Qatar Airways and Sabre close in on new distribution deal

Qatar Airways and Sabre close in on new distribution deal

Integration of NDC content will support a ‘new approach to retailing’

Qatar Airways is putting the final touches to a new distribution agreement with Sabre Corporation, the GDS has announced.

The new deal with the Gulf carrier comes as implantation work has started to provide New Distribution Capability (NDC) content to agent users of the Sabre platform.

Sabre said the new agreement secures long-term access to the airline’s content through its travel marketplace to more than 425,000 travel agents.

Qatar Airways will create unique offers that will be distributed by Sabre’s NDC systems that have been developed to integrate with traditional travel agency operations.

Roshan Mendis, chief commercial officer at Sabre Travel Solutions, said: “A new approach to retailing is required in order to respond to the personalized service and enhanced flexibility that travellers expect.

“Sabre is committed to supporting Qatar Airways in enhancing its retailing capabilities by enabling the airline to distribute personalized offers through our marketplace to corporations and travel agencies around the world.

“Collaboration will be crucial in travel’s recovery, so I’m proud that we are now finalising a long-term, sustainable agreement with Qatar Airways that is beneficial for all parties in the travel ecosystem.”

Thierry Antinori, chief commercial officer at Qatar Airways, said: “Working collaboratively is pivotal to our reputation as a trusted and reliable business partner for both customers flying Qatar Airways, and the travel agencies that serve them.

“As international travel recovers, the landscape has become extremely complex, and we don’t want to add additional obstacles such as surcharges, restrictions or inefficient technical solutions, as we deploy new NDC-based product offerings.

“We are therefore focused on providing a consistent shopping experience through all channels, to meet the expectations of our travellers and promote the success of our agency partners. With Sabre, we see great potential to shape the future of modern airline retailing.”