Sabre, a global technology company, has started selling pre-paid baggage for Air France-KLM.

The airline has chosen to sell this ancillary product through Sabre using industry technology standards developed by ATPCo and IATA.

The electronic miscellaneous document standard allows an agent to efficiently purchase an airline’s ancillary products on behalf of travellers in the same way they would a base airfare.

This helps airlines generate revenue by making their ancillary products broadly available and easy to buy in all channels.

Jean Wieviorka, Air France-KLM senior vice president, corporate and distribution, said: “Revenue generated from the sale of ancillary services enables us to serve our customers’ wide-ranging preferences, and pushes us towards the economic objectives laid out in the Transform initiatives within the AFKL Group.

“Embracing GDS technology to maximise this revenue stream will ensure our business continues to grow.

“Distribution through travel agencies and Sabre’s global reach ensures we will continue to provide full content to intermediaries, allowing Air France-KLM to deepen its footprint in markets around the world.”

Hamish Broom, Sabre’s commercial director for distribution in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said the sale of ancillaries, such as pre-paid baggage, is an increasingly valuable revenue stream for airlines.

“Sabre has been investing in technology to support airlines’ merchandising strategies for many years.

“The global distribution system provides an important platform for airlines to market and sell their products, and for agents to capture buying data for their corporate customers,” he said.

“The sale of ancillaries through this marketplace generates important cost savings for both agencies and airlines.

“By using one platform to sell multiple products an airline can significantly reduce its IT costs.

“Additionally, front-line travel consultants can improve their efficiency and customer service levels by being able to book and fulfill base fares and ancillaries together.”

Broom said Air France-KLM’s decision to merchandise its ancillaries in Sabre shows the airline’s long-term commitment to an open marketplace for air travel, which benefits airlines, agencies, travel managers and travellers, ensuring travel shopping remains competitive, transparent and easy.

Air France-KLM joins a long list of airlines, including Finnair, Alitalia, Brussels Airlines and US Airways, that have chosen to offer ancillary services and bundled fares through Sabre’s travel marketplace and travel agencies.