After spending two decades of her career using Sabre, Antonette Pierce from The Travel Group made the switch to Amadeus and never looked back. From travel technology training through Amadeus e-University to our innovative products, Antonette recently shared with me what a positive difference Amadeus has made in how effectively and efficiently she’s able to serve her corporate clients.

What key factors made the transition to the Amadeus system seamless?

I have a degree in travel and airline management, as well as 32 years in the retail travel industry. I started on Sabre, and used Sabre for the next 20 years. In August 2002, my agency was sold to The Travel Group. Literally on a Friday I worked on Sabre, and the following Monday I was immersed in Amadeus (and I’d never worked with Amadeus a day in my life). After working eight hours at the agency, I would go home and do the lessons on Amadeus e-University. Back then there was an “around-the-world” game which I loved. I went around the world, working on my lessons and making sure I scored 100 percent – even if I had to retake a lesson over and over. Those lessons helped tremendously, and I can’t stress enough what an invaluable lifesaver they were. After using Sabre for 20 years, I was jaded and apprehensive about changing to Amadeus. After the training and daily use however, things started to click. Now I believe Amadeus is the superior system.

How have Amadeus’ products improved your day-to-day activities?

I rely heavily on Amadeus’ formats, as opposed to the Internet, to provide information for my corporate clients. The formats in the Command page are superb for finding hotels. I use the Amadeus Point of Reference several times a day, and in my opinion, it’s the best option that Amadeus offers. In addition, CL entry is quite helpful for finding non-airport cars. Really, after 13 years of working with Amadeus, I can’t even remember Sabre entries.

How do you provide exceptional service to your corporate clients?

As a long-time travel consultant, I know the value of understanding business travelers who are always on the go. It’s not just about booking travel, but understanding their travel behaviors and corporate policies. So I don’t hesitate to negotiate with hotels for the lowest fares for my commercial accounts! Time is money, and Amadeus provides tools that help me accommodate my busy clients. The shortcut formats, such as “ACR” (Air Change Reverse), has helped me shorten the time typing. The other format that I use consistently is Amadeus Ticket Changer. Even though I do know how to do ticket exchanges manually, Amadeus Ticket Changer definitely is a time saver.

How has Amadeus helped you serve your customers? Let us know!