Sabre has unveiled the next steps for its partnership with Google, first announced in January as a 10-year deal that would see the creation of a new marketplace for airline, hospitality and agency customers.
Details at the time were scant: In addition to building a marketplace, the partnership designated Google Cloud as Sabre's preferred cloud partner to improve the GDS' technology capability and optimization efforts.
Now, the two companies are developing an artificial intelligence-driven technology platform to drive personalization in travel.
Called Sabre Travel AI, the technology uses Google’s AI technology and machine-learning capabilities to deliver relevant and personalized content. Google’s tools will sense, analyze and predict customer behaviors using real-time shopping information and travel-specific business insights.
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Texas-based Sabre is integrating the technology into certain products in its existing portfolio, with plans to bring those to market in early 2021.
Sabre Travel AI, which the companies call an “industry first,” will assist airlines, agencies, corporations, hoteliers and other travel partners in their retailing and customer experience strategies. The technology will help them deliver the right offer at the right time across relevant channels, potentially driving higher conversion rates and building traveler loyalty.
Sundar Narasimhan, president of Sabre Labs, calls Sabre Travel AI a “game-changer” that “marks a milestone in our technology transformation and a significant step toward achieving our 2025 vision of personalized retailing,” he says.
“With the creation of Sabre Travel AI, we are rebuilding our platform on cloud-native, data-driven technology that can be integrated into the existing and future products that Sabre offers. We are combining Google Cloud’s infrastructure, AI and machine learning capabilities with Sabre’s deep travel domain knowledge to create, not next, but third-generation solutions that we believe are smarter, faster and more cost-effective - a first-of-its kind in travel.”
Sabre plans to use the technology to launch additional retailing capabilities in the market beginning early next year.