PIA upgrades with Sabre
Pakistan International Airlines has gone to the highest level of connectivity with Sabre – giving agents access to real time information about its last seat availability and fares.
As part of a five-year extension of a distribution agreement with the GDS, the Pakistan carrier is also implementing added-value products. This includes the release of e-ticketing for agents in the US and Canada, with other markets to follow, and the Claim It reservations tool which allows agencies to take ownership of, or ‘claim’, Passenger Name Records (PNRs) created by the airline, directly from the Sabre system.
The distribution agreement is bundled with operational and decision-support tools from Sabre Travel Network’s sister business, Sabre Airline Solutions.
PIA chairman and CEO Tariq Kirmani said: “Sabre Holdings, as a whole, has successfully transcended the traditional relationship between GDS operator and airline, which was based solely on distribution.
“While traditional GDSs remain the travel industry’s most effective and profitable channel of sales and distribution, we definitely intend to grow our business through the intelligent use of multiple distribution channels. Sabre, with its unrivalled presence in every channel of travel sales and distribution, remains a strong distribution partner for us.”
Sabre Travel Network president John Stow described PIA’s approach to its distribution and operational technology as “innovative and forward-thinking”.
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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