Sabre first to deploy NDC-based technology solution to sell American Airlines premium Preferred and Main Cabin Extra Seats to travel agents
FT WORTH AND SOUTHLAKE, Texas – Feb. 4, 2016 – American Airlines and Sabre Corporation announced today the availability of American’s Preferred and Main Cabin Extra Seats through Sabre’s travel marketplace using NDC-based technology standards. This launch represents both companies’ first implementation of NDC technology standards for ancillaries sold through a global distribution system (GDS). “American Airlines customers love Main Cabin Extra and Preferred Seats, and we’re excited to have a new way to offer those seats to them through Sabre,” said Cory Garner, managing director for distribution for American Airlines. “This new capability of Sabre moves us closer to our longtime goal of offering our products through as many channels as possible.” Beginning in February, American Airlines Preferred and Main Cabin Extra Seats will become available to travel agents using Sabre, making Sabre the first GDS to deliver this content to the marketplace. Main Cabin Extra provides customers with up to six inches of more legroom and Group 1 Boarding. Preferred Seats allow customers to select seats located toward the front of the cabin or closer to the window or aisle. “Sabre and American Airlines have a long history of reaching innovative firsts together so it makes sense that we would cross this milestone together,” said Sean Menke, president of Sabre Travel Network. “Our Air Extras solutions offer airlines an opportunity to capture more revenue on ancillary products and support their omni-channel merchandising strategies.” Sabre is a leader in providing air merchandising solutions for airlines and was the first GDS to deliver a solution when paid seats were first introduced into the market. The company has approximately 60 carriers selling ancillary services through the Sabre travel marketplace, generating millions of dollars in ancillary revenue for its airlines customers. The number of carriers selling ancillaries through Sabre is expected to increase significantly this year. With Sabre Air Extras, American Airlines can highlight attributes that differentiate their products to nearly 200 million travelers worldwide each year through more than 435,000 agents using Sabre, executing their merchandising strategies across all distribution channels.More than 900 suppliers rely on the Sabre travel marketplace for distribution and more than $120 billion in travel is processed by the Sabre travel marketplace annually.
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About American Airlines American Airlines and American Eagle offer an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. American has hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. American is a founding member of the oneworld alliance, whose members and members-elect serve nearly 1,000 destinations with 14,250 daily flights to 150 countries. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL. In 2015, its stock joined the S&P 500 index. Connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines. About Sabre Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ:SABR) is the leading technology provider to the global travel industry. Sabre’s software, data, mobile and distribution solutions are used by hundreds of airlines and thousands of hotel properties to manage critical operations, including passenger and guest reservations, revenue management, flight, network and crew management. Sabre also operates a leading global travel marketplace, which processes more than $120 billion of estimated travel spend annually by connecting travel buyers and suppliers. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world.