- Doha-based Global Airline Adopts New Sabre Products To Enhance Benefits To Travel Agency Community
Sabre Travel Network, the world’s leading travel distribution provider, and Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, recently renewed their airline distribution agreement giving Sabre-Connected agents in Egypt and around the world the best options when booking international travel on Qatar Airways’ burgeoning global route network.
Doha-based Qatar Airways said that Sabre’s strong growth in the Middle East, combined with its extensive global reach, made the company an ideal partner at this time of planned regional and global expansion.
With Qatar Airways’ ongoing commitment to grow its international network through the opening of new routes and boosting frequency on existing services, the airline is strengthening its marketing distribution to the corporate and leisure travel agency community.
Qatar Airways recently renewed its agreement with Sabre, in which Sabre travel agencies and corporations around the world have access to the airline’s content, including fares, schedules and availability through the global distribution system (GDS).
Addressing a press conference in the Egyptian capital Cairo today, Qatar Airways Executive Vice-President Commercial Ali Al Rais said: “This agreement with Sabre comes at a time when we at Qatar Airways are expanding and growing our presence throughout the region and around the world.
“With this strategy in mind, Sabre was the obvious choice to partner with because of the scope of their presence and their track record as the premier provider of technology and distribution services. This agreement opens the doors for both parties to enhance their global offerings and continue to provide our customers with the level of service they have come to expect.”
Added Daniel Naoumovitch, CEO of Sabre Travel Network Middle East: “This is an interesting time in the global travel industry, and we are glad to be partnering with such a strong international airline as Qatar Airways. Specifically, Sabre can help Qatar Airways get the maximum yield for each seat sold through our extensive corporate, online and agency partnerships around the world, while, at the same time, providing Sabre-Connected travel agents efficient access to Qatar Airways’ extensive range of fares, schedules and availability in all classes of travel.”
The agreement covers a new range of Sabre products providing additional benefits to travel agencies. Qatar Airways will adopt an automated schedule change tool, which enables them to send real-time schedule information directly to the Sabre booking system, thereby allowing travel agencies access to Qatar Airways’ up-to-the-minute accurate schedule information. In addition, a pre-reserved seat product will provide travel agencies with an interactive seat request application that includes instant transmission and immediate confirmation of seats from Qatar Airways, including a seat map display.
Sabre has the second largest share of the Egyptian travel distribution market. Qatar Airways operates daily flights from Cairo to Doha with convenient onward connections to business and leisure cities worldwide. Sabre currently has a strong corporate and online customer base around the world, while Qatar Airways operates scheduled flights to 84 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Far East and North America from its Doha hub.
