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Virgin Australia partners with Sabre on new retail platform

Yesterday

Virgin Australia has announced a strategic partnership with Sabre to enhance the airline's retailing capabilities through the phased implementation of the SabreMosaic platform. The initiative marks Virgin Australia as the flagship customer for SabreMosaic, an AI-driven platform designed to transform airline retailing.

Roshan Mendis, Chief Commercial Officer of Sabre Travel Solutions, explained the significance of the collaboration. "Building on our decades-long partnership, Sabre is proud to collaborate with Virgin Australia as our launch partner for SabreMosaic, which is our revolutionary platform designed to transform airline retailing," he said. "We aim to empower Virgin Australia to deliver a personalised, dynamic travel experience that will set a new standard in the industry. This collaboration marks the beginning of a new era, as SabreMosaic is now available to airlines worldwide."

Virgin Australia will adopt over 40 products across the SabreMosaic suite, delivered through a phased approach over the next few years. This modular approach allows the airline to operate in a hybrid environment while transitioning to a full Offer and Order environment.

David Hogarth, Chief Information Officer of Virgin Australia, expressed optimism about the partnership. "We are excited to partner with Sabre to lead the industry in modern airline retailing," he said. "This partnership supports our mission of being Australia's most loved airline by offering our customers choice and a wonderful guest experience. The SabreMosaic platform will over time enable us to optimise our offers, enhance guest interactions, and build a competitive advantage in the market."

Virgin Australia has already begun integrating the SabreMosaic platform, starting with SabreMosaic Air Price IQ and SabreMosaic Ancillary IQ, which are part of the Offer Management suite. This initial step aims to set the stage for a transformative retailing experience.

The announcement also highlighted an extension of Virgin Australia's existing IT and Global Distribution System (GDS) agreements with Sabre. The extended, long-term distribution agreement ensures the continued distribution of Virgin Australia's traditional EDIFACT content and future New Distribution Capability (NDC) content to Sabre's global network of travel buyers. Additionally, Virgin Australia will continue to rely on SabreSonic PSS and related solutions throughout its transition to an Offer and Order environment.

SabreMosaic's product suites cover the end-to-end travel lifecycle, incorporating solutions across four foundational domains: Offer, Order, Settle, and Deliver. The platform includes Offer Optimisation and Construction products to create dynamic and personalised offers, including ancillary and third-party content, while optimising pricing based on real-time traveller insights.

Order Management products simplify processing and fulfilment, enabling airlines to handle complex transactions in a hybrid world of Passenger Name Records (PNR) and Orders. Settlement products navigate global payment complexities, ensuring accurate and efficient processes. Lastly, Delivery and Disruption Management products aim to manage services and experiences throughout the traveller's journey.

Garry Wiseman, Chief Product and Technology Officer of Sabre Travel Solutions, noted that Virgin Australia has played a crucial role in the development of the SabreMosaic platform. "Virgin Australia along with other airlines has been a pivotal and consistent contributor to the development of the SabreMosaic platform," he said. "Virgin Australia's insights have been instrumental in refining the scope and functionality of SabreMosaic. This demonstrates Sabre's commitment to ensuring that its approach to Offer and Order evolution meets the real-world needs of airlines."

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