Southwest Airlines Expands Partnership With Sabre to ‘Welcome Business Travelers Back to the Sky’ » Dallas Innovates

By Editor On Jul 26, 2021

[Photo: Southwest Airlines]

Two travel pioneers in North Texas are expanding their decades-long partnership to make it easier to book business trips at affordable rates.

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines now offers flights within Saber’s Global Distribution System (GDS), allowing more businesses to quickly book and change trips with just a few clicks. This is the first time in Southwest history that business travelers and travel agents can book a flight “at an industry level of attendance across all three major GDSs”. Southwest bookings are also available on Travelport and Amadeus.

Saber, the Southlake-based global provider of travel software and technology, will now sell flights direct through its leading corporate booking channel in the United States

According to the companies, this makes it easier for travel management companies and corporations to shop, book and service Southwest flights on behalf of their business travelers. It is an extension of a 26-year partnership between the industry giants – and an important milestone, they say.

Extends reach on business trips

“Not only does this significantly expand Southwest’s reach into the corporate travel segment, but Saber travel agency and corporate customers will experience the increased efficiency, productivity and cost savings that will come from booking Southwest through our Saber Red agency point of sale 360 and our corporate booking solution GetThere, ”said Andy Finkelstein, SVP of Global Agency Sales & Corporate Solutions at Saber Travel Solutions, in a statement.

Southwest Business was founded in 2019 with the aim of revolutionizing the way we approach the corporate travel market. By hosting the airline’s content on Travelport, Amadeus and now Saber’s GDSs, the company claims it improves the tools business travel decision makers need to manage their programs.

“As we bring the Southwest Effect to business travel, our primary focus remains on eliminating friction in booking travel while investing in the booking channels that travelers and travel decision-makers use most,” said Dave Harvey, VP of Southwest Business said in a statement. This is especially important as businesses continue to reopen and travel across the country increases.

The news follows on from Saber’s announcement last year that it is realigning its airline and agency-focused business, strategically realigning and fully combining the two to offer customers a stronger, more seamless experience.

Saber changes the approach to a collective lens

In changing its approach to a collective lens, Saber aimed to better serve airline and travel agency customers, as well as retail, distribution and travel management. Saber’s long-term vision is to create a new market for personalized travel through a platform that would be “the hub of the travel business.”

The changes should lay the foundation for a high-growth future, largely driven by the changes in the travel industry caused by the pandemic.

“We took this opportunity to accelerate the organizational changes initiated in 2018 to accommodate the changing travel landscape,” said Sean Menke, President and CEO of Saber at the time. “Saber’s new organization is based on the premise that retail, distribution and travel management will evolve over the next decade and that each of these elements will become more interconnected and interdependent.”

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