NEW YORK — Sabre rolled out the second phase of its GetThere Mobile service, allowing users to make hotel reservations from their smartphones.
GetThere Mobile service users were previously already able to access hotel information on current trips as well as those on hold. The new feature allows customers using an iPhone, Blackberry or Android to shop and book hotels.
Suzanne Neufang, general manager of GetThere, said Monday that the new technology was designed for "road warriors that are always on the road, and never at a desk with a laptop open."
"Consumers have growing expectations that a smartphone can do anything that a PC can do," she said.
The new technology allows travelers to make hotel bookings on their smartphones without the need for an agent and without incurring transaction fees and support call charges, Neufang said.
An important feature the technology offers, Neufang said, is it keeps travelers within their company’s travel policies while on the road.
The combination, she said, is "a convenience for the traveler that will also help corporations save money by avoiding high-touch fees."
Sabre said that GetThere Mobile is built with HTML5 technology, which it says gives customers the user experience of an app without having to download any applications.
In its third phase, to be introduced later this year, GetThere will offer the ability to shop and book flights within corporate travel policy via mobile devices.