Qatar Airways plans for new distribution agreement with Sabre, paving way for richer offers, including NDC

SOUTHLAKE, Texas and DOHA, Qatar, Aug. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR), the leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, and Qatar Airways, the award-winning international airline, are now finalizing a new distribution deal that will provide long-term access to the airline's content through the Sabre travel marketplace.

Qatar Airways intends to strengthen its partnership with Sabre to take advantage of Sabre's global reach and leading position in corporate travel for the distribution of Qatar Airways' products to travelers worldwide. Implementation work is starting to enable unique NDC offers created by Qatar Airways to be distributed through Sabre's new distribution capability (NDC) , which provides a consistent end-to-end workflow that integrates within well-established agency operations.

"A new approach to retailing is required in order to respond to the personalized service and enhanced flexibility that travelers expect," said Roshan Mendis, Chief Commercial Officer, Sabre Travel Solutions. "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 finalizing a long-term, sustainable agreement with Qatar Airways that is beneficial for all parties in the travel ecosystem."

Sabre's technology enables Qatar Airways to effectively market and sell its expansive roster of fares globally through the Sabre marketplace. Reaching a network of more than 425,000 travel agents, it is one of the world's largest marketplaces, processing over US $120 billion in estimated travel spend.

Thierry Antinori, Chief Commercial Officer, 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 travelers and promote the success of our agency partners. With Sabre, we see great potential to shape the future of modern airline retailing."

Operating consistent schedules through the pandemic, Qatar Airways' network has now rebuilt to more than 140 destinations. This management approach has seen the airline receive accolades from trade partners, media, and industry awards, including Airline of the Year 2021 from Airline Ratings, while its home airport, Hamad International in Doha was recently crowned Best Airport in the World at Skytrax' 2021 World Airport Awards.  Indeed, Qatar Airways and Hamad International are the only airline and hub airport combination to receive 5-star ratings from Skytrax for both quality COVID-19 safety measures.

Sabre Corporation is a leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, serving a wide range of travel companies including airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies and other suppliers. The company provides retailing, distribution and fulfilment solutions that help its customers operate more efficiently, drive revenue and offer personalized traveler experiences. Through its leading travel marketplace, Sabre connects travel suppliers with buyers from around the globe. Sabre's technology platform manages more than $260B worth of global travel spend annually. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world. For more information visit www.sabre.com.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named 'World's Best Airline' by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named 'Best Airline in the Middle East', 'World's Best Business Class' and 'Best Business Class Seat', in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. Qatar Airways is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted "Skytrax Airline of the Year" title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times.

Hamad International Airport (HIA), the airline's home and hub, was recently announced as the "World's Best Airport" in the Skytrax 2021 World Airport Awards. HIA has been steadily rising in the 'World's Best Airports' rankings since the start of its operations in 2014.

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SOURCE Sabre Corporation

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