Travel Management Firms and Business Travel Programs Gain Superior Airline Content Management Capabilities via Sabre’s New Analytics
SAN DIEGO, CA – August 24, 2009 – Sabre Travel Network(R), the world’s leading provider of high-performance solutions for the travel industry, introduced a powerful new service for business travel agencies today at the National Business Travel Association (NBTA) Conference and Exposition. Sabre’s Contract Optimization Services enable travel management companies (TMCs) and their corporate customers to efficiently manage multiple air supplier contracts with new sophisticated analytics, ultimately empowering the customer to present flight options at its agent point-of-sale that drive maximum value for both the agency and its corporate client base.
Targeted at mid-size to large agencies that book a minimum of one million trips annually, Sabre’s Contract Optimization Services help customers leverage Sabre’s expertise in revenue management to better achieve their everyday business objectives. Contract Optimization Services combine powerful business intelligence with Sabre’s leading shopping technology to provide significant bottom line benefits for TMCs and their clients.
Sabre representatives will discuss Contract Optimization Services with NBTA attendees at booth number 1413 during trade show hours this week.
The new service is nearing completion of its customer testing phase, with several prominent Sabre agencies participating. Travizon, a Massachusetts-based TMC that ranks among the top 25 agencies in Travel Weekly’s 2009 Power List, has already recorded impressive results.
“The automation assesses our airline contracts, and then takes it to the next level by baking in information about our booking trends, spend amount, even origin/destination data…enabling us to control our display at the point of sale, determining which carrier gets what business,” said Matt Cummings, chief financial and operating officer of Travizon. “We saw increased compliance immediately by more than 10 percent, and are able to track and measure compliance week over week.”
Based on the spectrum of Sabre-connected agencies and corporations who have tested the service, other noteworthy results include:
• Increase in targeted bookings by up to 20 percent
• Up to 10 percent increase in supplier override revenues
• Up to five percent reduction in corporate travel spend
TMCs and corporations that use Sabre and GetThere together for travel procurement will have unique power and flexibility to manage content customization across online and offline channels. Sabre’s Contract Optimization Services automatically integrate with GetThere’s corporate supplier preference capabilities, seamlessly linking the two together.
In combination with GetThere’s advanced air shopping capabilities on Sabre, GetThere customers have premium power and flexibility to increase preferred air supplier compliance and cost savings by better managing supplier contracts with Sabre-connected agencies deploying Contract Optimization Services.
Three integrated components come together to make it significantly easier for agencies to flawlessly manage all aspects of multiple, overlapping air supplier agreements:
• Sales Planning evaluates existing or pending supplier deals and determines ideal sales targets, at the city-pair or even flight level, to maximize overall profitability;
• Content Customization enables customers to customize their displays, reflecting market and customer-specific objectives by making valued suppliers and itineraries simple to find; and
• Flexible Reporting and Analysis, complete with e-mail alerts that keep managers aware of big opportunities when they arise. The reporting and analysis component also monitors changes in the marketplace and/or buying conditions that impact business.
“This breakthrough capability could conceivably redefine a TMC’s ability to expertly manage air agreements, giving participants an immense advantage that not only helps the bottom line, but demonstrates measureable value to their clients,” said Greg Webb, chief marketing officer for Sabre Holdings. “TMCs can now leverage Sabre’s unparalleled resources and expertise to optimize their air supplier deals, allowing them to focus on client service and other points of differentiation to retain existing customers and drive growth from new prospects.”
Qualifying Sabre subscribing agencies, including large leisure agencies as well as TMCs, need to complete an addendum to their standard agreement to gain access to Contract Optimization Services. Sabre anticipates that the initial rollout of the service to subscribers will take place at the end of 2009.
About Sabre Travel Network
Sabre Travel Network, a Sabre Holdings(R) company, provides the most comprehensive end-to-end solutions for corporate and leisure travel. The Sabre(R) GDS is the foundation for these solutions, providing a ready-built efficient marketplace that connects travel suppliers, including hundreds of airlines and thousands of hotels, with more than 55,000 travel agency locations. Currently, Sabre collectively handles over 70 percent of the BTN 100 bookings.
Key brands of Sabre Travel Network include GetThere(R), for corporate travel reservation technology; Nexion(R), a host agency; SynXis(R), for hotel reservation management, distribution and technology services; E-site marketing, specializing in online business solutions exclusively for the hospitality industry, TRAMS(R), mid- and back-office solutions and marketing services for travel agencies; and TRAMS ClientBase Marketing Services, a marketing promotions services for leisure travel agencies.
Sabre Holdings connects people with the world’s greatest travel possibilities by 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.