How to Prevent Airline Distribution Disruptions (like Turkish Airlines Exiting Sabre) from Impacting Your Corporate Travel Program

The airline distribution landscape is constantly evolving, introducing new challenges for corporate travel programs.

Recent Changes in Airline Distribution

Frontier Airlines ceased its participation in Sabre on September 30, while Turkish Airlines, one of the world’s largest carriers, exited Sabre on September 1 after negotiations over a distribution agreement broke down. As a result, Travel Management Companies (TMCs) must now work directly with these airlines or use alternative GDS platforms for ticketing, modifications, and cancellations. These last-minute announcements, made just weeks before their respective deadlines, are part of a growing trend in shifts within airline distribution strategies.

What Happens Next?

Many businesses, especially TMCs that rely heavily on a single GDS like Sabre—which holds a significant market share in some regions—will face challenges. In other markets, such as Europe, where Amadeus dominates, the impact may be less severe, but programs dependent on one GDS will still need to act quickly to adjust and minimize disruptions.

Why AirBooking.com Clients Can Stay Calm

At AirBooking.com, we source airline content through multiple channels, including Sabre and Amadeus. This means Frontier and Turkish Airlines remain available to our customers. Our multi-source approach, combined with deep expertise in working with various GDSs, aggregators, and direct connections, allows us to quickly adapt to distribution changes, ensuring minimal disruption for our clients.

What Sets AirBooking.com Apart from Other Corporate Booking Tools

As a technology provider with a robust content marketplace, AirBooking.com allows TMCs to use their own credentials, whether for airlines or GDSs. This means they retain control over their GDS fees, airline productivity-linked bonuses, and corporate-negotiated fares on behalf of their clients.

3 Key Benefits of Multi-Provider Sourcing—Especially During Times of Change

1. Reliable Content Availability: Airline suppliers often shift or limit their distribution channels. TMCs without a multi-channel strategy risk losing access to key content, forcing travelers to book outside preferred systems or implement patchwork solutions. AirBooking.com mitigates this by sourcing content through GDSs, aggregators, and direct connections. If identical fares are available across multiple channels, we prioritize the most cost-effective option, helping businesses avoid unnecessary overspending. For hotel bookings, AirBooking.com provides access to both business and consumer rates at the same time, giving travelers the ability to select the most affordable option for their stay.

2. Cost Savings and Efficiency: With content sourced from various channels, AirBooking.com ensures that the best available rates are always prioritized, reducing costs for businesses.

3. Global Reach Beyond GDS: AirBooking.com offers access to non-GDS content, such as ground transportation and rail options. Our platform supports over 30 European train companies and partners with providers like Groundspan for black car services, ensuring travelers have a wide range of booking options globally.

AirBooking.com’s Approach to Travel Content

At AirBooking.com, we understand that comprehensive content is the cornerstone of a successful corporate travel program. Without it, traveler satisfaction, adoption, visibility, and cost savings are compromised. That’s why our industry-leading approach to travel content combines multiple sources to deliver the best possible experience for travelers.

Why AirBooking.com Stands Out:

• Multi-provider by default: We integrate with multiple GDSs, aggregators, and direct connections to ensure our clients access the best content at competitive prices.

• Optimized for self-service: AirBooking.com is designed to empower travelers to manage rebookings, exchanges, cancellations, and more online, minimizing the need for agent assistance.

• Global content and innovation: Our platform provides globally sourced and accessible content, ensuring travelers can book what they need, regardless of location

• TMC’s own Credentials – Since Airbooking.com is a Corporate Travel and Expense Management Technology provider, TMCs will be using their own credentials, so they wont be loosing their GDS incentives or Airlines Productivity Linked Bonuses (PLBs).

Is Your Corporate Travel Program Ready?

The disruptions caused by Turkish Airlines and Frontier Airlines may be short- or long-term, but they won’t be the last. These types of changes are becoming more frequent, and it’s critical for TMCs to have a strategy in place to manage them effectively.

At AirBooking.com, we’ve always been prepared for such shifts. Whether it was with American Airlines, Ryanair, Turkish Airlines, or Frontier Airlines, we were ready to adapt. As the business travel landscape continues to evolve, we will continue to ensure that our clients are well-prepared for any changes ahead.

By partnering with AirBooking.com, your travel program will stay resilient, even in the face of ongoing disruptions in airline distribution.

The must have features in a Corporate Travel Management Tool

Think of a Travel Management System as Your Hub for All Things Travel

Since a travel management system is crucial for managing your company’s travel needs, it's essential to choose the right platform that fits your business requirements. AirBooking.com is an ideal solution, offering a comprehensive platform that caters to all your corporate travel needs.

What is a Travel Management System?

A travel management system helps travel managers book, monitor, and analyze corporate travel. It typically includes travel inventory, travel policies, and reporting features. It can also refer to the overall process of managing business travel efficiently. AirBooking.com excels at offering these features, ensuring seamless, cost-effective travel management.

Key Features of a Travel Management System

When comparing travel management systems, it's important to focus on features that ensure safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Below are the essential features to consider, and how AirBooking.com can deliver on these needs:

1. Customizable Travel Policies A vital feature of any travel management system is customizable travel policies. Even if managers are handling bookings, an in-app travel policy helps everyone stay aligned. AirBooking.com allows you to tailor policies for:

• Special rules for certain travelers (e.g., executives or frequent flyers)

• Global policies for hotel rates and flight costs

• Maximum costs for specific routes or cities

• Requirements for advanced booking Your travel policy will be integrated directly into the booking system, ensuring it’s always applied when booking.

2. Customizable Approval Workflows If a trip falls outside the policy, the platform should allow for easy approval workflows. AirBooking.com allows users to request approvals directly in the system, with the flexibility to assign approvers and customize workflows based on policy breaches or specific travelers.

3. Extensive Inventory Access to a wide range of inventory is essential for cost savings. AirBooking.com offers an extensive selection of flights, hotels, and ground transportation options, including budget-friendly accommodations and low-cost carriers. This provides businesses with better savings opportunities while offering travelers more choice.

4. Support at No Extra Cost Paying per support call is outdated and expensive. AirBooking.com includes customer support services at no additional cost, ensuring that travelers can get help whenever needed without worrying about unexpected fees.

5. No Redirects AirBooking.com keeps all bookings in one place, ensuring there are no redirects to third-party sites. This prevents confusion and makes it easier to track all business travel expenses through one platform.

6. Travel Spend Reporting A robust travel management system should offer detailed reporting on travel spend. AirBooking.com provides comprehensive travel reports, tracking:

• Spend by department or time period

• Out-of-policy bookings

• Expenses by project or client This allows for better financial oversight and travel program optimization.

7. Consolidated Invoicing Save time by using AirBooking.com, which consolidates all your travel expenses into a single monthly invoice. This streamlines the process for your finance team and reduces administrative burden.

8. Overview of All Trip Statuses As a travel manager, you need real-time visibility of all booked trips. With AirBooking.com, you can easily see which travelers have booked, which need approval, and which trips are still in progress, helping you manage travel effortlessly.

9. Easy Booking Experience Whether through self-booking or a dedicated travel manager, AirBooking.com provides a smooth and intuitive booking experience. Employees will enjoy using the platform, whether they are managing their own travel or relying on a travel manager to do it for them.

10. Transportation Options That Matter to Your Company AirBooking.com includes a variety of transportation options, including flights, hotels, cars, and trains. This ensures that all modes of transportation relevant to your business are covered, allowing for better consolidation of business travel.

11. Mobile App for On-the-Go Travelers AirBooking.com offers a user-friendly mobile app, enabling travelers to manage bookings and access support wherever they are. The app is designed to be as intuitive as the web platform, making it easy for travelers to book and track their trips on the go.

12. Collaborative Booking Features Collaborative booking is essential for businesses that require input from multiple stakeholders. AirBooking.com allows you to save in-progress bookings and collaborate with others to finalize trip details, making the process seamless for everyone involved.

13. Clear Policy Indicators AirBooking.com ensures that travelers can see whether an option is within policy before booking. This prevents confusion and reduces the number of out-of-policy bookings.

14. Expense Tool Integration AirBooking.com integrates with your company’s expense management system, streamlining expense reporting and ensuring a seamless process from booking to reimbursement. The system supports custom API integrations as well, making it flexible to your company’s needs.

15. Traveler Information Storage AirBooking.com allows you to store traveler profiles, including details like passport information, frequent flyer numbers, and more, which speeds up the booking process and ensures accuracy with every booking.

16. Loyalty Points Management Whether your company allows employees to earn loyalty points or credits them to the company account, AirBooking.com stores these details, ensuring points are applied during every booking.

17. No Long-Term Contracts AirBooking.com offers flexibility with no long-term contract commitments, allowing you to switch systems if it no longer meets your needs. This ensures you're not locked into a platform that doesn't serve your business well.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right travel management system can significantly impact your travel program’s efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and overall user experience. AirBooking.com offers a comprehensive solution that addresses all these needs, providing extensive inventory, robust policy customization, and superior user experience without hidden fees or long-term contracts. By partnering with AirBooking.com, you’ll ensure that your corporate travel program is streamlined, efficient, and adaptable to the changing travel landscape.