Sabre creates US leisure agency consortium

Wednesday, 23 Oct, 2003 0

Sabre has announced the creation of the Jurni Network, an offline leisure travel agency consortium based in the US and headed by its former European chief Chris Kroeger.

The company says the move forms part of its plan to increase its hold in the leisure travel market and follows its purchase of the assets of Nexion, which it says should bring 750 independent agents into the new group. Nexion began as a consumer travel site, before becoming a host travel agency for offline leisure travel professionals in 1998.

The desktop application for Jurni agents will be based on the Nexion web-based technology platform. This currently connects to all four GDSs and also includes graphical cruise booking, web fares and the ‘air consolidator shopping mall’. Sabre said it would operate Nexion as a host agency, “strengthening its own capabilities and relationships with offline leisure travel agencies.”

Sabre claimed the network would give members access to the “industry’s most sophisticated market intelligence” through a deal with business intelligence firm Equitec and would benefit suppliers through preferred deal arrangements.

From next quarter, Jurni agents will get access to a wide range of leisure travel products sourced from Travelocity, Site59, Nexion and Sabre Exclusives merchant hotels, along with negotiated products from preferred suppliers.

Eric J. Speck, chief marketing officer of Sabre Holdings claimed Jurni would “transform the traditional roles of agencies, suppliers and the GDS”.

He added: “It will offer member agencies a means to conduct customised marketing efforts they’ve never been able to do before. It will provide a limited group of preferred suppliers a new channel to merchandise their products effectively through sales tools that preference their products on the agent’s desktops. And it will offer travellers the opportunity to work with agents who can anticipate their desires and match them immediately with great travel deals.”

Chris Kroeger moves from the position of senior vice president of Sabre Travel Network, Europe, Middle East and Africa to become general manager of the Jurni Network.

He is replaced by Richard Adams who joins Sabre from its corporate booking arm GetThere. See story