Gulf Air will join Sabre Airline Solutions’ interline electronic ticketing hub during the third quarter of this year.
It will join 57 other airlines already e-ticketing with Sabre through the hub.
Interline e-ticketing is part of a two-year, full-service electronic ticketing project Sabre is undertaking for Gulf Air.
The project will see e-ticketing through the airline’s own direct booking channels as well as through each of the five major GDSs and with third-party ground handlers.
Sabre is expecting 11 more airlines to join its interline e-ticketing hub during the third quarter, bringing the number of participants to 69 airlines.
These include American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Continental, Delta, Emirates, JAL, Qantas and Singapore Airlines.
Nejib Ben-Khedher, president and managing partner of the aviation consulting practice at Sabre Airline Solutions, said: “There’s no doubt that e-ticketing is helping carriers around the world reduce costs and increase productivity.
“As IATA’s end of 2007 deadline for the phase-out of paper tickets approaches, we are speaking to more and more carriers who need help to implement e-ticketing smoothly and efficiently.”
According to Sabre’s e-ticketing updates issued today, 80% of all tickets issued worldwide through the Sabre GDS are now electronic.
By Bev Fearis
