Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | B | Business Travel News

Sabre exec eyes supplier agreements.

Article Excerpt
Sabre Travel Network is negotiating the next set of content agreements with travel suppliers and eyeing new economic models with travel agencies. Chris Kroeger, STN senior vice president of North America, last week spoke with BTN editors about those and other recent global distribution system developments.

Business Travel News: Has Sabre received any pushback on the new policy of charging for passive segments (BTN, Nov. 14)?

Chris Kroeger: I would not characterize it is as pushback, but there has been some misinformation or misunderstandings that are being perpetuated by some in the marketplace. There seems to be a belief that we are actually taking YK passive segments away from our customers, or no longer providing free access to our systems to do some things that travel management companies value. That is clearly not the case. Our policy change in no way affects the legitimate uses of YK segments. If there is content not in our system, we will not get in the way of TMCs doing what they need to do. The problem came about when some suppliers and third parties began taking advantage of the YK. Some suppliers were actively encouraging some agencies to shop and do what they need to do in Sabre, then book with them on their Web site, and merge that information back into the GDS. Some were not only encouraging that, but building software to automate that process. These were cases of suppliers using Sabre to bypass Sabre, which clearly falls outside of what we consider legitimate purposes and fell into the category of what we deem as abuse of that particular capability. Some new third-party systems-new entrants, other aggregators, etc.--were doing similar things. They were saying: "Book this content, that actually is available inside...

View this article FREE - Now for a Limited Time, try Goliath Business News
Free for 3 Days!