Sabre Holdings Announces New Cruise Distribution Partnership with Carnival Corporation

Published: 05 Jul 2004

SOUTHLAKE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 6, 2004--Sabre Holdings Corporation (NYSE:TSG) today announced a new agreement with Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE:CCL) (LSE:CCL) (NYSE:CUK) to expand its cruise distribution partnership across all of Carnival Cor

The new agreement ensures that all Carnival Corporation cruise line brands will now become available to all Sabre Holdings business units, including Sabre Travel Network and Travelocity, with full access to content, pricing and booking functionality.

"We believe that working with Sabre Holdings to achieve expanded electronic distribution for all of our brands, as well as improve the content and functionality of the booking tool, will help us enhance our revenues and reinforce our leadership position," said Jack Anderson, Vice President of Marketing for Carnival Corporation. "We are very excited about Sabre Holding's commitment to expand and improve electronic booking capabilities for our professional travel agency distribution system. This initiative will also help agents achieve greater efficiency and productivity via Sabre's automated booking tools."

Carnival Corporation & plc, a global cruise company, is one of the largest vacation companies in the world. Current cruise brands include Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Windstar Cruises, The Yachts of Seabourn, Cunard Line and Costa Cruises; P & O Cruises, Ocean Village and Swan Hellenic in the United Kingdom; AIDA in Germany; and P & O Cruises in Australia. Coupled with its tour operations, Carnival's brands attract five million guests annually.

"This partnership offers opportunities for both Carnival Corporation and Sabre Holdings to capitalize on the significant growth anticipated in the cruise market," said Eric Speck, chief marketing officer for Sabre Holdings. "It enables all Carnival brands to expand their reach to travel agents, corporations and travelers. And it allows us to provide our customers full access to content from the World's Leading Cruise Lines alliance, in addition to improved connectivity and functionality for booking cruises."

Currently, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Windstar Cruises and Carnival Cruise Lines brands are distributed through the Sabre system and Travelocity. Sabre Holdings and Carnival Corporation are working closely to add new cruise brands - Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises, Ocean Village, Swan Hellenic and AIDA - to Sabre Holdings' electronic booking channels, as well as enhance their booking tools with additional functionality made available through the Carnival XML API. Implementation will take place in a phased approach with the first phase beginning immediately in North America, then followed in international markets.

About Sabre Holdings Corporation

Sabre Holdings, an S&P 500 company, is a world leader in travel commerce, retailing travel products and providing distribution and technology solutions for the travel industry. Sabre Holdings supports travelers, travel agents, corporations and travel suppliers through its companies: Travelocity, Sabre Travel Network, and Sabre Airline Solutions. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the company has approximately 6,000 employees in 45 countries. Full year 2003 revenues totaled $2.05 billion. Sabre Holdings is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TSG. More information is available at http://www.sabre-holdings.com.

Sabre Travel Network, Sabre Airline Solutions and Travelocity are trademarks and/or service marks of an affiliate of Sabre Holdings Corporation. All other trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.

Cautionary Statement

Statements in this release which are not purely historical facts, including statements about the expected benefits of this agreement or other statements about anticipations, beliefs, expectations, hopes, intentions or strategies for the future, may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based upon information available to Sabre Holdings Corporation on the date this release was issued. Sabre Holdings Corporation undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Any forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events or results described in the forward-looking statements, including risks or uncertainties related to Sabre Holdings Corporation's revenues being highly dependent on the travel and transportation industries and structural changes within the travel industry, such as the financial instability or bankruptcy of many of the air carriers. Sabre Holdings Corporation may not succeed in addressing these and other risks. Further information regarding factors that could affect our financial and other results can be found in the risk factors section of our most recent filing on Form 10-Q with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

CONTACT: Sabre Holdings Corporation, Southlake

Dawn M. Dorman, 682-605-2246

Dawn.Dorman@sabre-holdings.com

SOURCE: Sabre Holdings Corporation

Comments

You must be logged in to post comments.

Upcoming Conferences, Events & Reports


EyeforTravel Research & Reports

01/07/08

Latest data & analysis for the worlds online travel markets - NEW European Online Travel Report 2008, India, China, Russia...

Social Media Strategies in Travel Europe 2008 (Part of the Sales & Marketing in Travel Europe Summit)

Munich, 14 - 15 October

Social Media and user-generated content are revolutionising online marketing, opening up exciting new ways to raise brand awareness and adhere to customer expectations. Attend this inaugural event for the European region and find out how real travel companies are implementing and managing Social Media and Web 2.0 features. The event will be held as part of the Sales & Marketing in Travel Europe Summit held annually in Berlin.

Online Sales & Marketing in Travel Europe 2008 (Part of the Sales & Marketing in Travel Summit Europe)

Munich, 14 - 15 October

Europe's annual event for travel marketers returns for a 7th year to provide you with key insight into the latest best practices to market and sell your travel product to the dynamic European market. Twinned with our inaugural 'Social Media Strategies in Travel Europe' conference the event is guaranteed to give you the real-world advice and the competitive edge you need to boost sales in Europe's increasingly crowded online marketplace.

Hotel Revenue and Distribution Management Masterclasses

14-15 October, Munich; 19-20 November, Prague; 2-3 December, Barcelona

Specifically designed for independent and small chain hotels, this two day workshop will teach you how to dramatically improve 7 core elements of your revenue management and distribution strategy - performance; business intelligence; pricing; channel management; yield management; forcasting; communication

Travel Distribution Japan 2008

Tokyo, Conrad Hotel, 29-30 October

The global trend in online travel is now hitting Japan in a big way. The internet is re-defining the way your customers research and book travel, and creating a whole host of critical business issues, challenges and hurdles to overcome. This conference is an opportunity for you to explore best practices to help you distribute your travel product in Japan and gain the contacts you need to succeed!

Mobile Technology in Travel@WTM 2008

11th November 2008, World Travel Market, ExCel, London

Mobile is a force you can no longer ignore. This groundbreaking event cuts through the hype and presents you with proven strategies to make money, engage customers and foster loyalty form this innovative channel. Hear from top travel and mobile companies on how to take a first-mover advantage. You know mobile is causing a stir - it's time to do something about it!

The Travel Leadership Forum@WTM 2008

12th November, World Travel Market, ExCel, London

The Travel Leadership Forum: Evolution of Online Travel brings together the online travel leaders from around the world to discuss the changing face of online travel. Only the most senior and innovative executives are being handpicked to share their expertise during keynote presentation, topical discussion and thought provoking debates. The Forum is the essential meeting place for executives within the online travel space - don't miss out on this unique opportunity to join the travel elite!

Online Content and Conversion Strategies@WTM 2008

13th November, World Travel Market, ExCel, London

Online Content and Conversion Strategies is a conference designed with a single purpose: to show you how to drive conversions using compelling online content. With so many options to improve your site and engage your customer the task can often seem daunting. That's why we have brought together the top performing web experts to show you what information, media and functionality will turn a looker into a booker.

Travel Distribution Central Eastern Europe 2008

19-20 November, Angelo Hotel, Prague

A unique conference for leading travel distribution, marketing and pricing executives to discuss the latest trends, challenges and opportunities in this highly fragmented yet rapidly growing travel market.

Travel Distribution Summit India 2008

26-27 November 2008

The annual meeting place for India's online travel industry. The Indian online travel market is reaching a critical point in its evolution. Whilst the opportunities are huge, challenges and obstacles to growth must not be under-estimated. Attend this event to formulate the partnerships and strategies you need to succeed in India

Revenue Maximisation for the Travel Industry

26-27 November, Taj Lands End, Mombai, India

A 2 day conference looking at Revenue Management, a proven management strategy that ensures you manage yield and price and so substantially increase your profitability and Ancillary revenue a proven strategy to increase your profits. One LCC has generated an estimated US$334 million in 2007 through the sale on non flight product:

Revenue Management & Pricing in Travel Europe 2008

Munich, 2-3 December

In a period of economic uncertainty it has never been more important to re-visit your revenue and pricing strategies. Hear from top travel companies on how they plan to optimise revenue during this tricky period. This unique annual conference attracts Europe's leading revenue and pricing in travel experts and provides you with the key insight you need to benchmark your strategy and stay ahead of your competitors. Visit the conference website to find out how you can be a part of it!

Travel Distribution Iberian Peninsula

2-3 December, Barcelona

The Travel Distribution Iberian Peninsula comprises of the best in Online marketing, Travel Distribution, Web 2.0, Destination Marketing, Ancillary Revenue and the most important factors that are transforming Spain and Portugal into one of the most lucrative in Europe and the World (held in Spanish and English).

Hotel Revenue Management & Pricing Middle East

15-16th December 2008, Abu Dhabi

Cutting edge revenue and pricing techniques to maximise Middle Eastern hotel profit margins

CRM and Loyalty Strategies for Travel

February 2009, Atlanta

Meet the leading CRM professionals in travel! Attend this event to find out how to energize your CRM strategy and release maximum value from your customer relationships.

Travel Distribution Summit Asia 2009

1st - 2nd April 2009, Singapore

Asia Pacific's largest meeting for the travel business, and the key networking hub of the the new year. 2009's schedule includes:
- Travel Distribution & Sales
- Revenue Management & Pricing
- Hotel Technology Forum
- Online Content & Conversion Strategies

Travel Distribution Summit Europe

19-20 May 2009

The event helps attendees sell more, reduce distribution costs, form lucrative distribution partnerships, price your product right and keep your customers happy.... key goals of any successful travel company!That why 1500+ decision makers attend each year making this the world's biggest event for online travel executive and heads of pricng and distribution.

Travel Payment Conference

19-20 May 2009, Part for the Travel Distribution Summit

With the credit crunch biting airlines, hotels and intermediaries are all looking to reduce the cost of taking online payments. This event will examine how the industry intends to do this and make payments more customer friendly.

Hotel Technology Forum

19-20 May, Bussiness Desighn Centre, London, Part of the Travel Distribution Summit

Evaluate the Best Distribution and Reservation and Distribution Technology for your Hotel.

The Get Funded Show - The Travel Industry

19-20 May, London, Collacted with the Travel Distribution Summit

Where investors meet, examine the investment potential and do deals with top travel entrepreneurs. The place to find the future leaders of the Travel industry