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Sabre VP wins leadership award

Sabre Travel
Network executive Tom Klein was named
as a recipient of the travel industry’s prestigious 25 Most
Influential Executives of 2006 as awarded by Business Travel News
(BTN). Klein, Sabre Holdings executive vice president and group
president of the Sabre Travel Network and Sabre Airline Solutions
businesses, was selected because of his leadership role in helping
Sabre proactively maintain its position as champion of the most
efficient travel marketplace possible.

  “BTN was keen to name Tom Klein to our list of the 25 most
influential executives of 2006 for reshaping the terms by which
corporate travel content is bought and sold through his efforts in
leading the renegotiation of carrier contracts with global
distribution systems,” said BTN editor-in-chief David Meyer. Business
Travel News has delivered timely and ground-breaking news to the
corporate travel industry for more than 20 years.

  Under Klein’s direction, Sabre took aggressive measures to
preserve efficiency, find a balanced approach to industry
fragmentation and rising costs, and continue to provide agents with
greater revenue opportunities.

  “Tom has shown strong leadership during a challenging period in
the travel industry,” said Sam Gilliland, chairman and chief executive
officer, Sabre Holdings. “Tom and his team worked tirelessly to ensure
continued efficiency in travel distribution and helped create a
balanced solution to meet the needs of all in the travel industry.”

  In June 2006, Sabre Travel Network launched the Efficient Access
Solution (EAS), an optional program that guarantees travel agents
access to full content from participating carriers without service
fees via the Sabre Global Distribution System (GDS). The program was
met with over a 99 percent rate of agency adoption, and all major U.S.
carriers have agreed to participate in the program.

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  Following the successful adoption of EAS, Sabre Travel Network
delivered on its promise to give agents more revenue opportunities.
Beginning with the August 2006 launch of the leisure marketplace and
continuing through upcoming improvements and innovations to the
corporate travel sphere, Sabre is developing comprehensive solutions
that address current and future marketplace needs for the corporate
and leisure space, setting the stage for another year of industry
leadership.

  Klein has held his current leadership role with Sabre Airline
Solutions and Sabre Travel Network since 2004. Prior to this position,
Klein has held various leadership positions with Sabre. Previous to
coming to Sabre, Klein held several marketing and operations positions
within the travel industry.
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