Sabre Corporation is introducing a new “offer and order” system to allow airlines to create more personalised content for customers.
The new Sabre Mosaic tech platform will use Google’s AI capabilities to increase the way that carriers can deliver individualised content to travellers, as well as selling more non-air travel products.
Airline association IATA has been developing offer and order technology standards during the past few years through its Dynamic Offers and One Order programmes.
These developments go hand-in-hand with the implementation of NDC (New Distribution Content) as part of the industry’s attempts to upgrade booking capabilities and move away from traditional PNR-based platforms.
Kurt Ekert, president and CEO of Sabre, said: “Sabre Mosaic is the culmination of our dedication to innovation in airline IT and active collaboration with our airline partners to enable the future of modern retailing.
“With the success we are already seeing with Sabre’s Retail Intelligence suite of solutions, today’s announcement marks an important milestone on our path to delivering a fully open, modern and flexible retailing platform.”
Sabre said in a statement that Sabre Mosaic will allow airlines to select API-based offer and order solutions based on their own preferences, with the promise that the system can “transform all aspects of the retailing process”.
Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said: “Airlines are becoming sophisticated retailers and need the same data-driven insights and AI tools to optimise their businesses and better serve their customers as other consumer services.
“Through our work with Sabre, we are helping airlines harness their data to make faster, more informed decisions that improve operations, personalise marketing and ultimately increase customer satisfaction.”
Mike Reyes, Sabre’s senior VP of product management, said that the industry was on the “cusp of something really big” with the development of new retailing systems for airlines.
“Retailing has the potential to add $45 billion in annual revenue by 2030,” added Reyes in a conference call. “Airlines are constantly looking for new ways to increase their revenues and manage their costs.
“They need more flexibility in technology and follow the Amazon model. Traditional airline retailing is based on travelling from point A to point B but it’s no longer fit for purpose.”
Reyes said the modular architecture of Sabre Mosaic would enable airlines to “create something cohesive from diverse elements” and this was the reason they had chosen the name Mosaic.
“Airlines can select and integrate different components depending on their requirements,” he explained.
These options will also include non-air products such as ground transport, accommodation and entertainment, as well as allowing travellers to bid on upgrades before travel.
“Airlines are going to move down this path at their own pace,” predicted Reyes. “Airlines will be moving at different speeds along this journey.”