Triple Miles Offered at Choice Brand Hotels Nationwide; Newest Partner Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Joins American Airlines AAdvantage, Delta Air Lines SkyMiles, Northwest Airlines WorldPerks, United Mileage Plus and US Airways Dividend Miles

Business Wire, Feb 3, 2003

Business Editors

SILVER SPRING, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 3, 2003

Members of the nation's major frequent flyer programs who stay at any of the 3,500 hotels franchised by Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) in the U.S. and the Caribbean this spring will receive triple miles or credits.

Beginning February 15, members of American Airlines AAdvantage, Delta Air Lines SkyMiles, Northwest Airlines WorldPerks, United Mileage Plus and US Airways Dividend Miles will earn 750 miles per stay instead of the standard 250 miles at Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Clarion, Sleep Inn and MainStay Suites brand hotels in the U.S. and Caribbean. Guests at Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn will earn 450 miles per stay instead of the standard 150 miles.

Members of the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Program will receive 1.5 credits instead of the usual 0.5 credits for stays at all brands.

The promotion ends April 30.

"You can't FAX a smile, you can't e-mail a handshake, and you can't be as effective professionally or personally without 'the power of being there,'" said Wayne Wielgus, senior vice president, marketing, for Choice Hotels. "As business and leisure travelers take to the road this spring, we're offering clean, comfortable accommodations at more than 3,500 locations and we're offering triple miles - a compelling reason to choose Choice brand hotels for business travel."

Wielgus added that the promotion represents an ideal opportunity to launch Choice Hotels' newest airline partnership with Southwest Airlines. "Southwest defines value for millions of air travelers," he said. "We are delighted to add to that value by extending triple credits to Rapid Rewards members."

The triple miles/credit promotion is supported by a multi-million dollar advertising campaign to air on cable networks and throughout the NCAA "March Madness" tournament, airing March 15 through April 5 on CBS. Print advertisements are slated to run in national publications such as USA TODAY.

A new television advertisement developed for the campaign includes the company's "The Power of Being There. Go" corporate tagline and touts the business advantages inherent in travel and the myriad brands offered by Choice Hotels.

A series of radio advertisements, featuring recognizable voiceover by Barry Corbin of "Northern Exposure" fame, highlight the triple miles promotion at Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn hotels.

To receive triple miles, guests need only to stay at a qualifying rate and provide their selected frequent flyer number upon check-in. Reservations at any Choice brand hotel are available at www.choicehotels.com or by calling 1-800-4CHOICE.

Choice Hotels International is one of the world's largest lodging franchisors, marketing more than 5,000 hotels open or under development in 46 countries under the Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Clarion, Sleep Inn, MainStay Suites, Econo Lodge, and Rodeway Inn brand names. For more information on Choice, visit the company's web site at www.choicehotels.com.

Choice Hotels, Choice Hotels International, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Clarion, Sleep Inn, MainStay Suites, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, 1-800-4CHOICE and The Power of Being There. Go are proprietary trademarks and service marks of Choice Hotels International.

(C)2003 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Please allow 6-8 weeks after hotel stay for miles/credits to be posted to your account. American Airlines: American Airlines and AAdvantage are registered trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. American Airlines reserves the right to change AAdvantage program rules, regulations, travel awards and special offers at any time without notice, and to end the AAdvantage program with six months notice. American Airlines is not responsible for products or services offered by other participating companies. For complete details about the AAdvantage program, visit www.aa.com. Delta: All standard Delta SkyMiles program rules and conditions apply. Northwest Airlines: Participation in WorldPerks is subject to the terms and conditions of the WorldPerks Program. Southwest Airlines: All Rapid Rewards rules and regulations apply. Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Members must present their membership number to receive 0.5 credits per stay. United: Miles accrued and awards issued are subject to the terms and conditions of the United Mileage Plus program. United, its subsidiaries, affiliates and agents are not responsible for any products and services of other participating companies. Taxes and fees related to award travel are the responsibility of the passenger. United and Mileage Plus are registered trademarks.

US Airways: All Dividend Miles terms and conditions apply.