Sabre to provide consulting services to AFRAA member airlines

New agreement will help African carriers compete with global counterparts

NAIROBI, Kenya and SOUTHLAKE, Texas, April 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR), a global technology provider to the travel and tourism industry will provide consulting services to several of its member airlines through a new agreement with the African Airlines Association (AFRAA).

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Ten carriers will take part in Sabre's consulting programme – including Rwandair, South African Airways and Royal Air Maroc – which will include a comprehensive analysis of the airlines' brands and customer satisfaction and will provide each airline with a Net Promoter Score (NPS).   Airlines taking part in Sabre's new NPS study will undergo a comprehensive survey that will seek to provide them with a greater understanding of their customers' pain points and experiences, as well as the desires and motivations of the African air traveller.  The programme will also include access to complementary best practice workshops and recommendations on how technology can enhance revenue, decrease costs and improve the passenger experience throughout the year.

"Demand for air travel in Africa could rise by as much as 24% after the introduction of the new pan-African passport in 2018," said Dino Gelmetti, vice president EMEA, Airline Solutions at Sabre.  "However, recent research by Sabre identified common pain points of African consumers and barriers to travel such as difficulty booking, confusing check-in procedures and a lack of flights to chosen destinations.  As air travel becomes more accessible to African citizens, it is important that African carriers gain a deeper understanding of their customers, and equip themselves with robust, reliable and flexible technology.  This will enable them to win market share from their international counterparts, which currently operate more than 80 percent of flights in African airspace."

The results of the NPS study will be presented to participating carriers at AFRAA's Annual Stakeholders Convention in Tunisia on May 7th – 9th.

"Sabre, one of AFRAA's esteemed partners, has experience in helping many of the world's leading airlines to stay competitive and address their business challenges," said Dr. Elijah Chingosho, AFRAA Secretary General.  "It was therefore a natural choice to enter into this new agreement with Sabre, and we look forward to offering our members access to its expertise to improve their own operations and compete with some of the world's most successful carriers."

Sabre provides technology and consultancy services to more than 225 airlines, including most of the world's largest carriers. Sabre's broad suite of flexible and scalable software solutions allows airlines to operate how they want to and adapt their business to changing needs and requirements.  Many of Africa's top carriers – including South African Airways, Kulula, Ethiopian Airlines – already use Sabre's technology to address their biggest challenges – increasing revenue, minimising costs and providing an enhanced travel experience.

About Sabre

Sabre® Corporation is a leading technology provider to the global travel and tourism industry. Sabre's software, data, mobile and distribution solutions are used by hundreds of airlines and thousands of hotel properties to manage critical operations, including passenger and guest reservations, revenue management, flight, network and crew management. Sabre also operates a leading global travel marketplace, which processes more than $120 billion of estimated travel spend annually by connecting travel buyers and suppliers. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre operates offices in approximately 160 countries around the world.

Media contact:

Jess Matthias jess.matthias@sabre.com

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