Amtrak and Hotels.com Sign Room and Rail Partnership; Customers Able to Book Train and Hotel Travel in Single Phone Call

Business Wire, Feb 5, 2003

Business Editors

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 5, 2003

Amtrak and Hotels.com today announced a three-year agreement, under which Amtrak's reservation agents will transfer customers interested in discount lodging to Hotels.com.

Under the agreement, passengers will be able to book discounted rooms at thousands of lodging properties in the more than 500 destinations served by Amtrak with a single phone call to Amtrak's 24-hour toll-free reservations line: (800) USA-RAIL. Customers who express interest in hotel accommodations will be transferred to one of Hotel.com's sales agents dedicated to serving Amtrak customers' lodging needs.

"This transfer program is a result of Hotel.com's tremendous values in lodging, extensive array of destinations, booking ability during peak periods, and outstanding customer service," said Bob Diener, co-founder and president of Hotels.com. "Hotels.com has been providing great deals on lodging for over 11 years. We are excited about the opportunity to provide Amtrak's customers with the ease of planning a trip, at a great price, in one phone call. This alliance will also enable the two companies to help promote each others' services to a wider base of customers."

"We are pleased to be working with Hotels.com to offer our customers value pricing on lodging in the more than 500 destinations Amtrak serves coast-to-coast," said Barbara Richardson, Amtrak's Vice President of Marketing and Sales. "More importantly, we are offering our customers the opportunity not only to save time, but also money, which is a priority for everyone."

About Hotels.com

Hotels.com (Nasdaq:ROOM) is the largest specialized provider of discount lodging worldwide, providing service through its own website, more than 30,000 affiliated websites, and its toll-free call centers (1-800-2-HOTELS). Hotels.com provides accommodations to travelers at over 7,000 properties in more than 300 markets in North America, Europe, the Caribbean and Asia. The company offers a one-stop shopping source for hotel pricing, amenities and availability, and also specializes in providing travelers with accommodations for sold-out periods. Hotels.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of USA Interactive (Nasdaq:USAI).

About Amtrak

Amtrak passengers enjoy rail service in more than 500 communities in 46 states across a 22,000-mile route system. For schedules, fares and reservations, visit Amtrak's Web site at www.amtrak.com.