<B>Sabre To Unbundle Fees</B>
By Jay Campbell
<I>Dallas/Ft. Worth</I> - Sabre is just weeks away from unbundling fees charged to the airlines for bookings made through its Business Travel Solutions corporate reservations system--and in turn through the GDS itself.
BTS vice president and general manager Scott Smith told Business Travel News in late June that two major airlines mostly likely will begin the program, which could pass to the buyer the cost of features like low-fare searching, "but still lowering the overall cost."
In theory, airlines then would talk to buyers about lower fares for BTS bookings (BTN, March 17, 1997).
BTS also is seeking a third-party partnership to lower the cost of fulfillment. About 60 percent of BTS transactions "can go through untouched," said Smith.
"Do you really need quality control in an automated environment that has fewer errors?" asked Peter Stevens, vice president of business development and product for BTS. "It's a new, mixed business model."
Sabre also slowly will redesign the BTS site to cut down on clicks by 30 percent as part of a general update scheduled for the third quarter.
In the wireless world, Sabre is testing with two corporations the availability of itineraries, flight information, weather and negotiated rates for air, car and hotel via mobile devices.
Reservations currently are preferenced by low price, but Sabre is developing schedule-based listings. Sabre will reveal more details as early as this week.
Sabre's Virtually There product, which allows travel agencies to send e-mails to travelers with links to Web-based itineraries and destination information, "is the best adopted product we've ever had," said Calvin Evanoff, senior vice president of global marketing.
He said that in the two weeks following its November release, 4,500 agencies used the product, which they co-brand with a logo or marketing message. Eight thousand travelers are visiting the site every day, and that's growing by 20 percent per month, Evanoff said.
Sabre president of travel agency solutions John Stowe said some corporations mandated that Virtually There itineraries accompany expense reports.
Virtually There soon will offer downloads into handheld or PC calendar tools. Also, in August, the site will be made available on personal digital assistants. By September, the site will have a new look and will deliver e-ticket receipts, and by October, Sabre also plans to add an "alternate airports" feature.
Virtually There soon will add restaurant content via restaurantrow.com; event notification on wireless devices should be available later this year.
Evanoff said some travel agencies that use other GDSs in addition to Sabre are seeking access to Virtually There, and that Sabre is looking into it.