Bear Stearns Report Names Lowestfare.com a 'Category Killer' Among Online Travel Sites

The Bear Stearns report outlined the necessary criteria for the success of online travel sites over the next five years. The criteria include the following: travel and technology management savvy, solid financial backers, effective distribution capabilities and the promise of near-term profitability. Lowestfare.com met all of these criteria.

"This report confirms what we've always known: Lowestfare.com is a solid company that will continue to soar," said Ken Swanton, CEO of Lowestfare.com. "We've certainly come a long way from our roots as a business-to-business travel agency selling discount airline tickets. Our recent acquisitions and development of our own travel packages have allowed us to expand our offerings into vacations and cruises and offer even more services to our customers."

Lowestfare.com expanded its business reach by purchasing Jetset Tours, an airline consolidator with more than 60 international agreements and 50-year old luxury tour operator, Maupintour. The site offers packages and tours with a number of leading travel suppliers including Carnival, Go Go Tours and Continental Vacations. The company also recently broadened the content of the site with weather updates, travel destination highlights from Frommers, currency exchange rates, travel news and more.

In March 2000, in consideration of recent mergers, Lowestfare.com was ranked third of the online travel agency sites in the travel/tourism category by Media Metrix. With 1.6 million unique users, the company has been ranked within the top ten since 1998. Lowestfare.com's senior management team has more than 200 years combined experience in the travel industry with companies such as Carlson Wagonlit and Disney Travel.

Lowestfare.com, based in Las Vegas, is a leading full-service provider of discount travel products and services to the leisure and business traveler, as well as travel agencies. Offering clients a reliable source for discounted travel, Lowestfare provides reservations and access to most major airlines, hotels and car rental companies, cruise lines and tour package operators. Travel products are available to customers through the company's Web site (www.Lowestfare.com), toll-free telephone reservation and customer service center at 888/444-5555 and affiliations with more than 15,000 travel agency locations.