Sabre Travel Network is making it easier for travel agents in the UK and Ireland to book car hire and monitor commissions from car rental companies.

In the first of two separate enhancements in the Sabre Red Workspace, an agent can now automatically calculate the total cost of a car rental and up to four added extras, such as navigational equipment and seats for young children, when booking with Sixt.

Previously an agent would have had to manually check the daily or weekly price for such equipment and calculate the price for the customer.

The enhancement to the Sabre Car Rate Shop will also allow agents to find out whether the equipment is available to book on a specific date.

Elisabeth Martins, Sabre commercial director in the UK and Ireland, said: “Shopping and booking car rental used to be a laborious task for agents as they would have to manually work out the total cost if their client wanted to book a child’s seat, a SatNav system or mobile Wifi.

“The enhancement within the Sabre Red Workspace will save agents valuable time, allowing them to deliver better and more efficient customer service while saving their business time and money.”

The second enhancement in the Sabre Red Workspace is the commission optimiser. Agents booking Sixt or Europcar will be able to calculate exactly how much money they will make from a booking with participating suppliers.

Martins said: “The commission optimiser allows agents to manage their earning while selling commissionable car rates. Commission details are clearly displayed in the system, which allows the booker to compare rates and commission levels.

“The commission information is then merged into the car segment at the time of sell and available for use by back office system.”