Sabre ups non-air commissions
Sabre Travel Network is trying to boost its recently launched merchant hotel program by increasing commissions for US agents, but says it is not going after the corporate market.
Sabre is now offering upfront commission of 16% across the board (up from a variable commission of betwen 10% and 15%) on bookings made between 26 August and 16 September.
Sabre Exclusives was launched in the US in June 2002 and in Europe in July 2003, although European agents will not be able to make bookings until the fourth quarter of this year. The programme offers discounted hotel rates that have been negotiated with hotels for a specific number of rooms. Currently 1,700 US properties are signed up and the GDS is aiming to have 500 European properties signed up in the next few months.
After 16 September the commission will go back down to between 10% and 15%. A spokesman for the GDS said he coudl not say whether similar offers would be launched to encourage European agents to use the system.
Sabre Travel Network European vice president of emerging business, Floyd Widener, said the company was not trying to undercut corporate negotiated deals for business travel. He said: “The objective is to help hotels sell more leisure beds.”
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