Sabre releases internet-based booking tool for agents

Sabre is launching its internet-based travel agency tool MySabre in Europe this week.

The company is combining its full range of products and services with the entire content of the GDS and making it available to agents from a single website. 

Most agencies, except those who use the customisable Turbo Sabre booking product, will eventually move onto the new system, with the first phase due to be completed by the end of the year. 

MySabre is a combination of technology from Sabre Holdings and Yahoo! – and internet-based tool for agents that combines traditional bookable service such as airlines, car hire, hotels, cruise and rail, with other content from the internet and third-party suppliers.

MySabre will support Sabre’s recently-announced European leisure drive. The company has already announced its intention to partner with European suppliers of leisure travel products and plans to make these accessible through MySabre.

The GDS claims it will simplify the booking process by combining traditional Sabre system screens and codes with drop-down menus and the ability to use a mouse to enter data. Agents can ‘point and click’ at booking information, or drop down items, reducing the number of keystrokes needed to complete a booking.  Hotel and car bookings, for example, are twice as quick as with conventional products, Sabre claims.

Stuart Nassos, Sabre’s European vice president of strategic marketing and sales, said:  “The heart of MySabre is the intelligent technology that keeps travel agents within the website, reducing the need for them to go elsewhere to book non-traditional content. This boosts the individual travel agent’s ability to sell and improves productivity significantly.

“We are giving agents access to the robust travel content of the Sabre GDS, all of the management and marketing tools provided by Sabre Travel Network, and the broad content of the Internet, all from one website,” he added.

“This product demonstrates that Sabre Travel Network is not just a technology provider for the travel industry, but a marketing partner as well,” he claimed. 

“MySabre gives agencies instant access to the tools and information they need to add value, to be true consultants and to compete successfully in a market that is evolving quickly and constantly.”

Sabre has tested the system for six months.

Neil Greatorex, technology manager at Chambers Travel Management, said: Sabre Travel Network has killed five birds with one stone with MySabre.

“Access to the GDS via an internet connection avoids costly cable downtime and the ‘point and click’ technology delivers increased agent productivity. It’s a great home-working solution, it’s easy to use so reduces our training burden, and it gives better access than ever before to the full range of Sabre’s management information and marketing tools. “

MySabre is available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Report by Phil Davies