as part of the full line-up of SabreSonic integrated solutions, or carriers can choose to implement the offering as a stand-alone component.
This component offering enables carriers to take advantage of SabreSonic Web no matter what reservations system they use. SabreSonic Web is easily configurable to be compatible with airlines’ legacy systems, in-house or third-party 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 15 new carriers added and nine carrier renewals for SabreSonic Res advanced reservations and departure control systems in 2003. In addition, more than 100 clients worldwide have turned to Sabre Airline Solutions consulting group for strategic, commercial and operational consulting. More than 500 contracts worldwide were signed in 2003 within Sabre Airline Solutions and nearly 400 have been signed in the first half of 2004.
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, SabreSonic, and Virtually There 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.
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http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=4761337
CONTACT: Sabre Airline Solutions, Southlake
Kathryn Hayden, 682-605-2252
kathryn.hayden@sabre-holdings.com
SOURCE: Sabre Airline Solutions
