Sabre has officially declared itself an artificial intelligence-native company, marking a shift in how the travel industry processes bookings. Garry Wiseman, president of product and engineering at Sabre, revealed the company’s transformation during its Compass event in Los Angeles last week. He described the move as an “agentic journey” that changes how work gets done compared to previous technological eras.
Wiseman argued that artificial intelligence is not just a passing trend. He said it stands apart from previous technological shifts like the internet or mobile transitions because it is moving faster. The technology reached mainstream adoption in only two years, according to Wiseman, who described AI as the “next paragraph” in the history of work.
Sabre is applying this philosophy internally and externally. The company uses AI assistants to support the software development lifecycle and deploys autonomous agents for end-to-end planning, development, testing, and deployment. Wiseman noted that 70 AI projects are currently in development by clients and partners.
Related: Investors Push Standards Higher for AI Travel Startups
The travel distribution sector is seeing a rapid rise in agents capable of making travel arrangements without a traditional graphical user interface. These systems represent a fundamental change in how travelers interact with booking engines. The source of information for these agents is becoming just as important as the agents themselves, as the industry moves away from human brokers toward automated decision-making.
Infrastructure for the new agent economy
Sabre offers the infrastructure necessary for AI-native players to function without building their own booking networks. The company provides access to well over 420 airlines, 2 million hotel options, and more than 35 car rental companies through APIs optimized for agentic use cases.
Traditional APIs require users to understand specific parameters and data structures. Sabre’s new approach allows developers to query the system using natural language. Wisman explained that this conversational format removes the need for clients to learn technical API specifications. A user can simply ask for flights in natural language, and the system handles the underlying logic.
Related: Avelo Airlines Hits 10 Million Passenger Milestone
Trust remains a critical factor in this transition. Wiseman emphasized that Sabre maintains strict standards to prevent “hallucinations,” where AI might invent non-existent flights or hotels. The company trains its models to be deterministic and specific to travel use cases, ensuring that if an answer is not available, the system simply says so rather than generating false information.
Looking ahead, Sabre plans to introduce proactive features where chatbots subscribe to price alerts and notify users when conditions change. This evolution, expected in the next three to six months, will allow chatbots to reach out to travelers rather than waiting for them to initiate a conversation.
The company is also working with major technology providers to integrate its services. Sabre has partnerships with Google, PayPal, and Mindtrip, a travel startup. Investors are increasingly pushing standards higher for AI travel startups as the market matures. This momentum suggests a competitive environment where efficiency and reliability will define future success.
