BUDGET Rent A Car has linked up with global distribution system Sabre to provide agents with direct access to its reservations system.
Previously Sabre-connected agents would dial into the GDS to ask for Budget information and Sabre would then delve into its own database filled with data it gets from Budget which is updated at certain intervals.
Now agents will be dialling to Budget direct and will get the information on its worldwide inventory in real time.
Budget is the first car-rental company to offer UK agents this service which allows them to access inventory at 3,200 car-rental locations in 120 countries.
Mark Walker, director of associate sales and service for Sabre Europe, said: “The advantage for the system user is that they couldn’t get any fresher information than this because it is reflecting availability at that very minute.”