Low-fare specialist Spirit Airlines, the largest privately-held airline in the United States, today announced a partnership with SideStep (www.sidestep.com), a new online travel service that enables the carrier to expand its distribution, reduce its costs, and establish tighter relationships with its customers.

Through this new partnership, Spirit will improve the economics of its business by driving increased traffic to its Website, www.spiritair.com - its lowest cost sales channel. SideStep’s patent-pending technology makes Spirit inventory available to a wider audience. By connecting Spirit directly with travel buyers, SideStep will enable Spirit to develop closer, more valuable relationships with online consumers.

“Our partnership with SideStep is perfectly suited to help us meet our distribution goals. SideStep helps promote Spirit Airlines to more consumers and instantly shows our low fares. The savings from SideStep’s technology will enable Spirit to continue to offer low prices from our major cities to leisure destinations,” said Gerry Carusi, senior vice president of marketing for Spirit Airlines.

SideStep offers consumers a rich selection of flights, hotel rooms and rental cars - including hard-to-find Web specials - all in one place. The service brings travel buyers directly to supplier sites to book their travel, taking them to within a few clicks of purchase from brands they trust. With SideStep, travel buyers also have the opportunity to receive valuable special offers with most every purchase.

“As the largest privately-held airline in the United States, Spirit’s partnership with SideStep enables the company to strengthen its distribution strategy,” said Brian Barth, chief executive officer of SideStep. “SideStep’s technology and services help our partners to reduce their distribution costs. At the same time, consumers benefit with direct access to more than 70 travel suppliers - so they can quickly and easily find the best travel deals on the Web.”

About SideStep Based in Santa Clara, Calif., SideStep provides companies within target industries with technology and services to expand their distribution, improve their margins, and establish better links to their customers. 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 Web specials - all in one place. SideStep is a privately held company.

About Spirit Airlines Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Spirit Airlines specializes in low fares and non-stop service linking major Northern and Midwestern United States cities to popular destinations in Florida, South Carolina and California.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2000, Spirit Airlines serves Chicago/O’Hare, Detroit, NY/LaGuardia, NY/Newark, Atlantic City and Washington, D.C.‘s Ronald Reagan National Airport; Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Melbourne, Orlando, Tampa, and West Palm Beach in Florida as well as Los Angeles, Calif. and Myrtle Beach, S.C. Recently, the carrier doubled its service at LaGuardia, where it now offers 10 daily roundtrip flights.

The airline flies a fleet of modern MD-80 and DC-9 aircraft and operates scheduled and charter service. Spirit’s low fares never require an advance purchase or a minimum stay. Reservations can be made online at www.spiritair.com, by calling 1-800-772-7117, or through local travel agents.

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