Sabre and South African Airways sign new airline distribution agreement

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--South African Airways, has signed a multi-year distribution agreement with global technology company, Sabre Travel Network.

“Airlines consistently tell us that the Sabre global distribution system (GDS) is an efficient and cost effective channel for selling travel and we look forward to expanding on this in the coming years through the sale of ancillary services”

The agreement provides Sabre travel agencies and corporations in South Africa and around the world with access to South African’s full range of fares, schedules and availability including published fares sold through the airline’s own website and reservations offices.

“We have an agreement in place that meets the needs of our agency and corporate customers, as well as the airline. The agreement is an extension of our 20-year relationship with South African Airways, and we are especially pleased to make this announcement as we launch Sabre in the South African market,” said David Gross, Sabre Travel Network senior vice president, Supplier Distribution. “Airlines consistently tell us that the Sabre global distribution system (GDS) is an efficient and cost effective channel for selling travel and we look forward to expanding on this in the coming years through the sale of ancillary services,” said Gross.

Theunis Potgieter, General Manager of Commercial at South African Airways said the agreement with Sabre is the continuation of a long-standing partnership between the two companies.

“The Sabre GDS is an important partner for us, particularly for our distribution strategy, which will be further strengthened by their entry into the South African market. SAA constantly seeks to improve its end-to-end offering, providing a seamless experience for our customers. This represents an efficient sales channel that can be used for our travel agencies to book SAA flights,” said Potgieter.

Sabre Travel Network provides technology solutions to the global travel industry. It operates the world’s largest travel marketplace, connecting travel buyers and sellers through the Sabre global distribution system (GDS). Its innovative software connects more than 350,000 travel professionals to more than 400 airlines, 93,000 hotels, 25 car rental brands, 50 rail providers, 13 cruise lines and other global travel suppliers. More than 300 million people purchase airline tickets through this channel annually. For more information, visit: www.sabretravelnetwork.com.

Sabre Travel Network is part of Sabre Holdings, a global travel technology company serving the world’s largest industry- travel and tourism. Its innovative technology is used by more than a billion people around the world to plan, book and get to their destination at a time and price that's right for them. For more information, please visit: www.sabre.com.

About SAA

South African Airways (SAA) is the leading carrier in Africa, serving 20 destinations across the continent, as well as major destinations within South Africa, from its hub, Johannesburg. It is a member of the largest international airline network, Star Alliance. SAA’s core business is the provision of passenger airline and cargo transport services together with related services, which are provided through SAA and its four wholly owned subsidiaries: SAA Technical; Mango its low cost carrier; Airchefs, the catering entity of SAA and South African Travel Centre (SATC). SAA CEO Siza Mzimela is the first woman to be appointed into the IATA Board of Directors in its 67 year history. SAA is the winner of the Skytrax 'Best Airline in Africa’ Award in the regional category for 9 consecutive years and the winner of ‘Service Excellence Africa’ for two consecutive years. Mango and SAA hold the number one and number two successive spots as South Africa’s most on time airlines, with SAA winning the NextGen award for the ‘Coolest Domestic Airline’ for 2011.