Travel Agents Are Teammates When Times Are Tough; Sabre Salutes Travel Agents for Dedication to Customer Service During Recent Hurricanes

TravelCorp International

Scott Evans, president of TravelCorp International, a World TravelPartners (WTP) affiliate, and his staff of 18 evacuated their NewOrleans office on Friday night, August 26.

Even as the TravelCorp staff left their homes and listened to thenews of levees breaking, flooding and widespread destruction, theymade plans and took steps to continue serving their customers andrunning their business.

Melissa Deffet, director of administration and finance atTravelCorp, was in New Orleans at the time and evacuated to Houstonwith the team. Deffet immediately became the TravelCorp groundcoordinator in charge of technology connectivity, communications andadministration. Customers received emails that the agency wasup-and-running, and the company Website was updated with new contactinformation. When customers asked what they could do to help, theywere asked to keep booking travel and doing business with TravelCorp.And they responded. Business is brisk, and clients have madeassurances they'll be working with the agency for the long term as aresult of the personal connection they received during their time ofcrisis.

"We're an eight-cylinder car working on seven cylinders today,"said Evans, one week after the storm made landfall. "But we intend tonot only maintain our business, but look for new growth opportunitiesin upcoming days and weeks. This wouldn't have been possible withoutthe support of WTP and other external partners and friends like Sabre,and the great spirit and efforts of our entire staff."

As Hurricane Rita approached, some TravelCorp employees evacuatedHouston while others remained in the city to ride out the storm. Inthe end, Houston was spared as Rita made landfall farther up the GulfCoast than originally expected.

TQ3Navigant -- Marine and Oilfield Services Division

Before Hurricane Katrina made landfall, TQ3Navigant's Marine andOilfield Services division began action on previously developedcontingency plans, moving thousands of petroleum workers from rigs andrefineries in the Gulf of Mexico to safer locations.

"When you are used to hearing a voice, and knowing a person,there's no replacement for that when you need it most," said Judy("JP") Peplinski, director of TQ3Navigant's Marine and OilfieldServices division. "That's part of the value we bring. Our clientsknow that if a hurricane is bearing down on their location, we're onthe job, and we're on it for them."

But when Katrina hit, it did more than throw off the clients'operations - it destroyed TQ3Navigant offices in New Orleans. Withoutoffices, and some agents homeless, it was more challenging than everto provide clients with a personal touch. Some of the displaced agentsevacuated to the Houston office and relatives' homes where they wereable to serve their customers remotely. And when some agents landed inlocations with no computer at all, the agency shipped laptopsovernight loaded with Sabre software.

"Our dedicated teams and personal interaction make it possible,"Peplinski said. "As Katrina approached, we worked directly withclients to evacuate the rigs Saturday. Monday and Tuesday, we werealready moving teams back out to rigs and ensuring accommodations forthose displaced by the storm. Personal touch was extremely importantduring this operation. To be able to pick up the phone and callsomeone who is personally involved in your travel, that's justinvaluable. You don't get that without a travel agent."

Before Hurricane Rita veered from its projected course, which wasdirectly at Houston and TQ3Navigant's offices there, Peplinski and ateam of 11 evacuated to TQ3Navigant's Chicago office. There theyoperated a specialized 24/7 support desk to manage global oil and gasclients remotely during the evacuation and storm period to provideseamless service, support and reporting until threats from Rita hadsubsided.

Chris Kroeger, senior vice president of Sabre Travel Network,North America, said, "We at Sabre Travel Network would like to salutethese customers for their outstanding service in the midst ofchallenging circumstances. Travel agents provide a value that goesbeyond booking and information sharing. When anticipating and dealingwith a natural disaster that affects so many people and so manytravelers, like a hurricane, travel agents are an invaluable teammate.Whether corporate or leisure, air or cruise travel, the traveler hasanother human being in their corner, and that's a powerful force."

About Sabre Travel Network

Sabre Travel Network, a Sabre Holdings company, provides access tothe world's leading global distribution system (GDS) enabling agentsat more than 50,000 agency locations worldwide to be travel experts.The Sabre GDS, the first system to connect the buyers and sellers oftravel, today includes more than 400 airlines, approximately 60,000hotels, 37 car rental companies, nine cruise lines, 35 railroads and220 tour operators. Key brands of Sabre Travel Network includeGetThere, the leading Web-based corporate travel reservationtechnology, and Jurni Network, the unique leisure travel agencyconsortium that enables members to sell more products from preferredtravel suppliers using sophisticated market intelligence.

Sabre Holdings Corporation (NYSE:TSG) is a world leader in travelcommerce, retailing travel products and providing distribution andtechnology solutions for the travel industry. More information aboutSabre Holdings is available at http://www.sabre-holdings.com.

Sabre Travel Network, the Sabre Travel Network logo, Jurni Networkand GetThere are trademarks and/or service marks of an affiliate ofSabre Holdings Corporation. All other trademarks, service marks, andtrade names are the property of their respective owners.