Sabre Travel Network and Entee take the ferry to the travel agent

Sabre Travel Network is enhancing its ferry booking product with a system supplied by Entee Global Services, a UK-based supplier of ferry reservation services. Sabre Ferries will give agents full booking capabilities with over 30 ferry operators.

Sabre Ferries’ range of coverage will continue to grow and is expected to include more than 500 European routes by the end of the year. Available operators include Stena Line, P+O European Ferries, Hoverspeed, Brittany Ferries, Irish Ferries, Viking Line, Superfast Ferries, SeaFrance and Corsica Ferries.

Sabre Ferries is available to travel agents free of charge through the Sabre global distribution system (GDS), and can be accessed through Sabre eServices by selecting it from the product menu. Agents will earn seven percent commission from Entee for every booking, and payments will be settled monthly. They need to set up an account with Entee and can register online. Agents can also set up a credit card account, although a two percent credit card fee will be levied.

Stuart Nassos, Sabre Travel Network’s vice president of marketing and customer service for Europe, said the move was part of an ongoing drive by the company to broaden the range of products available in its GDS by adding new or non-traditional content. Other recent initiatives include the Sabre Exclusives range of discounted leisure hotel rates, and a drive to bring airline web fares to agencies through Sabre Travel Network’s DCA Three Year Option.

“In an increasingly competitive environment agents are looking for ways to add value and provide an end-to-end service,” Nassos said.

“It’s not enough simply to book a flight to Naples. The service has to include the cheapest available airfare, the ferry ticket to Capri, and the best value hotel on the island. Making all this available in a single place is the real value that we bring to agents and travel providers alike.”

Nick Rowley, head of business development at Entee, said his company would also work with Sabre Travel Network to help agents build the Sabre Ferry engine into their own websites.

“This will give agents a chance to grow their distribution and customer base, and to compete with other online portals. Agents need to diversify their revenue streams, and this is yet another opportunity,” Rowley said.

About Sabre Travel Network

Sabre Travel Network, a Sabre Holdings company, provides access to the world’s leading global distribution system (GDS) and products and services enabling agents at more than 56,000 agency locations worldwide to be travel experts. About 35 percent of the world’s travel is booked through the Sabre GDS. Originally developed in 1960, it was the first system to connect the buyers and sellers of travel. Today the system includes more than 400 airlines, approximately 60,000 hotels, 53 car hire companies, nine cruise lines, 36 railways and 232 tour operators.

Sabre Holdings Corporation (NYSE: TSG) is a world leader in travel commerce, 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/

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