Data integration will enable a new way for airlines to drive incremental revenue streams in the agency channel.
SOUTHLAKE, Texas – Travel technology leader Sabre Corporation and Routehappy, the merchandising content platform for flight shopping, announced a collaboration that will see Sabre integrate rich airline content from Routehappy Hub into its booking platforms. The technology agreement is a solution for travel consultants who need more relevant information to help them advise travelers on the growing range of airline amenities and featured products.
The intersection of supplier and buyer needs is the backdrop for this strategic collaboration. As more airlines focus on product and fare differentiation as well as providing a consistent brand experience across sales channels, agents need a quick and easy way to access up-to-date information.
The technology agreement marks Routehappy's first integration with a global distribution system (GDS), the Sabre travel marketplace. It also makes Routehappy Hub a primary source of airline rich content available to agents when shopping, checking for availability, and pricing branded fares in the new Sabre Red platform.
Visually descriptive merchandising content intuitively placed throughout the agency workflow will provide relevant content for travel consultants to differentiate offerings available to flyers, while helping airlines showcase their products and provide upsell opportunities through the Sabre travel marketplace. The collaboration will allow agents to see Routehappy Hub's highly targeted, merchandising content by aircraft, class of service, airport, route and fare, offering a more retail oriented selling experience.
"With the integration of Routehappy Hub as a capability in our agency platform we are driving dynamic traveler-first merchandising, helping our airline customers to unlock higher revenue in their merchandising strategy," said Wade Jones, senior vice president of marketing, Sabre Travel Network. "Traveler expectations have evolved to where they are looking for complete information about their travel experience and these expectations are shaping airline merchandising and agency retailing. Our collaboration with Routehappy makes it easy for airlines worldwide to provide their depth and breadth of travel services and amenities in the Sabre travel marketplace."
"It's a new era for airlines and distributors, collaborating to integrate relevant merchandising content to create more value in flight shopping. Sabre, Routehappy and airlines are turning differentiation content into incremental revenue and more satisfied customers for airlines," said Robert Albert, CEO at Routehappy.
The integration with Routehappy will be an enhancement to the rich graphical capabilities of Sabre's agency platform to support airline amenities and branded fares sales. With an entirely new workflow and user experience, rich with visual and descriptive content sourced via Routehappy, the new Sabre Red Workspace will enable airlines to market their brand and products in ways that are more consistent with how they market themselves in other retailing channels.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
