Sabre has reached a distribution agreement with Lufthansa Group to provide content both through the traditional global distribution system model as well as new commercial models using the New Distribution Capability, according to the companies.
The agreement follows a long negotiation process that extended beyond the previous distribution deal's June 30 expiration. The two companies had agreed to keep Lufthansa content on the Sabre platform as they continued negotiations.
The agreement includes "traditional connectivity" for content from Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Air Dolomiti and Brussels Airlines for Sabre's agency and corporate customers. That will continue to carry a surcharge, a Sabre spokesperson confirmed to BTN sister publication Travel Weekly.
Additionally, Sabre and Lufthansa will launch an NDC program next year that will include two commercial model options to connect to the content. Sabre has not yet provided details on those models and said it would detail plans for NDC in the first half of 2021.
The agreement also supports Lufthansa's recently launched continuous pricing offering, which lets it set fares beyond the traditional 26 buckets available to airlines.
In a statement, Lufthansa Group SVP for revenue management and distribution for network airlines and Swiss chief commercial officer Tamur Goudarzi Pour called the agreement "a landmark deal for airline distribution. Through this new level of flexibility, we jointly enable a diverse distribution ecosystem, extend the reach of NDC and allow for differentiated commercial models."