It was one experience shared by millions of people in the hours and days following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America: the unnatural silence of daily routines disrupted. Brilliant blue skies, suddenly devoid of air traffic. Travelers, by the tens of thousands, stranded far from home. That the world was able to break the silence of so tragic a week was due to people throughout the travel industry, including Sabre employees, who worked tirelessly to restore a part of our national fabric.
	Sabre responded impressively to several immediate challenges in the wake of the attacks: The collapse of the World Trade Center buildings caused significant damage to the infrastructure of Sabre network suppliers in the Northeast - cutting off connections to nearly 300 U.S.-based travel agencies, plus another 1,500 in Canada. Sabre, in conjunction with its network suppliers, worked around the clock in New York and throughout the region to reroute network traffic and provide alternative connections to the Sabre system, so that most of the affected agencies were back online by 5 p.m. Sept. 12. Sabre also provided vital equipment, software - and even temporary office space in midtown Manhattan - to help travel agencies that were displaced by the attacks get back in business within a matter of days. Just two hours after the attacks, a major travel agency asked Sabre to help prepare the agency's government call center, which was responsible for booking flights that would reposition U.S. military troops for deployment. Within 90 minutes, Sabre was ready with a shipment of 50 workstations and a team of field service technicians - to ensure that the call center would have sufficient resources to handle the unusually high demand. Even before the Federal Aviation Administration lifted its order grounding all commercial flights, the nation's stranded travelers were able to access a valuable source of information - Travel Bulletin Central (TBC) on the Sabre Virtually There Web site. Approximately 36 hours after the terrorist attacks, Sabre teams had designed and launched TBC, providing up-to-the-minute details about changes in security procedures; travel alerts and restrictions; contact information for airlines, airports and other travel suppliers; and answers to frequently asked questions.
	Beyond these emergency response measures, Sabre also took several steps to help the travel industry recover from the precipitous drop in business that followed the attacks. Sabre:
	Provided airlines with booking fee credits for reservations canceled on the day of departure between Sept. 11 and Sept. 14. Relieved contracted travel agencies of booking productivity measurements for September and through the remainder of 2001. Waived the normal fees for accessing selected premium services on the Sabre system through the end of 2001. Subsidized 50 percent of membership fees for travel agencies to rejoin the American Society of Travel Agents, a group that provides education and training opportunities. Joined the airlines in calling upon the U.S. government to provide financial assistance for airlines and other companies that were directly affected by the attacks. Immediately implemented Sabre® BagMatch™, a system that matches baggage to passengers on a flight, for airlines.