Sabre History
Created in 1960, the Sabre® system has transformed the global travel industry. Now as Sabre Travel Network, our company offer the world’s largest Global Distribution System (GDS) and a wide range of sophisticated travel management products. Travel suppliers provide information that is retrieved from the Sabre® GDS by over 55,000 travel agency locations, travel websites, corporations, and government agencies, who are responsible for tens of millions of bookings around the world each year.
Sabre Travel Network® is a business unit of Sabre Holdings®.
1960 The Sabre® system is created by American Airlines, marking the first real-time business application of computer technology.
1964 Sabre’s network becomes the largest, private real-time data processing system, second only to the U.S. government’s system.
1976 Sabre is installed in a travel agency for the first time—triggering the wave of travel automation.
1983 Sabre establishes its first Canadian presence.
1985 Sabre establishes its first European presence.
1987 Sabre establishes its first Latin American presence.
1988 Sabre system expands to store 36 million fares, which can be combined to create more than one billion fare options.
1993 Sabre de Mexico, a joint venture with Aeromexico and Mexicana, is established.
1995 Sabre Business Travel Solutions, (later merged with GetThere), is launched.
1996 The Sabre Group does an IPO of 18% of stock.
1997 Abacus chooses Sabre as partner in Asia-Pacific region.
2000 Sabre spins off 100% from AMR (parent company of American Airlines).
2000 Sabre acquires GetThere and merges it with Sabre Business Travel Solutions.
2000 INFINI CRS host system in Japan migrates to Sabre.
2000 E-commerce travel provider Gradient Solutions is acquired to offer web reservation solutions.
2001 Sabre purchases Nexion®, providing North American agencies with fully-hosted, turn-key operations.
2002 Beginning of Open Systems migration.
2003 Launch of Direct Connect Availability, Three-Year Option which ensured full content for travel agencies.
2003 Launch of Jurni Network agency consortium in the USA.
2003 Launch of Sabre Exclusives merchant rate hotel program.
2003 Launch of Sabre® CentralCommand with Agresso, an agency accounting and information management suite.
2003 Sabre® Web Services is rolled out to enable faster, more efficient, seamless access to content and distribution services.
2003 Full ownership of Dillon Communications Systems and NIS in Europe is announced, for in-region leisure content and merchant model distribution.
2004 Sabre opens its Global Customer Service Centre in Montevideo, Uruguay.
2004 This year marked the deregulation of the GDS industry in the U.S.
2004 Sabre launches MySabre® desktop online booking tool.
2004 Hotel Spotlight merchandising solution is introduced in the USA.
2004 Launch of new hotel platform on Open Systems enables hotelier merchandising and enhanced shopping.
2004 Agent59® is launched in North America for last-minute packages through the agency channel.
2005 Sabre acquires SynXis®, a provider of reservation management distribution and technology services for hotels.
2005 Launch of dynamic packaging in North America (CustomTrip).
2005 Nexion purchases MyHostAgency.com (Southwest Travel Systems).
2006 Expedia and Priceline choose Sabre as a major partner.
2006 First Russian agency adopts Sabre system as primary GDS.
2006 CustomTrip is rebranded as TripTailor® Vacations, heralding advancements in dynamic packaging. The TripTailor spokesbutton, Buster, becomes a hit with leisure agencies.
2006 TotalTrip marks the launch of dynamic packaging in Latin America.
2006 Sabre acquires Travel Agency Management Systems™ (TRAMS), the industry leader in back office and relationship management.
2006 Sabre launches the Efficient Access(SM) Solution to ensure access to full airline content to corporations and agencies.
2006 Release of Sabre Air suite, including Sabre MyFares™ and other products.
2006 Sabre expands its presence in the Middle East with the opening of offices in Jordan and Egypt.
2006 GetThere tops 10 million annual corporate travel bookings.
2007 E-site Marketing, a premier provider of online marketing services for the hotel industry, is purchased
2007 Sabre invests in ESS, a Polish technology provider and tour operator.
2007 Sabre Holdings is acquired by Texas Pacific Group and Silver Lake.
2007 Sabre launches VacationStudio™.
2007 Sabre launches GDS in Nigeria.
2007 Independent study confirms Sabre’s global, low-fare leadership.
2007 Sabre Rate Assured™ hotel program is launched.
2007 A joint venture with Amadeus is created to launch Moneydirect, an industry payment processing company.
2007 Branded Fares is launched to meet unbundled airline merchandising trend.
Europe