PhocusWire's weekly travel tech news briefs: Sabre, SITA, Amadeus

Here's our roundup of the people, product and partner news from the global travel industry this week.

Sabre, Thai Airways

Sabre has expanded its relationship with Thai Airways, with a long-term distribution agreement.

Sabre said that by adopting its fares manager and fares optimizer, Thai Airways intends to streamline its fares management processes, respond more effectively to market dynamics, enhance analyst productivity and optimize pricing strategies to maintain a competitive edge.

“Thai Airways is committed to delivering the best value to our passengers while ensuring we maintain our competitive positioning in the market,” said Nuthaphol Amawatana, head of pricing and revenue management at the carrier.

“By using Sabre’s advanced fares management solutions, we can efficiently monitor competitor fare activities and quickly adjust our pricing strategies to capture revenue opportunities. This collaboration with Sabre enables us to refine our pricing approach, ensuring that we offer the right fares at the right time to our customers.”

Amadeus partnerships

Travel technology provider Amadeus and Saudia, have extended their distribution agreement.

By using Amadeus Altéa NDC, Amadeus said the airline will provide travel sellers worldwide with an end-to-end booking process with better transparency and enhanced servicing.

Amadeus has also partnered with corporate booking tool and expense management provider Serko.

Scheduled to go live in mid-2025, Serko’s corporate travel solution, Zeno, will integrate NDC-enabled content through the Amadeus Travel Platform. Travelers will be able to shop and book NDC offers via Amadeus, including corporate-negotiated fares and personalized ancillary services.

SITA's new partnerships

Aviation technology specialist SITA has partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Airport (RSI).

SITA will provide the airport with solutions for passenger processing, baggage reconciliation, airport operations and more. SITA Flex and SITA’s Maestro departure control system will automate check-in and departure processes and allow passengers to use their mobile device as their remote control for the journey.

SITA has also partnered with Cluj Avram lancu International Airport through a Letter of Intent (LOI). This partnership will enable Cluj Airport to test SITA’s solutions in real-world environments to validate capabilities to create a seamless experience for travelers.

“As the aviation industry faces unprecedented demands for smarter, more sustainable travel solutions, this cooperation with Cluj Avram Iancu International Airport means we can bring innovation directly to the forefront of airport operations,” said Sergio Colella, president, Europe at SITA.

“Together, we are not only envisioning but actively creating the future of air travel, through projects that will showcase how technology can transform every step of the passenger journey. From reducing wait times to cutting environmental impact, our collaboration aims to set new standards that will serve as a model for airports around the world.”

Expedia Group appoints chief product officer

Travel technology company Expedia Group has appointed Shilpa Ranganathan as the company’s chief product officer, marking her return to Expedia Group to lead the product and design teams.

With over 25 years of experience in building customer-centric products, Ranganathan will join the travel leadership team in January based in Seattle and report directly to Expedia Group CEO Ariane Gorin.

“I have fond memories of Expedia Group and couldn't be more excited to return to a company whose mission is to make dreams come true for travelers and partners around the world,” Ranganathan said.

“I strongly believe in building superior product experiences designed with the customer in mind. With its iconic brands and leading B2B business, Expedia Group is well-positioned to deliver valuable travel experiences from pre-trip to post-post and drive unprecedented growth for partners. I’m looking forward to leading the product organization and creating experiences that help our customers make lifelong memories with every journey.”

PKFARE, Stayforlong

PKFare, a global travel product aggregator, has partnered with Stayforlong, a European hotel booking platform.

With PKFare’s network, Stayforlong will expand its inventory across global destinations. Leveraging PKFare’s advanced algorithms and search engine technology, Stayforlong can now offer travelers personalized, best-fit accommodation options tailored to their unique preferences. 

“As the demand for long-stay accommodations grows, we are excited to enrich our hotel network with abundant, budget-friendly options through our partnership with PKFare,” said Luis Osorio Solé, founder and CEO of Stayforlong. “PKFare’s reliable solutions and competitive rates make them an ideal partner. We look forward to exploring their full suite of services and growing together.

Avantio appoints strategic sales leader 

Avantio, a short-term rental property management software company, has appointed Shaun McCorry as strategic sales leader for North America.

McCorry brings over a decade of expertise in vacation rental and smart home technology, most recently as VP of sales at Ciirus Vacation Rental Software and previously at automation platform PointCentral. 

“It’s tougher than ever before to be a vacation rental manager, and that means that managers need better tech and smoother operations to increase profit margin,” McCorry said. “I’m excited to bring Avantio’s best-in-class software to more property managers across North America, enabling them to reduce costs, increase guest satisfaction and most importantly, eliminate stress.”

The Advantage Travel Partnership, Vibe

The Advantage Travel Partnership, a business network representing travel agents and travel management companies in the United Kingdom, has sealed a partnership to provide members with access to travel technology provider Vibe.

This collaboration will allow members access to Vibe's booking platform, designed to empower agents with tools usually accessible only to the largest organizations.

“Members servicing business travel accounts, who operate under The Advantage Travel Partnership’s managed services model, can now tap into our world-class platform,” said Danny Girling, Vibe's business development and head of partnerships.

"By leveraging their collective strength, Advantage is offering their members access to the same world-class tools and services as the biggest players in the industry. It's all about levelling the playing field and empowering these TMCs to compete on equal terms with the best tech."