Delta Signs Seven-Year Agreement with Sabre

Delta Air Lines has signed a new seven-year, full-content agreement with Sabre Travel Network. Under the agreement, all Delta published fares and inventory will be available for subscribers of the Sabre GDS, including online and offline travel agencies, as well as Sabre's corporate customers. This includes published fares that the airline sells through any third-party distributor and through its reservation offices and web site, [www.delta.com]. In addition to the Sabre agreement, Delta also signed a new marketing agreement with Travelocity and a participation agreement with Travelocity's Site59 unit. "Our long-term full content Sabre Travel Network agreement with Delta demonstrates the importance of the GDS channel and reinforces our efficient marketplace for travel," said Hugh Jones, chief operating officer, Sabre Travel Network. Lee Macenczak, Delta's executive vice president of sales and customer service, added, "This agreement further supports Delta's restructuring efforts, including our goal to effectively manage our distribution costs. Sabre, according to Jones, has "worked jointly and diligently with airlines to come to mutual agreements that ensure efficient access to their inventory. By using the Sabre GDS, airlines can reach the largest travel marketplace in the world. Agencies benefit by having access to content from a single source, and corporations and consumers benefit from being able to combine the convenience of using a travel agency with the assurance they are also getting the best price." In separate news, United Airlines also signed new five-year, full-content agreements with Sabre Travel Network and Travelocity. All United published fares and inventory will be available for subscribers of Sabre, including online and offline travel agencies. This includes published fares that the airline sells through any third-party web site and through its own web site and reservation offices. Concurrent with that agreement, United also signed a new five-year, full-content agreement with Travelocity, including along-term contract with Site59, the pioneer of dynamic packaging for last-minute online travel. Four of the six major domestic carriers have now signed such agreements with Sabre, as well as AirTran. The only major carriers with whom Sabre does not have deals are Continental and American, and they are in negotiations with both of them.