Air Canada's best and complete content now available through Sabre NDC

Rhea-AI Summary

Sabre (NASDAQ: SABR) and Air Canada have launched Air Canada's full content via NDC in Sabre's travel marketplace. This enables travel agencies to access Air Canada's expanded NDC offers and services, providing a more personalized travel experience. As of July 17, 2024, travel agents can shop, book, and service Air Canada NDC offers alongside traditional EDIFACT content and other options.

The launch covers 20 markets initially, with plans to activate new markets based on demand. This partnership marks a significant step in Air Canada's NDC program, emphasizing the airline's commitment to working collaboratively with travel trade partners. Sabre's marketplace plays a important role in making NDC content available to travel agents worldwide, offering a consistent and efficient booking experience across all channels.

Positive

• Expansion of Air Canada's NDC content availability through Sabre's marketplace
• Launch in 20 key markets with plans for further expansion
• Enhanced personalization options for travel agencies
• Seamless integration of NDC content alongside traditional booking options
• Potential for increased revenue through expanded offer accessibility

Negative

• None.

Market Research Analyst

The integration of Air Canada's NDC content via Sabre's travel marketplace signals a major advancement in how travel products are distributed and consumed. For retail investors, this development holds significant implications for both companies involved. Firstly, by tapping into Sabre's expansive network of over 30,000 travel agencies, Air Canada can enhance its market presence and boost ticket sales, especially in regions where traditional booking systems were predominant. This move is likely to attract more customers who seek personalized travel experiences, a growing trend in the travel industry.

Short-term impact: We can expect a surge in booking activities as travel agencies transition to the new system, potentially increasing Air Canada's immediate revenue. Investors might see a positive movement in Air Canada’s stock price due to enhanced booking capabilities.

Long-term impact: Over time, the seamless integration of NDC could lead to improved customer loyalty and higher per-passenger revenue for Air Canada, as personalized travel packages become more prevalent. For Sabre, this partnership strengthens its position as a leading technology provider in the travel industry, paving the way for future collaborations and technological advancements.

Understanding NDC is crucial: NDC, or New Distribution Capability, is an XML-based data transmission standard that enhances the capability of communications between airlines and travel agents. It enables airlines to offer more personalized and dynamic pricing, moving beyond the traditional and static fare structures.

Technology Analyst

From a technological perspective, the collaboration between Sabre and Air Canada to implement NDC is a noteworthy development. It highlights the increasing importance of modernizing travel distribution systems. Sabre's robust technology platform ensures that travel agents can seamlessly access the latest pricing and bundled offers from Air Canada, enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Operational Efficiency: By leveraging Sabre's platform, travel agencies can streamline booking management and reduce resource burdens. This capability is particularly beneficial for scaling operations without compromising service levels. Sabre's comprehensive tools, including APIs and booking solutions, enable a smoother transition and better handling of NDC content.

Industry Impact: Technological advancements like NDC are gradually becoming the new norm in the travel industry. Companies that adopt these innovations are better positioned to offer competitive and customizable travel products. For Air Canada, this could mean a substantial edge over competitors still relying on outdated systems.

Investors should note that while the immediate benefits revolve around improved booking processes and efficiency, the long-term gains lie in the enhanced ability to cater to evolving customer preferences for personalized and flexible travel options. This shift could drive sustained revenue growth and market share expansion.

SOUTHLAKE, Texas and MONTREAL, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR), a leading software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, and Air Canada, Canada's largest airline, today announced the launch of Air Canada's full content via NDC in Sabre's travel marketplace. This launch empowers travel agencies to consume Air Canada's expanded NDC offers and services, enabling them to provide a more personalized travel experience to the customers they serve. 

As of July 17, 2024, travel agents and other travel sellers can shop, book, and service Air Canada NDC offers alongside traditional EDIFACT content and low-cost and ancillary XML options. NDC is now available in the following markets: Canada, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India¹, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom and the United States. Following the launch in these countries, focus will turn to activating new markets based on demand.

"This partnership with Sabre marks a significant step forward in Air Canada's NDC program," said Mark Nasr, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Digital, Air Canada. "From local independent agencies to large corporate travel management companies, our travel trade partners were, are, and will always be crucial to Air Canada's commercial success. That's why we're committed to working collaboratively on a smooth transition, enabling the trade to connect with Air Canada using their preferred and familiar methods. Sabre's marketplace plays a vital role in the travel ecosystem, making NDC content readily available to travel agents and buyers across the world, providing a consistent and efficient booking experience across all channels."

Air Canada and Sabre are both committed to advancing travel retailing to create more personalized experiences for travelers. NDC is a vital enabler of this shared goal. It provides the technology infrastructure to expand offer-and order-based retailing from airlines to third-party travel sellers, such as travel agencies and online booking tools. By activating NDC through Sabre, travel sellers maintain their competitive edge by maximizing access to Air Canada's content.

"We're thrilled to partner with Air Canada on this NDC launch. Since the very beginning of our NDC efforts, Sabre has prioritized the operational efficiency and workflow integrity to offer a superior value proposition for travel agencies.," said Kathy Morgan, Vice President, Product Management – Distribution Experience, Sabre Travel Solutions. "Our robust technology ensures scalability, allowing agents to seamlessly access Air Canada's latest pricing and bundled offerings without compromising service levels. Additionally, our comprehensive end-to-end booking management streamlines the process, reducing the burden on agency resources."

Today, over 30,000 Sabre-connected travel agencies in more than 150 countries leverage Sabre's solutions to shop, book, and service NDC content. These solutions include the Sabre Offer and Order APIs, agency booking solution, Sabre Red 360, and online booking tool, GetThere. Additionally, Sabre empowers NDC functionality for a growing list of third-party travel booking applications, including Atriis, SAP Concur, Serko, and Wooba. With this launch, these companies will also gain access to Air Canada's NDC offerings.

About Sabre

Sabre Corporation is a software and technology company that takes on the biggest opportunities and solves the most complex challenges in travel. The Company connects travel suppliers and buyers around the globe and across the ecosystem through innovative products and next-generation technology solutions. Sabre harnesses speed, scale and insights to build tomorrow's technology today – empowering airlines, hoteliers, agencies and other partners to retail, distribute and fulfill travel worldwide. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world. For more information visit www.sabre.com.

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest airline, the country's flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada provides scheduled service directly to more than 180 airports in Canada, the United States and Internationally on six continents. It holds a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax. Air Canada's Aeroplan program is Canada's premier travel loyalty program, where members can earn or redeem points on the world's largest airline partner network of 45 airlines, plus through an extensive range of merchandise, hotel and car rental partners. Through Air Canada Vacations, it offers more travel choices than any other Canadian tour operator to hundreds of destinations worldwide, with a wide selection of hotels, flights, cruises, day tours, and car rentals. Its freight division, Air Canada Cargo, provides air freight lift and connectivity to hundreds of destinations across six continents using Air Canada's passenger and freighter aircraft. Air Canada aims to achieve an ambitious net zero emissions goal from all global operations by 2050. Air Canada shares are publicly traded on the TSX in Canada and the OTCQX in the US.

SABR-F

Media Contacts: 

Kristin Hays
Kristin.hays@sabre.com

Heidi Castle
heidi.castle@sabre.com

media@aircanada.ca

Investor Contact:

Brian Roberts
sabre.investorrelations@sabre.com

¹ Enabled only for select agencies in India.

 

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SOURCE Sabre Corporation

FAQ

When will Air Canada's NDC content be available through Sabre's marketplace?

Air Canada's NDC content will be available through Sabre's marketplace starting July 17, 2024.

In which markets is Air Canada's NDC content initially available through Sabre (SABR)?

The initial launch covers 20 markets, including Canada, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the United States.

How does the Air Canada-Sabre (SABR) NDC partnership benefit travel agencies?

The partnership allows travel agencies to access Air Canada's expanded NDC offers and services, enabling them to provide more personalized travel experiences to their customers while maintaining operational efficiency.

What solutions does Sabre (SABR) offer for accessing Air Canada's NDC content?

Sabre offers various solutions for accessing Air Canada's NDC content, including Sabre Offer and Order APIs, agency booking solution Sabre Red 360, online booking tool GetThere, and support for third-party travel booking applications like Atriis, SAP Concur, Serko, and Wooba.