All About Sabre GDS
Sabre and Sabre Red Workspace
Am I required to take Sabre? Sabre is totally optional
From the original travel inquiry on the front end, to serving your customers throughout the trip experience, to business intelligence to close the loop, Sabre Red is the total travel solution to drive customer loyalty and power business performance.
Success in the travel business requires a healthy balance. On one hand, there’s resource spent on customer service and on the other hand there’s achieving your profitability goals. Focus only on efficiency and the customer experience suffers. Likewise, overextend resources to build loyalty and profits disappear. Creating and maintaining high customer loyalty — while also growing revenue and keeping costs in check – is the essence of value creation for your business.
Key Benefits
Faster start up times
Greater stability
Higher performance worldwide
Superior application integration capability
Administrative control to manage configuration and updates down to a user level
Features
Quick access to all of your travel information sources, including the Sabre GDS, in one place. Drastically reduce those open windows and websites crowding your screen.
Streamline booking process with integrated content from powerful tools such as Air, Car, Vacation Packages, Cruise and Hotels – all just a click away.
Provide new sales opportunities through interactive offers; the workspace alerts you to better deals while you’re booking.
Choose your own workflow whether you’re an ace with formats or prefer format-free, point-and-click functionality.
Graphical view allows you to book air, car, hotel, etc using a fully-graphical, keyboard-driven workflow.
Monthly Fee: Free with 100 bookings of any kind (Car, Air Hotel, Cruise, Vacation, Insurance) using Sabre. You can combine all your bookings in Sabre to achieve the 100 so that there is no cost to you. If your combined bookings are less than 100 per month, your cost is only $25.00 per month which includes system/terminal/license access. Other Hosts: $35.00 per month.
GDS Access Application Fee: $0
Personal Information Form (PIF) Fee $0
2nd User Application Fee: $0
GDS Setup Fee $0
Other Hosts: $100.00
Other Hosts: $35
Other Hosts: $35.00
Other Hosts: $49.95
Ticketing
Examine carefully the differences in fees between ICT and Other Hosts. Your profits and income are defined by these “extras”.
Ticket yourself or Have Incentive Connection do it for you.
Fee for ARC Entries Not Invoiced, Repeated Invoicing, Improper Invoicing, Service Fees Not Invoiced, Adding Segments (car/hotel, etc.) to a PNR, Invoicing New Segments, Not Removing Accounting Lines, or Not Segment Selecting When Re-invoicing $0. Other Hosts: $15 per error
Fee for ICT to ticket during business Hours: $0
Fee for ICT to ticket after business Hours, Weekends, etc: $0
Fee to ticket yourself, you do it all: $0
Fee for Manual Approvals: $0
Fee for Voids: $5
Fee for Refunds : $7.50
Fee for Exchanges: $7.50
Fee for Xcnl HX Segments: $0
Fee for Group Ticketing: $0
Fee for PNR Quality Assurance: $0
Fee for Exchange non compliance: $0
Fee for Void non compliance: $0
Fee for Refund non compliance: $0
Fee for Debit Memo: $0
Fee for reasonable Accounting Research: $0
Other Hosts: $2.00 per ticket
Other Hosts: $3.50 per ticket
Other Hosts: $6.00 per PNR
Other Hosts: $100.00
Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt
Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt
Other Hosts: $25.00 per tkt
Other Hosts: $25.00 per tkt
Other Hosts: $125.00
Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt
Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt
Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt
Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt
Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt
Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt
ICT is the “No Surprises Host Agency”
Initially, all PNR’s must be queued to Incentive Connection Travel for ticketing to do quality controls, 7 days per week, including all holidays. Mistake in ticketing can prove very costly. After we get to know you and determine that you are proficient in Sabre, we will allow you to do your own ticketing, 24 X 7.
Email Itineraries: Email itineraries directly to your client free of charge via Sabre’s Virtually There module. VirtuallyThere.com gives your customers a personalized, secure travel assistance website that provides immediate access to trip itinerary information, real-time flight updates, and personalized destination-based information.
Sabre Technical Support: Toll-free call to GDS.
Accounting/Interfacing: Fully compatible with TRAMS back-office accounting software used by Incentive Connection Travel.
Sabre Frequently Asked Questions
ICT is all about protecting our ARC and IATA accreditation and our fellow professional agents from the possible threat of a few unscrupulous people that could gain access to the GDS. The consequences of which are abundantly clear.
To obtain access to the Sabre GDS, ICT requires you to complete a GDS Access Application There is no fee for this application. Other Hosts charge $100.
Any additional Sabre user besides the original Sabre applicant (ie, sub-agents, outside sales agents, employees, owners, partners, shareholders, LLC members, officers, directors, etc) must complete the Sabre GDS application. There is no fee for this additional application. Other Hosts charge $35.
There is no setup fee for GDS software. Other Hosts charge $49.95 for each software/license or terminal that you request access for. Click here for the Sabre Application.
The usage fee for Sabre is $25/month for the 1st license and $20 for each additional. But the fee is waived if you make 100 bookings, of any kind (Hotel, Air, Cruise, Tour, Car, Hotel…..) in 1 month. Most of our agents pay nothing.
Please know that we have been in business for 30 years. Following are the fees we have always had.
Monthly Fee: Free with 100 bookings of any kind (Car, Air Hotel, Cruise, Vacation, Insurance) using Sabre. You can combine all your bookings in Sabre to achieve the 100 so that there is no cost to you. If your combined bookings are less than 100 per month, your cost is only $25.00 per month which includes system/terminal/license access. Other Hosts: $35.00 per mo
| GDS Access Application Fee: $0 | Other Hosts: $100.00 | |
| Personal Information Form (PIF) Fee $0 | Other Hosts: $35 | |
| 2nd User Application Fee: $0 | Other Hosts: $35.00 | |
| GDS Setup Fee $0 | Other Hosts: $49.95 |
Ticketing: Examine carefully the differences in fees between ICT and Other Hosts. Your profits and income are defined by these “extras”.
Ticket yourself or Have Incentive Connection do it for you.
| Fee for ICT to ticket during business Hours: $0 | Other Hosts: $2.00 per ticket | |
| Fee for ICT to ticket after business Hours, Weekends, etc: $0 | Other Hosts: $3.50 per ticket | |
| Fee to ticket yourself, you do it all: $0 | Other Hosts: $6.00 per PNR | |
| Fee for Manual Approvals: $0 | Other Hosts: $100.00 |
Fee for ARC Entries Not Invoiced, Repeated Invoicing, Improper Invoicing, Service Fees Not Invoiced, Adding Segments (car/hotel, etc.) to a PNR, Invoicing New Segments, Not Removing Accounting Lines, or Not Segment Selecting When Re-invoicing $0. Other Hosts: $15 per error
| Fee for Voids: $5 | Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt | |
| Fee for Refunds : $7.50 | Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt | |
| Fee for Exchanges: $7.50 | Other Hosts: $25.00 per tkt | |
| Fee for Xcnl HX Segments: $0 | Other Hosts: $25.00 per tkt | |
| Fee for Group Ticketing: $0 | Other Hosts: $125.00 | |
| Fee for PNR Quality Assurance: $0 | Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt | |
| Fee for Exchange non compliance: $0 | Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt | |
| Fee for Void non compliance: $0 | Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt | |
| Fee for Refund non compliance: $0 | Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt | |
| Fee for Debit Memo: $0 | Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt | |
| Fee for reasonable Accounting Research: $0 | Other Hosts: $15.00 per tkt |
Yes. There are no additional fees imposed. Compare to other Hosts menu of fees.
Yes. There are no additional fees.
Yes, but with eTickets and eDocs……the choice is yours. There is no fee for this service.
ICT agents are in total control of their business. You have the ability to call and obtain manual approval codes from the credit card company to process airline tickets. There is no fee for this. If you want ICT to get the approvals…..again, no fee. Compare to other Hosts.
The agent is in full control of their ticketing and can work their PNR’s as they wish. Having your own Queue makes this easy. There is no fee involved.
If ICT receives an airline debit memo concerning an agent’s PNR, we provide the agent with all details of the memo. If the agent wishes to dispute the memo, agent must do so within the airline’s time frame. Please copy ICT on all communication between agent and the airline to verify the dispute. If the agent asks ICT to intervene on their behalf, we will do all possible. There is no fee for this service. But if the dispute is not resolved in favor of the agent, agent will be responsible for any damages.
Yes. We will set up as many as you require to operate your business……your way.
Yes but please send ICT a copy of the contract.
As an Independent Contractor, you are ultimately responsible for any chargeback’s due to use or misuse of a credit card. Please use due diligence when working with NEW customers paying by credit card. The fraud usually originates with a NEW customer, not a loyal past customer.
Required Credit Card Information for all Airline Ticket PNRs (Should be built into your client’s STAR so that it will be entered once saving you time on future PNR’s)
1. Credit Card Number
2. Card Holder Name as it appears on the card.
3. Expiration Date
4. Cardholder Billing Address
5. Passenger Phone Number
6. Cardholder Phone Number (if different from Passenger)
7. CVV Number (Amex–4 digits on front of card, MC/Visa/Disc–3 digits on back of card)
8. Issuing Bank Phone Number (located on the back of card)
For 3rd Party Credit Cards:
Individual Travel – Obtain a signed Credit Card Authorization Form (one-time use) along with a front/back copy of the credit card. Form is on the ICT web site.
Corporate Travel – Prior to ticketing, obtain a Credit Card Authorization Form (continuous use) along with a front/back copy of the credit card.
Sabre has a self paced Sabre Personal Trainer built into their system. It is available free, on demand, 24 X 7.
This fee is imposed to IC’s who place an incomplete PNR on queue for ticketing. This fee also applies to IC’s who process their own exchanges, voids and/or refunds but fail to complete and submit the necessary form within 24 hours. Mistakes happen. ICT will not penalize you.
Yes, ICT provides all the necessary formats to invoice any sale through the GDS.
Yes. All ICT’s systems have this functionality. An agent can view all pending commissions as well as all incoming commission received by ICT. This great tool allows an agent to know the amount of their next commission payment from ICT which is direct deposited each month.
Yes, an agent can charge a service fee of any amount.
No, this is using ICT as a merchant and it is against industry policy. An agent should pay the supplier via credit card or request us to send an ICT company check.
When these reservations are made, a follow up phone call must be made to ICT to have the reservation processed immediately to obtain the original fare stored for ticketing. Self ticketing is the best way to go. Process instant tickets…..instantly?
ICT has airline contracts with many carriers paying as much as 22% commission. All ICT contracts are on our web site. Plus dozens through our participation in the Air by Ensemble program (No cost to you).
Yes. If you do, please request the contract to be in the name of Incentive Connection Travel and send a copy to ICT prior to issuing any tickets using the contract.
ICT processes the weekly ARC report through the IAR (Interactive Airline Reporting) system.
Yes, but…..it is not kept up to date by the airlines. A call should be placed to the airline for any questions.
No, once a PNR is ticketed, it cannot be changed.