FAQ
What does it mean to be "Sabre Connected"?
What is a "GDS"?
Can I use some Sabre products without a contract?
What is ARC?
What is an ARC number?
What is IATA?
What is a host agency?
How do I make money in the travel industry?
Answers
What does it mean to be "Sabre Connected"?
"Sabre Connected" is our way of referring to travel agencies that require full access to the Sabre® GDS for air, car, hotel, and rail reservations and ticketing. They are connected to the broadest array of product selection for professional travel retailers.
And we're pleased to welcome any professional travel counselor as a "Sabre Customer" when they use one of our leisure products: Sabre® Cruises, Sabre® Vacations, TRAMS Back Office or ClientBase. A GDS contract is not required to use these tools.
What is a "GDS"?
Global Distribution System. This is the industry’s name for a system that lets travel suppliers distribute their travel products’ rates and information for agencies to market and sell. The complexity of managing myriad supplier connections and numerous agency point of sale has limited the industry to only four GDS companies.
Can I use some Sabre products without a contract?
Yes. You can use Sabre Cruises or Sabre Vacations without a contract. Full access to the Sabre GDS does require a contract.
What is ARC?
Airlines Reporting Corporation. This airline-owned company provides ticket distribution, reporting, and settlement services for over 150 air and rail carriers and more than 20,000 ARC-accredited Travel Agency locations and Corporate Travel Departments.
What is an ARC number?
An ARC number is an identifier assigned by the Airlines Reporting Corporation to a travel agency authorized to issue airline tickets. In order to ticket airline reservations, you must be ARC-accredited or be associated with an accredited host agency, like Nexion®.
What is IATA?
International Air Transport Association is an airline trade body. IATA provides accreditation for Airline Appointed ticket stock-holding locations.
What is a host agency?
A host agency is a bonded, accredited ARC/IATAN agency through which an independent agent makes bookings. A primary reason an independent travel agent works with a host agency is to issue airline tickets and to earn override commissions, but many hosts provide other support as well. Airlines will not ticket for unaccredited, independent agents.
Nexion, a full-service host agency, handles agency operations so that independent agents can concentrate on selling travel. Nexion’s impactful marketing services, advanced booking tools and preferred suppliers help make Nexion members more profitable.
How do I make money in the travel industry? Who pays me?
Travel agencies earn their compensation through service fees paid by their travelers and through commissions paid by suppliers for certain products.