SAS, Amadeus and Netcom launch new
SAS, AMADEUS AND NETCOM LAUNCH NEW ELECTRONIC TRAVEL MARKETPLACE - LEADING POSITION IN NORDIC REGION IS AIM SAS, Amadeus and NetCom are jointly launching a new electronic travel marketplace in the Nordic region with a focus on business and private travelers. The intention is to launch the marketplace, whose working name is Nordic Travel Hub, during the first half of 2001. NordicTtravel Hub will be a completely neutral marketplace that offers its customers a full range of trips and travel-related services. "To guarantee neutrality and the best possible customer offering, this initiative is being implemented in the form of a partnership. Nordic Travel Hub will be an independent company, owned jointly by SAS, Amadeus and NetCom," says Erik Strand, Vice President Marketing and Sales at SAS. The Nordic market for electronic travel services is expected to grow very rapidly. Nordic Travel Hub's goal is to become a leading player in this market within a few years. "Nordic Travel Hub will focus on both consumers and businesses, primarily within the Nordic region, offering tailor-made solutions and functionality in each segment. In other words, we will provide a comprehensive offering for all travel situations, which will make Nordic Travel Hub unique," says David Jones, Executive Vice President, Commercial at Amadeus. Air travel, car rental, hotels, trains and other travel-related products and services will be made available, and considerable resources will be invested in making Nordic Travel Hub simple to use and understand. Advanced travel-management functions will be offered to companies, while Nordic Travel Hub will also offer easily available inspiration to private individuals who are making travel plans. "Nordic Travel Hub will be at the forefront in terms of the use of new technology and it will always offer its customers state-of-the-art functionality within such areas as mobile Internet," says Lars-Johan Jarnheimer, President of NetCom. Bennett BTI Nordic has been selected as a long term partner for the supply of know-how and services to the new marketplace. Bennett BTI Nordic, which is one of the largest business travel agency in the Nordic region, will guarantee good service and local presence. The logistics underlying a journey, such as ticket-handling and advanced booking services, are areas in which Bennett BTI Nordic's organization will be able to complement the electronic platform. "This is a perfect combination of the old and the new economy, whose joint benefits enable an offering of unique services to customers," says Mats Frid, President of Bennett BTI Nordic. SAS, Amadeus and NetCom will all contribute features from their core businesses and reserve considerable resources in order to ensure Nordic Ttravel Hub's success. As a result of this strong partnership, in which all three founders hold leading positions in their particular market areas, Nordic Travel Hub has a unique opportunity to establish a leading position in the Nordic travel market. For more information please contact: Erik Strand, Senior Vice President, SAS Marketing and Sales Tel: +46 (0)709 97 24 24 Corporate and Marketing Communication Amadeus Global Travel Distribution Tel: +34 91 582 0160 Lars-Johan Jarnheimer, President and CEO, NetCom AB Tel: +46 8 5626 4000 Mats Frid, President of Bennett BTI Nordic Tel: +46 8 616 06 94 SAS CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/07/31/20030731BIT01770/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/07/31/20030731BIT01770/wkr0002.pdf