PhoCusWright Study Finds US$268 Billion of Travel Industry Revenue Powered by Global Distribution Systems

Proprietary Data Show Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport Processed More than 1.1 Billion Worldwide Transactions in 2008

SHERMAN, Connecticut, January 14 - Travel industry research authority PhoCusWright released the first-ever
comprehensive study of the Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) that provide
much of the electronic infrastructure behind airline, hotel, car rental, and
other travel transactions. Based on original PhoCusWright research and
proprietary data provided by the three major GDS companies (Amadeus, Sabre,
and Travelport), the study found that the GDS industry processed more than
1.1 billion travel transactions in 2008 representing more than US$268 billion
in global travel sales. The study was commissioned by the Interactive Travel
Services Association (ITSA) in the US.

"This study shows the crucial role that GDSs play in online travel agency
and traditional business models," said Tom Parker, Secretary General of ETTSA
(European Technology and Travel Services Association), ITSA's European
counterpart. "In Europe alone, GDS transactions accounted for more than
one-fifth of 2008 travel supplier revenue. GDS share of revenue is predicted
to grow globally over the next year, in spite of the lingering effects of the
recession."

"Global Distribution Systems are the quiet giant of the travel industry,"
said Douglas Quinby, Senior Director of Research at PhoCusWright and author
of the study. "Although many consumers have never heard of them, GDSs power
the billions of electronic transactions that both online and traditional
travel agencies use to book airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, and
other travel arrangements. By aggregating inventory and rates across
thousands of suppliers, GDSs help individual and business travellers by
providing more transparency, better access, and increased competition."

Among the findings of the study:

    - GDS companies powered more than US$268 billion in worldwide travel
      revenue in 2008 through 1.1 billion transactions - or more than 2,100
      transactions per minute.

    - Travel revenue powered by GDSs in the U.S. rose from US$93.6 billion in
      2006 to US$98.2 billion in 2007 and US$98.7 billion in 2008, despite
      the recession.

    - GDSs also account for a significant portion of all European travel
      revenue, with 21% of all revenue and 47% of airline bookings in 2008.

    - GDS companies power the reservations and technology infrastructure for
      more than 163,000 travel agency locations and nearly half a million
      travel agents worldwide.

    - The GDSs provide access to more than 550 airlines, 90,000 hotel
      properties, 30,000 car rental locations, and hundreds of major tour
      operators and cruise lines.

    - The three major GDS companies, Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport, had
      combined corporate revenue of US$9.624 billion in 2008 and employ more
      than 23,000 people.

"If the transaction value enabled by the GDS industry went to a single
company, it would rank third on the Fortune 500 list, behind only Wal-Mart
and Exxon Mobil," said Arthur Sackler, ITSA's Executive Director.
"Transactions powered by GDS companies are the financial lifeblood for tens
of thousands of travel agents, tour operators, hotels, airlines, car rental
agencies, and other participants in the travel industry. We must continue to
allow the GDS industry to grow and innovate, so it can provide the critical
infrastructure and technology needed to expand the global travel industry."

The study, titled "The Role and Value of the Global Distribution Systems
in Travel Distribution," derived market data from original PhoCusWright
research. The three major participants in the GDS industry, Amadeus, Sabre,
and Travelport, also provided PhoCusWright with proprietary transaction and
transaction value data from 2006 to 2008 for air, hotel, and car rental
bookings. The study was commissioned and sponsored by the Interactive Travel
Services Association. The executive summary and full study are available at
PhoCusWright's web site at www.phocuswright.com and on the ETTSA web site at
www.ettsa.eu.

About PhoCusWright Inc.

PhoCusWright is the travel industry research authority on how travellers,
suppliers and intermediaries connect. Independent, rigorous and unbiased,
PhoCusWright fosters smart strategic planning and tactical decision-making.

PhoCusWright delivers qualitative and quantitative research on the
evolving dynamics that influence travel, tourism and hospitality
distribution. Our marketplace intelligence is the industry standard for
segmentation, sizing, forecasting, trends, analysis and consumer travel
planning behaviour. Every day around the world, senior executives, marketers,
strategists and research professionals from all segments of the industry
value chain use PhoCusWright research for competitive advantage.

To complement its primary research in North and Latin America, Europe and
Asia, PhoCusWright produces several high-profile conferences and trade shows
in the U.S. and Germany, and partners with conferences in Canada, China and
Singapore. Industry leaders and company analysts bring this intelligence to
life by debating issues, sharing ideas and defining the ever-evolving reality
of travel commerce.

The company is headquartered in the United States with Asia Pacific
operations based in India and local analysts on five continents.

About the Interactive Travel Services Association

The Interactive Travel Services Association, whose membership comprises
Global Distribution Systems and Online Travel Companies, promotes consumer
choice, access, confidence, protection and information in the rapidly growing
world of online travel. ITSA seeks to develop consensus among industry,
consumer organizations and policy makers on issues related to consumer use of
the Internet to meet their needs. ITSA GDS members include: Amadeus, Sabre,
and Travelport, parent of Galileo and Worldspan. www.interactivetravel.org

Sandy McLean, Tel: +32-0-2-645-79-90; Mobile: +44-0-7-786-601-771, smclean at cambre-associates.com