SOUTHLAKE, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–June 15, 2004–Sabre Airline
Solutions, the industry leader in airline operations technology,
reported today that the dollar value of airline tickets booked through
SabreSonic Web, a powerful airline direct booking tool, now tops $250
million per month. This represents nearly 80 percent growth of total
SabreSonic Web bookings from March 2003 through March 2004. By the end
of 2004, Sabre Airline Solutions expects the dollar value of tickets
booked through SabreSonic Web to exceed $3 billion, and the number of
tickets booked to exceed 9.5 million tickets.
“We have made the investments to provide the most distribution
options available in the industry,” said Gianni Marostica, president
of Airline Passenger Solutions at Sabre Airline Solutions. “SabreSonic
Web addresses airlines’ desire to offer travelers increasingly higher
levels of service while at the same time attaining maximum operational
efficiencies at the lowest possible costs. By allowing passengers the
convenience and flexibility of shopping and booking online, carriers
can achieve both.”
Major airlines and regional and low-cost carriers worldwide
currently are using Sabre Airline Solutions’ web tools, including
United Airlines and newly signed Frontier and Aeroflot. SabreSonic Web
is part of the full SabreSonic suite, the first and only passenger
management solution built on new generation technology. The SabreSonic
suite uses industry standard programming instead of proprietary
systems for critical airline operations such as pricing and shopping
for airline travel, ticketing and day-of-travel operations. This makes
it significantly easier, faster and cheaper to implement new
customer-oriented functionality.
SabreSonic Web encourages traveler self service by offering a
variety of full-service features. Travelers can complete basic
bookings and cancellations online. Hotel and car booking modules
promote the airline website as a single stop for travel and encourage
travelers to book with the carrier’s hotel and car partners.
The offering also includes robust shopping and pricing tools. The
SabreSonic Web air search page offers travelers the ability to book by
itinerary or price, request non-stop 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. This helps carriers
better serve the specific needs of various customer segments.
“SabreSonic Web successfully delivers on an airline’s requirements
to drive online self service, provide robust shopping capabilities,
leverage and enhance airline product offerings and offer the
flexibility to tailor the online channel to meet the airline’s
distribution objectives,” Marostica continued. “And in doing so,
airlines will find that they open new sources of revenue and better
secure all-important customer loyalty. It’s small wonder we’ve seen
the dramatic uptick in online ticket sales associated with the launch
of SabreSonic Web.”
SabreSonic Web can be purchased by airlines as part of the full
line-up of SabreSonic open systems offerings, or carriers can choose
to implement the offering as a stand-alone component. Sabre Airline
Solutions is the only technology provider that is selling passenger
solution components as well as a full service solution. This component
approach enables carriers to take advantage of the new Internet
booking engine that is easily configurable to be compatible with
airlines’ legacy systems, even if they use an airline’s 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 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.
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.
Sabre Airline Solutions, the Sabre Airline Solutions logo,
SabreSonic and SabreSonic Web 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.
CONTACT: Sabre Airline Solutions
Kathryn Hayden, 682-605-2252
kathryn.hayden@sabre-holdings.com
SOURCE: Sabre Airline Solutions