SOUTHLAKE, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–March 20, 2006–Sabre Travel Network has signed a ‘multi-year’ full content agreement with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM). The deal will give Sabre Connected agents in Europe full access to the airline’s entire range of published fares and inventory, with no distribution surcharge. It is in addition to KLM’s existing and ongoing global participation in the Sabre GDS.
All the fares KLM makes generally available through any GDS are available globally in Sabre. This deal builds on that relationship – ensuring that additional fares and availability offered through the airline’s direct reservation outlets and its website, klm.com, will now be available to Sabre Travel Network’s European travel agency customers, too.
The agreement also covers Sabre Holdings’ online travel agency businesses in Europe. These include Travelocity’s UK and German websites, lastminute.com and the leading Scandinavian website, Resfeber. Travelers using these sites, and European business travelers using the GetThere online corporate travel booking tool, will have access not only to all published KLM fares and inventory, but also to the airline’s full range of web-fares and content.
Bart Vos, KLM’s vice-president of e-commerce and distribution, said, “Because of its presence in every available channel of travel sales and distribution, we view Sabre not just as a GDS operator, but as a key business partner who can add value to our product distribution globally and, very specifically, right here in Europe.”
Richard Adams, Sabre Travel Network’s senior vice president in EMEA, said, “We are delighted to sign this agreement with KLM, securing enhanced content for our travel agency customers. It also demonstrates how we bring additional distribution value to our airline partners through ownership of companies like Travelocity and lastminute.com. Because Sabre has a multi-channel distribution strategy we provide the most efficient, comprehensive, global and real-time electronic supermarket for the buying and selling of travel.”
About Sabre Travel Network
Sabre Travel Network, a Sabre Holdings company, provides access to the world’s leading global distribution system (GDS). The Sabre GDS is a ready-built efficient marketplace that connects suppliers, including hundreds of airlines and thousands of hotels, with more than 50,000 travel agency locations. Suppliers get access through one single connection; travel agents get real time access to thousands of travel products from multiple suppliers through one source integrated into their businesses; consumers get access to a global supermarket of the world’s greatest travel possibilities.
Key brands of Sabre Travel Network include GetThere, the leading Web-based corporate travel reservation technology, and Jurni Network, the unique leisure travel agency consortium in the United States that enables members to sell more products from preferred travel suppliers using sophisticated market intelligence.
Sabre Holdings (NYSE:TSG) 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.
CONTACT: Sabre Travel Network, Southlake Media Contact Kathryn Hayden, 682-605-2252 kathryn.hayden@sabre-holdings.com SOURCE: Sabre Travel Network