Sidestep

SANTA CLARA, CA--SideStep (www.sidestep.com), a leading online travel service, today announced a partnership with (WCT), a major provider of privately branded Internet travel services. WCT is a subsidiary of MyTravel Group, formerly AirTours plc (London:MT.L). The new relationship will drive sales of international hotel inventory for WCT, while further expanding the array of global lodging choices available to SideStep customers.

Winner of the Forbes "Best of the Web" award, SideStep has been recognized by both consumers and the press as the most comprehensive, easy-to-use source for the Web's best travel deals. WCT features discounted hotel rates at thousands of international hotel properties. Through this partnership, SideStep will highlight WCT's best bargains within its popular hotel search service. When they find the deals they want, SideStep users will be connected to a private labeled site supported by WCT to complete their purchases.

"WCT has forged strong relationships with hotels in cities popular with SideStep users, such as London, Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong," said Rick Schneider, Vice President of Global Business Development. "As a result, we're able to offer SideStep's customers great rates on distinctive properties worldwide. Our business model is based on partner-driven sales, and with its substantial customer base, we're confidant that SideStep will emerge as one of WCT's highest volume producers."

SideStep offers a rich selection of hotel rooms, flights and rental cars – including the largest selection of "Web-only" fares available online. The free service features more than 45,000 hotels, 585 different domestic and international carriers, and 2,800 rental car locations in its comprehensive offering. SideStep's hotel search shows only those hotel rooms that are actually available, eliminating the hunt through results for a truly bookable room that is common to many other online travel services. And SideStep's ability to search by address, landmark, or airport and to sort results by numerous criteria make it is easy to find the right hotel at the best possible price.

"SideStep's customers book substantial volumes of foreign travel," said Brian Barth, SideStep's CEO, "and in the last several months, we've continued to add new sources of compelling international inventory to meet this demand. Our partnership with WCT represents an important step in our drive to enhance SideStep's hotel search service for global travelers. Whether our customers are headed abroad for business or pleasure, we're committed to helping them find the right hotel at the right price."

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 focus is the Internet's largest commerce sector – online travel. SideStep enables travel providers to drive more bookings to their Web sites 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 JetBlue Airways JBLU, British Airways BAB, Thrifty Car Rental DTG, and Prime Hospitality PDQ. SideStep is privately held and profitable. For more information, visit www.sidestep.com.

About

(), a subsidiary of MyTravel Group, provides privately branded Internet travel services through a global network of affiliate websites, representing travel agencies, airlines, destination sites, online publishers, ISPs and affinity groups. WCT's online booking technologies include hotel reservations, vacation rentals, airline tickets, car rentals, cruises, golf vacation packages, travel insurance and city guides. Its award-winning hotel engine features 53,000 hotels worldwide, discounted rates, online brochures, and multiple currency options.

Phil Carpenter
408-235-1700 x102