ETIHAD Airways will offer its partner airline, airberlin, a range of benefits from its own billion dollar deal with travel technology provider Sabre Airline Solutions. Under the agreement signed between Etihad Airways and Sabre in December 2011, Etihad Airways gains access to cutting edge, integrated software across its reservations, inventory, marketing, planning, eCommerce, distribution and departure control operations. This will significantly reduce the airline’s technology costs, streamline its operations, increase revenues, and accelerate its growth around the world.
Working with Sabre, potential benefits include: distribution – providing Sabre agencies worldwide with enhanced real-time access to Etihad Airways and airberlin flights and ancillary content; improved joint market share, which could generate per annum benefits of up to $25 million at current levels; and preferential partner access to specialised and highly-skilled consulting resources, which could lead to process improvements across a broad range of business areas, potentially resulting in better schedule connectivity and inventory control, improved distribution channel mix, more competitive revenue management and optimised crew utilisation.
Etihad Airways president and chief executive officer James Hogan said: “Since we announced our equity partnership with airberlin in December 2011, we have been actively looking for ways the two airlines can work together, and also for benefits each airline already has, which could be extended to the other airline.