Emirates recently announced that it is expanding its long-standing partnership with Trip.com, a leading global one-stop travel services provider. In the next phase of its expansion, the partnership will focus on exploring growth avenues to capture emerging opportunities in new markets and customer segments. Emirates and Trip.com will collaborate on expanding Trip.com’s global presence through strategic partnerships and activations, leveraging Emirates’ extensive international network, and coordinating promotional efforts in Asian and European markets, which remain a strategic focus for both Trip.com and Emirates.
Emirates and Trip.com will work closely on boosting customer conversion by integrating a variety of Emirates flight offerings with Trip.com’s growing hotel and travel services portfolio. The airline and travel services platform will also partner on exclusive promotions tailored to families and holiday seekers.
In addition to targeted promotional activities, Emirates and Trip.com will coordinate impactful campaigns to drive measurable growth in key global markets. Both sides will also explore the incorporation of value-added services and customised offers for the Trip.com Rewards and Emirates Skywards programmes.
The partnership will include cross-promotional opportunities targeting traveller segments like students, youth, and cruise customers. The airline will also tap into Trip.com’s premium customer base by offering its Chauffeur Drive service on the Trip.com platform.
Emirates first partnered with Trip.com in 2020 to expand its reach in China, and subsequently across Asia. The initial cooperation included joint marketing promotions and other marketing initiatives to boost Emirates’ sales via Trip.com’s online platforms with a view to expand its presence with a customised booking experience.
The expansion comes as the airline plans to further strengthen its presence across Asia with the launch of daily non-stop flights between Dubai and Shenzhen, China; four weekly services to Da Nang in Vietnam; and three weekly flights to Siem Reap, Cambodia. The airline has the largest network of any non-Asian carrier, flying to 24 points across East Asia.
British Airways’ NDC content now live in Sabre’s travel marketplace
Sabre announced the launch of British Airways’ New Distribution Capability (NDC) content in Sabre’s travel marketplace. Starting today, Sabre-connected travel agencies worldwide can shop, book, and service NDC offers alongside traditional ATPCO/EDIFACT options. By activating NDC through Sabre, agencies will seamlessly manage British Airways’ offers and orders via Sabre Red 360, Sabre Red Launchpad™, and the Sabre Offer and Order APIs. Sabre’s multi-source content strategy enables NDC content to integrate smoothly with traditional ATPCO/EDIFACT options, providing a unified shopping experience that simplifies workflows and enhances productivity.
British Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, Colm Lacy, said: “At British Airways, we want to give customers a seamless digital-first retailing experience, so we’re pleased to extend access to our exclusive NDC content, using Sabre’s technology, to our agencies worldwide. This will open up even more ways for agencies to search, book, and service our offers, all while providing a more personalised experience for customers across the globe.”
“Sabre is proud to continue leading the way in NDC adoption by providing robust technology solutions that empower our customers to evolve with the industry,” said Kathy Morgan, Senior Vice President, Distribution Experience, Sabre Travel Solutions. “Our partnership with British Airways demonstrates our commitment to building a modern travel marketplace where agencies have access to the most comprehensive content portfolio available.”
Currently, thousands of agencies in over 150 countries use Sabre’s NDC capabilities to efficiently shop, book, and service dynamic airline content. By incorporating BA’s NDC content, travel sellers gain access to more personalized offers, enabling them to stay competitive and deliver exceptional value to travelers.