In a move that further broadens its distribution of travel, Travelocity(R) today announced an agreement with AARP making Travelocity the supplier of flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, last minute getaways and dynamic packaging product for AARP’s 35-million members.“At Travelocity we have for some time realized the value and potential of reaching the 50+ population,” said Richard Harris, vice president of strategy and business development for Travelocity. “Through this agreement, Travelocity will offer AARP members the wealth of industry leading travel technology and tools already benefiting Travelocity members around the world, but most importantly it will offer discounted rates and unique benefits not previously available to AARP members. This agreement will grow volume for our supplier partners as we build loyalty among this key segment of travelers.”

The new service, “AARP Passport Powered by Travelocity,” features comprehensive online and phone travel purchasing options for AARP’s membership base that in 2003 alone booked more than $1 billion in travel. Currently, AARP members deal directly with multiple travel suppliers to claim membership discounts; this new arrangement gives AARP members one-stop shopping for discounted travel. This benefits AARP members as Travelocity leverages its large volume of travel transactions to provide better discounts and lower prices than previously available to AARP members.

“AARP members have come to value travel benefits offered through AARP Services, Inc. (ASI),” said Dawn Sweeney, President, ASI. “We strive to provide products and services that our members value, and we believe this agreement with Travelocity will help us to reach that goal. Travelocity has thousands of travel suppliers worldwide through the Sabre Global Distribution System, and they enjoy a strong reputation with extensive relationships throughout the travel industry. We believe tapping into these relationships will allow us to offer our members an unmatched level of products, services and pricing for destinations worldwide.”

The addition of AARP Passport to the Travelocity Partner Network continues the expansion of Travelocity’s distribution reach. Currently, Travelocity Partner Network has agreements in place with several leading online retailers, including: Southwest Airlines, US Airways, America Online and Yahoo! Additionally, Travelocity continues to leverage subsidiary Site59’s experience as an Application Service Provider (ASP) for a number of travel-related Web sites.

“Through this agreement, we are now able to more effectively reach an underserved, yet very important, growing segment in the marketplace,” said Harris. “Our agreement with AARP will strengthen Travelocity’s ability to reach key customer segments and provide top-of-the-line travel products while expanding the reach of our supplier partners.”

Launch date of AARP Passport from Travelocity has been tentatively set for spring 2005.
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