SABRE is to become the main global distribution system supplier for The Travel Company.
The deal ends a long-term contract between the business travel agent and Sabre’s rival Galileo UK, which has been The Travel Company’s main GDS supplier for 18 years.
The Travel Company director of Information Technology Andrew Collins said Sabre technology will be installed in 32 main sites and one other UK office which has satellite ticket printers. Installation will begin in the autumn and will be completed by April 2000.
Collins said:”We put out our GDS supply up to tender as part of a review of our on-going technology strategy and got bids in from all four main suppliers. We wanted to keep up with the latest developments in technology and we decided that Sabre will suit us best.”
The Travel Company will use Sabre’s upgraded product, Turbo Sabre, which is specifically designed for agencies which do a high volume of business or do specialist work.
Sabre claims Turbo Sabre helps increase an agency’s productivity, reduce training time and costs and improve quality control and flexibility.