27 August 2011

Sabre's Mobile Study Sends Message To Mothership


Sabre has updated its mobile traveller study.

While the study sample size is in my view woefully small and the questions leave a lot to be desired (bundling of search and buy for example), it has some interesting messages for dear old mother Sabre GDS business and Sabresonic PSS business. I found the comments put forward by the head of the STINGroup Chris Kroeger interesting. A case perhaps of physician heal thyself. Here are the quotes that seem to me to make Sabre want to change some of the things that it does.

“Our survey shows that business travel today is personal. Travelers want the same functionality and convenience from their business travel tools that they have in their daily lives. People use travel services on their smart phones everyday and for every trip – before, during and after they travel,”

“The corporate travel industry needs to keep pace with the services and apps that travelers can access in their personal life and incorporate those into the world of managed business travel.”

“One of the biggest trends we see in the survey data is travelers’ desire for local business information and offerings based on their location via their smartphone or tablet,”

“Travelers will look for this information from suppliers, travel management companies and technology resources such as online booking tools like GetThere. Smart and savvy travel management companies will use technology as a way to fill this need and improve customer support and solidify customer loyalty. ”

“Today’s business travelers expect transactional capabilities from their mobile devices including buying air extras and in-flight amenities,”

“Tomorrow’s business travelers will move from physical passports, wallets and credit cards and will expect their mobile device to fill those needs as continued advancements in mobile payment, commerce and banking make it easier to electronically transact via mobile devices.”

Looking at this tells me that as a current Gatekeeper, The Dallas based company needs to look carefully at three major changes:

1. Providing content to its customers.
2. Mobilizing its applications
3. Removing onerous commercial terms to its users and suppliers alike.

So Sabre - consider this - the advice was free, the impact would be profound.

OK Break over back to the marketplace....

Cheers

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