Dueling With “Sabre”

Much of the travel business has become quite up to date in terms of the technology used. We are able to do research, create web sites, use e-mail, and even post Blogs for all the world to see. One area that is still back a few generations of computer technology is the GDS. These are the systems travel agents use to book air, hotels, and car rentals from live inventory (as opposed to online booking engines which are NOT LIVE!). These systems are essential for giving accurate quotes and assuring availability for clients travel wishes. The system we use is Sabre.

As powerful as Sabre is for booking travel, it is purely key-stroke operated. Learning Sabre reminds me of teaching myself DOS way back in the early days of personal computing. In order to elicit the desired response, one must type the exact command. One muffed key-stroke and you get bupkis! I am much better at navigating in a graphical world. Learning Sabre is definitely back to the future for me!

Wrestling With a Dinosaur

Judi gave me a Sabre study guide to prepare me. I read it and took notes before I started my direct training with her. I can’t say it made much sense, or that it made it easier to learn this arcane system. I took the courses on Sabre, and they didn’t help much either. It came down to what has amounted to an internship. Judi gave me assignments and walked me through the process of booking air, cars, and hotels on Sabre. The notes I have taken from her very clear instructions are my new best friend. With much repetition, I now own some of the common commands. Others I refer to my notes or say “Hey Judi, how do I…” If I’m not in a hurry I can use the Sabre “agent tools” help section to look things up.

This has been by far the hardest and least pleasant aspect of the experience. Keystroke based computer systems do not come easy for me. In some ways I am a very smart guy, and this is not one of those ways. There is progress, and regression, then more progress. After some months of cursing the beast, I was able to pull up some urgently needed data quickly on Sabre and had an epiphany. I needed this dinosaur to function day to day as a travel agent no matter how hard it was for me to ride it. Sabre and I settled into a love hate relationship.

A World of Things to Learn

Much of this process has been much easier, and a whole lot more fun. I came into this game quite skilled at research. Looking up hotels, resorts, and cruises comes easy and is generally a blast. I organized my browser to save pertinent links in folders and have re-organized it several times so I have an efficient system to find just the info I need in a hurry. This is one area where the pupil has been a teacher. I helped Judi learn how I use folders for browsing and set hers up for her.

I have taken oodles of “webinars” and on-line classes. Some have been a waste of time, others have been fantastic! I spent an hour listening to how one should dress for success down to what color shirt and tie. Not a very well spent hour. I have also gained from some far more than I would have thought from the descriptions. Much of what is offered to agents focuses on selling techniques. This is not a sales job in my mind. My business is more consulting, counseling, providing information, and most important being an advocate and assistant for travelers. The best trainings are about customer service. In this area, Judi has provided the best education for me.

The other fun part of learning has been the courses and webinars provided by cruise lines, resorts, hotels, and tour companies. In order to help people make an informed decision about which cruise or which ship, I have to know the difference. The same applies to selecting a resort or hotel which will best meet the needs of a client. The most important part of this process is learning who the clients are and what they like and dislike. Then I have to know what is available at a cost that works for them. If it all works well we have made a good match, and everyone is happy.

Helping make what is essentially one of the best little parts of peoples lives (their vacations) better is a fun way to make a living. At least it is for me so far. Now I spend my days talking to people about where they want to go, helping them get there, and hearing their stories about their trips. I must say I don’t miss the stock market.

Next time: A bit of travel history for you.