Ninety seven percent of all tickets issued worldwide through Sabre Connected travel agents on behalf of British Airways (BA) are now electronic. Sabre Travel Network partnered closely with BA to help meet the airline’s goal of 95 per cent of issued tickets being electronic by December 2007. This target has now been exceeded for tickets issued through the Sabre global distribution system.

In March 2007, Sabre Travel Network announced a preferred supplier agreement with British Airways, which sees the two companies working in partnership for three years. Under this agreement, the airline’s fares and inventory are made available to all Sabre Connected travel agents worldwide. Sabre Travel Network has been instrumental in helping British Airways push electronic ticketing out to the market, thereby reducing costs and enhancing the traveller experience.

IATA’s ‘Simplifying the Business’ strategy calls for 100 per cent e-ticketing by 31 May, 2008 and British Airways is on track to meet this deadline.

Deborah Dickens, Senior Manager Global Distribution, British Airways said: “We are delighted to be ahead of our e-ticket conversion target with Sabre Travel Network, and that we are on track to meet the IATA requirement in advance of their deadline.”

Sabre Travel Network’s Hamish Broom, Managing Director, Airline Distribution EMEA said: “We are fully committed to working with our agency customers on this important industry initiative, and our overall conversion rate for e-ticketing in the wider EMEA market now stands at 95 per cent. We are particularly pleased with the excellent progress we have made with BA.”
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