Sabre Travel Network is enhancing its ferry booking product with a system supplied by Entee Global Services, a UK-based supplier of ferry reservation services.  Sabre Ferries will give agents full booking capabilities with over 30 ferry operators.Sabre Ferry’s range of coverage will continue to grow and is expected to include more than 500 European routes by the end of the year.  Available operators include Stena Line, P+O European Ferries, Hoverspeed, Brittany Ferries, Irish Ferries, Viking Line, Superfast Ferries, SeaFrance and Corsica Ferries.

Sabre Ferries is available to travel agents free of charge through the Sabre global distribution system (GDS), and can be accessed through Sabre eServices by selecting it from the product menu.  Agents will earn seven percent commission from Entee for every booking, and payments will be settled monthly.  They need to set up an account with Entee and can register online.  Agents can also set up a credit card account, although a two percent credit card fee will be levied.

Stuart Nassos, Sabre Travel Networ’s vice president of marketing and customer service for Europe, said the move was part of an ongoing drive by the company to broaden the range of products available in its GDS by adding new or non-traditional content.  Other recent initiatives include the Sabre Exclusives range of discounted leisure hotel rates, and a drive to bring airline web fares to agencies through Sabre Travel Network’s DCA Three Year Option.

“In an increasingly competitive environment agents are looking for ways to add value and provide an end-to-end service,” Nassos said.

“Its not enough simply to book a flight to Naples.  The service has to include the cheapest available airfare, the ferry ticket to Capri, and the best value hotel on the island.  Making all this available in a single place is the real value that we bring to agents and travel providers alike.”

Nick Rowley, head of business development at Entee, said his company would also work with Sabre Travel Network to help agents build the Sabre Ferry engine into their own websites.

“This will give agents a chance to grow their distribution and customer base, and to compete with other online portals.  Agents need to diversify their revenue streams, and this is yet another opportunity,” Rowley said.

Related stories on ITN:

(04/08/3004)  AA Joins Sabre Travel Network`s DCA 3 Year Option

(29/07/2003) Sabre Launches Web Services Capabilities for Agents

(23/07/2003) Sabre Secures Commitment from Three Major Carriers

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