Amadeus partners with Comtec to drive new travel agent & tour operator distribution opportunities

Amadeus to take 20 per cent shareholding in Comtec, the U.K.’s leading provider of innovative software solutions to the leisure travel industry Madrid London, 4 February, 2004: Amadeus today announced it is expanding its agency and tour distribution offering through a strategic technology partnership with Comtec (Europe) Ltd, the U.K.’s leading provider of innovative software solutions for the leisure travel industry. Under the terms of the transaction, Amadeus will acquire a 20 per cent shareholding in Comtec. The agreement underlines the commitment of both companies to enhance and expand their existing businesses by delivering the building blocks for the future of leisure travel technology in the U.K. and in continental Europe. The partnership will provide the platform for the two companies to introduce a range of products and services to fulfil the leisure travel industry’s long-held need for integrated distribution services. As a result, travel agencies and tour operators will be able to deliver the widest and best possible choice of leisure packages and dynamic packaging options to the traveller. Travel agents will no longer have to source their booking systems from multiple suppliers, allowing for substantial cost savings and productivity gains. Equally important is the fact that they will be able to enhance their existing legacy systems (such as Viewdata in the U.K) through the advanced technology and in doing so will be able to compete effectively with the major online players. This will be achieved by merging the best of Amadeus and Comtec technologies through a new range of integrated, cost-effective, and functionally rich agency solutions that will feature: – Customisable product and lifestyle search engines – Increased bookable content from volume and specialist operators, and dynamic packaging – GDS facilities (including the industry-leading Amadeus Cruise booking product) – Fully integrated multi-media travel content (including electronic brochures and emerging technologies such as video) – Integrated and scalable back office systems – Managed network services For tour operators, other travel providers and agents, Amadeus and Comtec will progressively maximise their opportunities by providing connectivity and access to domestic and trans-European bookable content and distribution. This approach forms part of the Amadeus Tours* strategy which aims to combine the best of global reach and local expertise. David Jones, Executive Vice President, Commercial at Amadeus, added “Partnering with a local player provides the perfect base for Amadeus in our commitment to deliver the best possible booking functionality and the most comprehensive tools to enable the success of all our customer segments. Comtec, with its proven leisure travel technology expertise, and with almost two thirds of the U.K. leisure market, has both scale and valuable knowledge of this important market. This partnership is a clear example of Amadeus’s ability to combine our global reach, capacity and innovation, with flexible, localised solutions to answer customer needs.” Simon Powell, Comtec’s Chief Executive, said, “This agreement with Amadeus, a global travel technology player, will enable us to enter the continental European market, and to expand our already strong leisure platform so that we can enable all UK travel agents to fulfil the needs of their customers, thereby enhancing their role as professional travel advisors. Comtec will continue to provide a range of independent solutions to suit all customers, but this partnership will reinforce our position as the technology vendor of choice for large and small travel agencies, and the wider industry.” -End- Notes to the Editors: * Amadeus Tours is an amalgamation of all Amadeus tours distribution operations including those of Germany’s leading leisure package and travel distribution company, Amadeus Germany GmbH, formerly Start Amadeus, which was acquired by Amadeus in February 2003. Building on its portfolio of tours distribution solutions in Germany and other European markets, Amadeus is the leading European distributor, with over 17.5 million passengers booking their holidays each year through the core system. With the aim of providing tour operators and travel agencies with flexible solutions, improved interfaces and reduced costs, the Amadeus Tours unit is committed to working with local system suppliers in each market, while advancing towards the development of a single global tours distribution platform. Comtec Comtec is the retail travel industry’s leading agency software provider and one of the fastest-growing e-commerce technology vendors. The company’s portfolio of solutions and services covers five core areas: agency search and book systems, e-commerce, online content, travel agency management solutions, and network services. Comtec delivers two of the industry’s leading travel agency solutions – management system TravelCat currently operating on more than 11,000 PCs, and EasySell, the industry’s leading multi-operator holiday, search and booking system, allowing agents to search availability from operators’ reservations systems in a matter of seconds. The Comtec Group offers fully bookable e-commerce solutions and powers several of the UK’s leading websites, including Bargainholidays.com, Expedia.co.uk and Lastminute.com. It also powers the package holiday element of the newly launched Thomas Cook websites, and TUI’s Budgetholidays.com Comtec launched Comtec (Europe) Communications in June 2003 in order to provide high-speed connectivity to retail travel agents. It is now the fastest growing network services provider to the retail leisure industry, and is endorsed and promoted by many of the UK’s leading consortia. More information about Comtec is available on www.comtec-europe.co.uk For further information please contact: Comtec Business Daman Singh T: 07770 720621 F: 08701 400313 E: [email protected],uk Comtec Press Beth Harris T: 01633 627500, ext 516 F: 01633 627501 E: [email protected],uk Amadeus Global Travel Distribution (MAD: AMS) Amadeus is the 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 GDS data processing centre serves some 64,500 travel agency locations and more than 10,000 airline sales offices, which together total around 290,000 points of sale located in over 210 markets worldwide. Through the Amadeus GDS, travel agencies and airline offices are able to make bookings on more than 95 per cent of the world’s scheduled airline seats. The system also provides access to 56,000 hotels, 50 car rental companies serving some 25,300 locations, and other provider groups including: ferry; rail; cruise; insurance and tour operators. Amadeus is a leading application service provider (ASP) to the airline industry. 139 airlines use the Amadeus Sales System in their offices to provide passengers with superior and seamless service at optimal cost. Amadeus’s new generation of Passenger Service Systems, which include all IT systems associated with inventory management and departure control, will be implemented by British Airways, Qantas and Finnair. e-Travel, Amadeus’s e-commerce business unit, is global leader in online travel technology and corporate travel management solutions. It powers the Web pages of more than 900 travel agencies, 264 corporate sites, 10 hotel sites and 54 airlines. Amadeus is headquartered in Madrid, Spain and quoted on the Madrid, Paris and Frankfurt stock exchanges. For the year ended 31 December 2002, the company reported revenues of EUR 1856m and net income of EUR 148.6m. The Amadeus data centre is in Erding (near Munich), Germany and its principal development offices are located in Sophia Antipolis (near Nice), France. The company has some 5,100 employees worldwide. More information about Amadeus is available at: www.amadeus.com For further information please contact: Amadeus Press Bridget Agnew / Anya Velzeboer Financial Dynamics T: 020 7269 7219/7174 F: 020 7831 8438 E: [email protected] Amadeus UK Rob Golledge T: 0870 990 7851 F: 0870 990 9299 E: [email protected] W: www.amadeusuk.com E-mail : [email protected]