Sabre Holdings
Encyclopedia
Sabre Holdings or Sabre, Inc. (TSG) is an American privately held
travel technology
company, encompassing several brand
s in three global distribution system channels: travel agency
, airline
, and direct to consumer. These areas are serviced by TSG's three main business groups. Divisions within each of these groups also service the business or corporate travel market.
Other key Sabre Holdings brands include the following:
and spun off with an IPO on March 15, 2000. It now employs approximately 9,000 people worldwide. It is headquartered in Southlake, Texas
.
On December 12, 2006, private-equity firms TPG Capital
and Silver Lake Partners
announced a deal to buy Sabre Holdings Corp. for about $4.5 billion in cash, plus the assumption of $550 million in debt. Sabre joined its three primary GDS competitors, Galileo
, Amadeus
, and Worldspan
, as being privately owned.
On June 6, 2007, Sabre Holdings acquired Bethesda-based E-site Marketing, which specializes in online business applications for the hospitality industry.
On September 28, 2010, Sabre Holdings acquired Austrian Flight planning company f:wz aviation software GmbH.
Privately held company
A privately held company or close corporation is a business company owned either by non-governmental organizations or by a relatively small number of shareholders or company members which does not offer or trade its company stock to the general public on the stock market exchanges, but rather the...
travel technology
Travel technology
Travel technology is a term used to describe applications of Information Technology , or Information and Communications Technology , in travel, tourism and hospitality industry...
company, encompassing several brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
s in three global distribution system channels: travel agency
Travel agency
A travel agency is a retail business that sells travel related products and services to customers on behalf of suppliers such as airlines, car rentals, cruise lines, hotels, railways, sightseeing tours and package holidays that combine several products...
, airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
, and direct to consumer. These areas are serviced by TSG's three main business groups. Divisions within each of these groups also service the business or corporate travel market.
Brands
- Sabre Travel NetworkSabre Travel NetworkSabre Travel Network is the line of technology developed by Sabre Inc. that services travel agencies directly. Sabre Travel Network began when the Sabre Computer reservations system was installed in Briarcliff Manor, New York in 1960. It began as the reservations system for American Airlines...
(STN) makes use of the Sabre reservations systemSabre (computer system)Sabre Global Distribution System , owned by Sabre Holdings, is used by more than 55,000 travel agencies around the world with more than 400 airlines, 88,000 hotels, 24 car rental brands, and 13 cruise lines...
to sell airline trips, hotel stays, car rentals, cruises, and tour packages through travel agencies. - Sabre Airline SolutionsSabre Airline SolutionsSabre Airline Solutions is a subsidiary of Sabre Holdings. The main product of Sabre Airline Solutions is the SabreSonic system. This provides departure control, reservations, and, inventory management. Other products include resource management, fares and revenue management, data services,...
(SAS) provides software and services to airlines and other travel providers. - TravelocityTravelocityTravelocity is an online travel agency and wholly owned subsidiary of Sabre Holdings Corporation, which was a publicly traded company until taken private by Silver Lake Partners and Texas Pacific Group in March 2007...
(TVLY) is Sabre's own online agency, selling travel products direct to travellers. - Sabre Hospitality Solutions (SHS) "Sabre Hospitality Solutions leverages the strength and breadth of Sabre's technology, marketing and distribution tools to bring hotel suppliers a global end-to-end solution."
Other key Sabre Holdings brands include the following:
- Sabre Hotel RFP (formerly BidStork)
- GetThereGetThereGetThere is a corporate travel reservation system that is owned by Sabre Holdings. GetThere started in 1995 as a web-based booking tool and was acquired by Sabre in August of 2000 for $757 million. Following the acquisition, GetThere merged with the Sabre Business Travel Solutions system...
- holiday autos
- IgoUgoIgoUgoIgoUgo is an online travel community and travel-planning resource. Winner of the 2004 Webby Award for “Best Travel Site in the U.S.,” IgoUgo rewards its contributing writers and photographers with "GO Points", which can be redeemed for gift cards to online retailers, frequent flyer miles and other...
- MyZebra
- lastminute.comLastminute.comlastminute.com is an online travel and leisure retailer. The company was founded by Martha Lane Fox and Brent Hoberman in 1998 and became an icon of the UK internet boom of the late 1990s, floating at the peak of the dot com bubble and trading on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol...
- Nexion
- ShowTickets.com
- Site59
- SynXis
- Travelocity Business
- World Choice Travel
- TRAMS, Inc.TRAMS, Inc.TRAMS, Inc. is subsidiary of Sabre Holdings.Founded in 1986, TRAMS, Inc. develops and supports software for retail travel agencies in the United States and worldwide. The company name is an acronym for TRavel Agency Management Systems, which is SMART in reverse...
- TravelStudios
- cubeless
- BidStork
- VirtuallyThere
History
Sabre Holdings grew out of American AirlinesAmerican Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
and spun off with an IPO on March 15, 2000. It now employs approximately 9,000 people worldwide. It is headquartered in Southlake, Texas
Southlake, Texas
Southlake is a city in northeast Tarrant and southeast Denton counties, Texas. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 26,575. A suburb of Fort Worth and Dallas, Southlake is known for exemplary public schools, Southlake Town Square, and Carroll High School's 7-time state champion football...
.
On December 12, 2006, private-equity firms TPG Capital
Texas Pacific Group
TPG Capital is one of the largest private equity investment firms globally, focused on leveraged buyout, growth capital and leveraged recapitalization investments in distressed companies and turnaround situations. TPG also manages investment funds specializing in growth capital, venture capital,...
and Silver Lake Partners
Silver Lake Partners
Silver Lake is a US-based private equity firm focused on leveraged buyout and growth capital investments in technology, technology-enabled and related industries...
announced a deal to buy Sabre Holdings Corp. for about $4.5 billion in cash, plus the assumption of $550 million in debt. Sabre joined its three primary GDS competitors, Galileo
Galileo CRS
Galileo is a computer reservations system owned by Travelport. As of 2002, it had a 26.4% of worldwide CRS airline bookings.In addition to airline reservations, the Galileo CRS is also used to book train travel, cruises, car rental, and hotel rooms...
, Amadeus
Amadeus IT Group
Amadeus IT Group is a transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry. The company is structured around two key related areas - its global distribution system and its IT Solutions business area...
, and Worldspan
Worldspan
Worldspan is a provider of travel technology and content and a part of the Travelport GDS business. It offers worldwide electronic distribution of travel information, Internet products and connectivity, and e-commerce capabilities for travel agencies, travel service providers and corporations...
, as being privately owned.
On June 6, 2007, Sabre Holdings acquired Bethesda-based E-site Marketing, which specializes in online business applications for the hospitality industry.
On September 28, 2010, Sabre Holdings acquired Austrian Flight planning company f:wz aviation software GmbH.