Google Cloud & Sabre Partner ‘To Build The Future Of Travel’

Google Cloud and Sabre announced a 10-year partnership that will see Sabre move to Google Cloud and the two companies work “to build the future of travel,” according to a press release.

Sabre is a travel company that was originally created by American Airlines in 1960. In 1996, Sabre launched Travelocity before ultimately selling it to Expedia in 2015, giving the company an established track record of disrupting the travel industry.

The goal of the 10-year Google Cloud deal is “to improve operational agility while developing new services and creating a new marketplace for its airline, hospitality and travel agency customers.” This will include using Google Cloud’s data analytics “to enhance the capabilities of current and future products,” as well as “create and optimize travel options.”

Beyond improving Sabre’s existing business, however, the deal is also about further innovation in the travel industry.

“We are thrilled to work with Sabre through this important initiative to bring together the strengths of both our companies and accelerate innovation in the travel industry,” said Thomas Kurian, Google Cloud CEO. “We believe our partnership will deliver more personalized experiences for travelers, saving time and providing greater convenience that will ultimately raise the standard for the travel industry overall.”

Those statements were echoed by Sabre CEO Sean Menke:

“Today, we embark on a new transformational journey with Google. As our preferred cloud provider and broader strategic partner, Google Cloud will help to accelerate our digital transformation and ability to create a new marketplace and critical products and systems focused on our customer needs for decades to come.”

Google has been making inroads in the travel industry for some time, and has drawn a fair amount of criticism and regulatory scrutiny. Some companies, such as Yelp and Expedia, have accused the search giant—that they depend on for their business—of not always playing fair. Companies like that will no doubt view this partnership with a great deal of concern.