Sabre Pacific is looking to help travel agents save time, with a new Red app featuring 350,000 pre-paid boutique and branded hotels.
Available now, RoomDeal was created by Sabre in conjunction with 25 aggregators such as GTA, HotelBeds and Expedia.
The travel tech company says using information provided by online booking sites, it has captured and qualified non-GDS options from all over the world for Australian agents to book, adding their own discretionary fee.
Access hotel content from the Sabre Red Workspace and get instant confirmation.
Based on location maps, real-time availability and important extras like inclusive WIFI, agents can instantly pick, confirm, modify and cancel their reservations subject to the hotels cancellation policy, even out of hours.
Having trialled the product, New England Travel Centre’s Craig Ritchie said the new app helps agents save time, particularly when it comes to researching and booking accommodation.
“We were spending over seven minutes per booking when we shopped for our hotels outside Sabre, now we do this in less than three minutes.”
Craig Ritchie, New England Travel Centre Director
Integrated with Sabre Red Workspace, RoomDeal records the accommodation as a passive booking segment in the traveller’s PNR.
Sabre’s MD Jeremy van der Klundert said agents can then bundle net rates with other travel products in a single transaction.
“Pilot studies have shown this time-saving alone makes a significant material difference.”
Jeremy van der Klundert, Sabre Pacific Managing Director
RoomDeal is available now for free to all Sabre agents in Australia.
While once, online booking sites were seen as the potential demise of travel agents, they’re now working closely with the industry to help consultants sell more.
Last week, Amadeus launched Australia’s first fully mobile GDS featuring non-GDS products.