New Site Challenges Online Travel Giants Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity; Consumers to Benefit from Unbiased Low-Fare Displays and Money-Saving Alternatives

AirfareScout.com, an unbiased online consumer travel information source, is a tremendous tool for travel shoppers who want truth, education, less confusion and real discounts. Consumers who use AirfareScout.coms Lowest Published Fare information as the starting point when shopping for airfares are likely to save both time and money.

SAN DIEGO, California -- October 30, 2001 -- Travel and technology veteran Steve Kosier, who in 1996 co-founded the successful Bestfares.com website, has announced the launch of an unbiased consumer travel information source, AirfareScout.com. Unlike most travel websites, AirfareScout.coms business model bypasses the conflict-of-interest flaws inherent in the commission-dependent agency model. According to Kosier, AirfareScout.com will enable consumers to confidently shop for the lowest airfare in a way that embodies truth, education, less confusion and real discounts.

"The launch of AirfareScout.com is a giant step forward for consumers," said Kosier. "It will let them know which travel agencies and websites filter out low-fare information and which do not." Kosier cited a July 2001 study documenting the widespread omission of the Lowest Published Fare from low-fare quotes, then explained how AirfareScout.coms model could help consumers.

"Most of the information on our site is free to the public, including all possible Lowest Published Fare options for each flight you search. We retrieve all data in real-time directly from a federally regulated system, so we know its accurate. We then display all published fare options with each airlines toll-free phone number, website link, and applicable rules and fare basis code. We dont filter any information and we dont exclude any low-cost airlines."

In other words, consumers who use AirfareScout.coms Lowest Published Fare information as the starting point when shopping for airfares are likely to save both time and money. "Hence our 'Dare to Compare!' website slogan," said Kosier.

In addition to displaying the Lowest Published Fare without bias, AirfareScout.com is rich in other valuable information and shopping tools. For instance, a unique FareCompare display shows driving miles and possible savings for alternate departure and destination airports, and Airfare Snapshot displays the Lowest Published Fare from your city to 140 destinations in a single click. The site also lists Web-Only specials from over 20 airlines, hotel and car rental links and toll-free numbers, links to FAA travel advisories, and detailed Smart Shopper Tips. All of these features are free to the public.

About AirfareScout.com

AirfareScout.com is an unbiased online information source whose primary mission is enabling consumers to confidently shop for travel products in a way that embodies truth, education, less confusion and real discounts. AirfareScout.com, which is NOT a travel agency, was launched in response to the lack of regulatory laws protecting consumers from conflicts of interest inherent in the commission-driven agency model. The website offers free, unbiased information to all consumers by displaying the lowest published airfares and detailed purchase information for each route, regardless of airline. Also featured are powerful new shopping tools. FareCompare is a unique single-screen display that compares potential savings at nearby origination and destination airports, and Airfare Snapshot displays the Lowest Published Fare from your city to 140 destinations in a single click. AirfareScout.com is owned and operated by Web Travel Partners, Inc., a privately held Delaware corporation with offices in San Diego, CA. For more information, visit http://www.AirfareScout.com. "Dare to Compare!"