SANTA CLARA, CA / Sep 10, 2001-- SideStep (www.sidestep.com), a leading online travel service, today announced an agreement with Amadeus North America, the U.S.-based operations of one of the world's leading global distribution systems (GDS) and travel technology providers, to offer consumers access to a wider variety of domestic and international travel suppliers through SideStep. SideStep's already robust inventory, which includes the most comprehensive source of Web specials, will now be supplemented with a broad mix of both published and negotiated fares from Amadeus.

"Amadeus offers us the ability to give our customers access to a multitude of fares, making SideStep truly the most comprehensive source for air, hotel, and rental car options on the Internet," said Brian Barth, SideStep's CEO. "Partnering with a GDS expands our business model and offers us access to a comprehensive source of inventory from a proven global power in travel information and booking technologies."

SideStep will continue to offer consumers supplier-direct connections to brands they know and trust, and the new integration of GDS inventory expands its offering and gives SideStep flexibility to access inventory from suppliers that do not yet support Web booking, do not offer English-language Web sites, or whose inventory SideStep has not integrated into its system directly. Amadeus will perform the booking and fulfillment process, which will enable SideStep to focus solely on finding and presenting fares to consumers in a clear and simple fashion.

"Amadeus is excited about working with SideStep, a strong e-commerce player with a solid technology offering," said Diane Breece, Vice President of E-Commerce and Commercial Development for Amadeus North America. "Amadeus will continue to establish relationships with new travel technology companies as GDSs remain viable and valuable partners in the future growth and success of the travel industry."

SideStep has grown rapidly since its November 2000 launch to emerge as the most comprehensive, easy-to-use source for the Web's best travel deals. SideStep offers a rich selection of flights, hotel rooms and rental cars – including the largest selection of Web-only fares available online. The free service features 587 different domestic and international air carriers, more than 20,000 hotels and 762 rental car locations in its comprehensive offering.

SideStep is available for free through the SideStep Web site at (www.sidestep.com).

About SideStep

Based in Santa Clara, CA, SideStep is an Internet infrastructure company that has developed technology that connects disparate, dynamic information sources in real time. The company's initial market is the Internet's largest commerce sector - online travel. SideStep enables travel suppliers to substantially reduce distribution costs and provides consumers with a rich selection of flights, hotel rooms and rental cars – including the largest selection of Web-only fares available online. The company has partnerships with industry leaders such as US Airways U, Continental Airlines CAL, Frontier Airlines, Thrifty Car Rental DTG, and Prime Hospitality PDQ. SideStep is a privately held company. For more information, visit www.sidestep.com.

About Amadeus

Amadeus, with North American operations based in Miami, Florida, is a leading global distribution system (GDS) and technology provider serving the marketing, sales and distribution needs of the world's travel and tourism industries. Its comprehensive data network and database, amongst the largest of their kind in Europe, serve over 54,000 travel agency locations and more than 8,400 airline sales offices in some 200 markets worldwide.

Through the Amadeus System, travel agencies and airline offices are able to make bookings with some 500 airlines, representing more than 95 percent of the world's scheduled airline seats. The system also provides access to more than 54,000 hotels, 46 car rental companies serving some 24,000 locations, as well as serving newer provider groups, including ferry, rail, cruise, insurance and tour operators.

Amadeus is a significant provider of information technology and an enabler of e-commerce for the travel industry. Amadeus also delivers the powerful booking engine behind the web pages of over 3,000 travel agencies, 14 hotel sites and 114 web sites serving 39 airlines. Additionally, it provides similar e-commerce solutions for partners including Gruppo L'Espresso (Italy) and Terra Lycos (Spain, Portugal and Latin America).

Founded in 1987, and fully operational from 1992, Amadeus is headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Its data centre is in Erding (near Munich), Germany and its development offices are located in Sophia Antipolis (near Nice), France. The company has over 3,800 employees worldwide, including approximately 750 in North America.

More information about Amadeus is available at: "Amadeus offers us the ability to give our customers access to a multitude of fares, making SideStep truly the most comprehensive source for air, hotel, and rental car options on the Internet," said Brian Barth, SideStep's CEO. "Partnering with a GDS expands our business model and offers us access to a comprehensive source of inventory from a proven global power in travel information and booking technologies."

SideStep will continue to offer consumers supplier-direct connections to brands they know and trust, and the new integration of GDS inventory expands its offering and gives SideStep flexibility to access inventory from suppliers that do not yet support Web booking, do not offer English-language Web sites, or whose inventory SideStep has not integrated into its system directly. Amadeus will perform the booking and fulfillment process, which will enable SideStep to focus solely on finding and presenting fares to consumers in a clear and simple fashion.

"Amadeus is excited about working with SideStep, a strong e-commerce player with a solid technology offering," said Diane Breece, Vice President of E-Commerce and Commercial Development for Amadeus North America. "Amadeus will continue to establish relationships with new travel technology companies as GDSs remain viable and valuable partners in the future growth and success of the travel industry."

SideStep has grown rapidly since its November 2000 launch to emerge as the most comprehensive, easy-to-use source for the Web's best travel deals. SideStep offers a rich selection of flights, hotel rooms and rental cars – including the largest selection of Web-only fares available online. The free service features 587 different domestic and international air carriers, more than 20,000 hotels and 762 rental car locations in its comprehensive offering.

SideStep is available for free through the SideStep Web site at (www.sidestep.com).

About SideStep

Based in Santa Clara, CA, SideStep is an Internet infrastructure company that has developed technology that connects disparate, dynamic information sources in real time. The company's initial market is the Internet's largest commerce sector - online travel. SideStep enables travel suppliers to substantially reduce distribution costs and provides consumers with a rich selection of flights, hotel rooms and rental cars – including the largest selection of Web-only fares available online. The company has partnerships with industry leaders such as US Airways U, Continental Airlines CAL, Frontier Airlines, Thrifty Car Rental DTG, and Prime Hospitality PDQ. SideStep is a privately held company. For more information, visit www.sidestep.com.

About Amadeus

Amadeus, with North American operations based in Miami, Florida, is a leading global distribution system (GDS) and technology provider serving the marketing, sales and distribution needs of the world's travel and tourism industries. Its comprehensive data network and database, amongst the largest of their kind in Europe, serve over 54,000 travel agency locations and more than 8,400 airline sales offices in some 200 markets worldwide.

Through the Amadeus System, travel agencies and airline offices are able to make bookings with some 500 airlines, representing more than 95 percent of the world's scheduled airline seats. The system also provides access to more than 54,000 hotels, 46 car rental companies serving some 24,000 locations, as well as serving newer provider groups, including ferry, rail, cruise, insurance and tour operators.

Amadeus is a significant provider of information technology and an enabler of e-commerce for the travel industry. Amadeus also delivers the powerful booking engine behind the web pages of over 3,000 travel agencies, 14 hotel sites and 114 web sites serving 39 airlines. Additionally, it provides similar e-commerce solutions for partners including Gruppo L'Espresso (Italy) and Terra Lycos (Spain, Portugal and Latin America).

Founded in 1987, and fully operational from 1992, Amadeus is headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Its data centre is in Erding (near Munich), Germany and its development offices are located in Sophia Antipolis (near Nice), France. The company has over 3,800 employees worldwide, including approximately 750 in North America.

More information about Amadeus is available at:

Debbie Iannaci
305-499-6448
Amadeus