Air France-KLM and Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR), a leading software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, today announced completion of a strategic multi-year NDC distribution agreement as well as the renewal of their existing EDIFACT agreement. Collaboration between the partners has been extended with New Distribution Capability (NDC) enriched offers, which will be marketed and sold alongside EDIFACT content, through Sabre’s global distribution system (GDS). The Air France-KLM NDC offers will be rolled out to Sabre-connected travel agencies in a phased approach next year.
The agreement demonstrates Sabre’s continued commitment to driving value and serving the diverse interests of the various stakeholders participating in the global travel marketplace. It helps agencies to efficiently shop and compare increasingly sophisticated offers, while their travelers will benefit from an enhanced experience with more choice and transparency. It also enables Air France and KLM to distribute their customized NDC offers, thanks to continuous pricing and tailor-made bundles, to the global network of Sabre-connected agencies.
«Choosing the right travel technology partners with which to collaborate is essential. Hence, we are pleased to extend our cooperation with Sabre. This will support our travel agent partners to provide the Air France-KLM enriched and attractive NDC offer, giving the travelers a wider range of options to enhance their journey, from start to finish,» said Angus Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer, Air France-KLM.
«Our partnership with Air France-KLM reflects our commitment to modern travel retailing and a big step forward for our presence in Europe,» added Roshan Mendis, Chief Commercial Officer, Sabre Travel Solutions. «From the beginning, Sabre has been committed to go beyond NDC to help build a new travel ecosystem that is more efficient and personalized, meeting the dynamic needs of today’s travelers. We are delighted to bring our customers EDIFACT and enhanced NDC content as we transition to a new world of Offers and Orders.»