- GBT plans to make multi-million dollar long-term annual investment in joint technology development with Sabre
- Two thought-leading companies plan to develop distribution ecosystem for corporate travel industry
- New agreement anticipates meaningful growth in GDS bookings through Sabre
SOUTHLAKE, Texas – Sabre Corporation [NASDAQ: SABR] and American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) today announce a long-term, multi-faceted strategic partnership focused on developing technologies that will enable the future of corporate travel distribution.
Under the terms of this newly expanded technology partnership – which takes effect in January 2022 – GBT will increase its commitment with Sabre and make a multi-million dollar, long-term annual investment in joint technology development with Sabre over the next ten years. The partnership between two industry leaders puts the two companies in an ideal position to deliver best-in-class products and services throughout the corporate travel ecosystem and drive meaningful growth to both companies and the travel ecosystem in its entirety.
“While the pandemic has undoubtedly challenged the travel industry, we firmly believe in a robust recovery over time, particularly in corporate travel,” said Sean Menke, President and Chief Executive Officer at Sabre. “However, the expectations of corporate travelers and corporations have fundamentally changed; the demand for new, differentiated products that are designed for specific travelers’ needs is likely to be more pronounced. Our strategic partnership with GBT is rooted in the common beliefs we share regarding the technology needs which will enable participants throughout the travel ecosystem to meet these new demands. We look forward to our expanded commercial relationship with GBT and partnering with them for many years to come.”
Together, the companies will work to accelerate product innovation and develop a distribution eco-system that meets the future needs of customers and suppliers. This will include collaborating on corporate travel booking capabilities that enhance value to customers and suppliers, accelerating merchandising and retailing solutions, and enabling efficient and superior customer service.
“As industry thought leaders, GBT and Sabre will define the future by developing distribution software and capabilities that provide our customers and supplier partners with the value, choice and experiences they expect,” said Paul Abbott, CEO, American Express Global Business Travel. “Combining Sabre’s retailing and content aggregation capabilities and GBT’s corporate customer software and world class customer service, will enable us to deliver the business travel experiences corporate travelers want.”