Reduced airfares and special offers now available to SEB's 280,000 Internet clien

Reduced airfares and special offers now available to SEB's 280,000 Internet clients SEB is launching a unique form of co-operation with SMART and six airlines. As the first Internet bank to do so, from 10 September SEB will be offering clients the opportunity to pay for their air travel in more or less the same way that they would purchase shares or pay their bills. SEB, will be working in co-operation with SMART - the company that arranges the bookings - and with SAS, Air France, Finnair, Icelandair, Sabena and Air Portugal - the airlines that provide the trips. SEB's Internet bank continues to expand its range of services to Internet banking clients. Apart from special price offers, the airlines will also be supplying tailor- made offers. Surveys have shown that clients of SEB's Internet bank are prepared to pay their airfares with the same degree of security as they pay their other bills. SMART, the leading company within the field of electronic distribution of travel information and bookings, will arrange the Internet banking clients' communication with the airline in question and will facilitate booking arrangements. The airline is then responsible for providing the ticket to the client, either by mail or at the airport. Internet travel service reinforces the way SEB is utilising the business logic of the Internet to provided added value to its clients. "We are probably one of the first Internet banks in the world to provide this type of service," says Johan H Larson, Head of SEB's Internet bank. "Co-operation involving this travel service has meant that we have found a new partner, through whose channels of distribution, we can offer SEB's clients an attractive form of service. Our established market position in the travel businees forms the foundation for developing E-commerce service," says Clas Strååt, vice president of SMART. SMART is northern Europe's leading company as regards electronic distribution of travel information, bookings and tickets. Its most important product is Amadeus, a global booking system. SEB's Internet bank takes care of 280,000 clients, 35 per cent of the SEB's payments, 20 per cent of SEB's equity trading as well as 15 per cent of mutual fund sales. For further information, please contact: Thomas Järleby, Head of Electronic Trading, SEB Internet - Tel: +46 8-744 97 60, +46 70-763 72 73 Boo Ehlin, Press Officer at SEB, Tel: +46 8-763 85 77, +46 70-763 85 77 Clas Strååt, Vice President of SMART, Tel: +46 8-458 06 58 Maria Strandberg, Market Communication at SMART, Tel: +46 8-458 06 95, +46 70- 608 06 95 ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/09/09/19990909BIT00170/bit0001.pdf http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/09/09/19990909BIT00170/bit0002.doc