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Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Six Major Airlines Announce Plans to Launch Exciting Free Service to Enhance Passenger Experience
Comtex
NEW YORK, Jul 15, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) ----The six major network carriers (American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways) today announced their participation in a new, independently-owned company that will provide exciting new destination content and offers to their passengers via the online and printed boarding passes obtained from the airline's online check-in process.
The new company, Sojern, Inc., will be the first to provide valuable information to airline passengers who utilize the airline's existing and convenient web check-in to get their boarding passes.
The launch of the new service will begin on July 15, 2008 with Delta Air Lines, and the first passengers to receive the content will be those booked on flights to Las Vegas. Shortly after the initial launch, Delta will provide the service to all domestic destinations. "With millions of our passengers checking in online at delta.com each year, the boarding pass becomes an increasingly valuable tool for sharing relevant, timely offers and destination-specific content with our customers before they travel," said Marc Ferguson, general manager of Global Partnerships for Delta. "At Delta, we are always looking for innovative, new opportunities to provide added benefits to our customers, and this customized data from Sojern does exactly that."
The other airline partners will roll-out the service to their domestic passengers later this year with specific timing reflective of their internal project priorities. However, all of the partners are very enthusiastic about the new offering.
"Our focus group research has continually shown that passengers love the concept and praise the airlines for providing this innovative offering," said Gordon Whitten, the founder of Sojern and former Ernst and Young Midwest Technology Entrepreneur of the Year. "And, since the airlines connect to millions of high income travelers about to embark on a trip, advertisers are also clamoring to get involved. It is truly a win for passengers, a win for advertisers, and a win for airlines."
"We always focus on providing greater convenience and value to our customers, and this is a natural extension of that effort," said Bella Goren, Senior Vice President of Customer Relationship Marketing and Reservations at American Airlines. "The capabilities of Sojern will enhance our customers' travel experiences, and we are very pleased to pursue this opportunity."
The airlines will continue to operate and develop their respective websites independently, including online check-in. Additional quality content will be provided directly on the boarding passes by Sojern using its patent-pending proprietary technology. "Continental is pleased to be working with Sojern to provide valuable content and offers to our customers via our online boarding passes. This relationship will provide our customers with a new product they will appreciate and value, and will generate ancillary revenue for Continental," said Mark Bergsrud, Continental's senior vice president marketing programs and distribution. "The Sojern team has a great deal of expertise in the advertising space and is the right partner for our industry-leading online check-in products."
Sojern will be the exclusive third-party provider of content on the airline's online boarding passes. "With nearly 40% of our customers using nwa.com to check-in, Northwest is pleased to extend customized offers and deals tailored to customers depending on their destination and other characteristics," said Al Lenza, VP, Distribution and E-commerce. "We are excited to work with Sojern on this multi-airline venture."
The custom tailored content will help passengers plan for the unpredictable and the delectable by providing weather forecasts for the duration of their trip and by helping them locate cuisine choices that fit their budget and lifestyle. In addition, Sojern will provide timely content about events that are happening in destination cities across the nation and customized offers to passengers by working with a wide variety of advertisers who aspire to reach the quality demographics represented by airline passengers. "At US Airways we are always seeking solutions that provide both unique customer benefits as well as new revenue opportunities," said Travis Christ, US Airways' Vice President, Sales and Marketing. "Sojern has found the right formula and we're looking forward to adding another great feature to usairways.com."
The airlines have been very successful attracting partners for their frequent flyer mileage programs and they expect to be able to attract more quality relationships, in the markets they serve, with local companies who wish to provide offers to the airline passengers. "This agreement is consistent with the work that we are doing to offer our customers a more customized travel experience, and we look forward to this exciting opportunity with Sojern," said Dennis Cary, senior vice president, Marketing, United Airlines.
Sojern is funded by two leading Silicon Valley venture capital firms, Norwest Venture Partners and Trident Capital, both with a history of successful travel and advertising technology investments. Their first round investment in Sojern was $16M. Additionally, Sojern has assembled a board of directors comprised of industry experts, including Jeffrey Katz, Founding CEO and former Chairman of Orbitz. "Airlines have again come together to provide a convenient service to their customers," said Katz. "It's similar to how Orbitz and Hotwire were formed, only this time the company will be in the heart of the booming online advertising industry." In addition to their participation, each airline will own an equity stake in Sojern.
Advertisers are enthused about gaining unparalleled access to a highly sought after travel audience. Crocs, Inc., well-known for the lightweight and comfortable shoes that many travelers have come to enjoy, has signed up as a charter advertiser with Sojern. "We are excited to be one of the first advertisers to leverage this new medium," said Edward Wunsch, Director of Marketing at Crocs, Inc. "We are confident that the passenger experience will be remarkable and will reflect positively on our brand to millions of people in our ideal demographic."
For a more detailed demo of the new boarding pass, please visit: www.sojern.com/demo.
About Sojern, Inc.
Sojern, Inc. is an Omaha-based organization that is partnering with the airline and advertising industries to enhance the travel experience by providing destination specific information and offers via the boarding passes that travelers obtain through the airline's web check-in process. Since its founding in September 2007, Sojern has secured partnerships with leading U.S. airlines including American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways. The company is funded by Norwest Venture Partners and Trident Capital. Sojern's patents are currently pending. For more information please visit www.sojern.com.
About American Airlines
American Airlines is the world's largest airline. American, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection(R) airlines serve 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 4,000 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 1,000 aircraft. American's award-winning Web site, AA.com, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld(R) Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve nearly 700 destinations in over 140 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. American Airlines, is a registered trademark of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR).
About Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines is the world's fifth largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 3,100 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 145 domestic and 138 international destinations. With more than 45,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with Continental Express, carries approximately 69 million passengers per year.
Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture. For the fifth consecutive year, FORTUNE magazine named Continental the No. 1 World's Most Admired Airline on its 2008 list of World's Most Admired Companies. For more company information, ticketing and boarding passes, visit www.continental.com.
About Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines operates service to more worldwide destinations than any airline with Delta and Delta Connection flights to 327 destinations in 62 countries. Delta has added more international capacity than any major U.S. airline during the last two years and is the leader across the Atlantic with flights to 44 trans-Atlantic markets. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers 609 weekly flights to 62 destinations. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 16,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 499 worldwide destinations in 105 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
About Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines is one of the world's largest airlines with hubs at Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, Tokyo and Amsterdam. Northwest, with its regional partners, operates approximately 2,400 daily departures. Northwest is a member of SkyTeam, an airline alliance that offers customers one of the world's most extensive global networks. Northwest and its travel partners serve more than 1,000 cities in excess of 160 countries on six continents.
About United Airlines
United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAUA) operates more than 3,200(1) flights a day on United and United Express to more than 200 U.S. domestic and international destinations from its hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C. With key global air rights in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and Latin America, United is one of the largest international carriers based in the United States. United also is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides connections for our customers to 965 destinations in 162 countries worldwide. United's 55,000 employees reside in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world. News releases and other information about United can be found at the company's Web site at united.com.
About US Airways
US Airways is the fifth largest domestic airline employing more than 35,000 aviation professionals worldwide. US Airways, US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express operate approximately 3,500 flights per day and serve more than 230 communities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. US Airways is a member of the Star Alliance network, which offers our customers 18,000 daily flights to 965 destinations in 162 countries worldwide. This press release and additional information on US Airways can be found at www.usairways.com.
About Norwest Venture Partners
Norwest Venture Partners (NVP) is a global venture capital firm that has actively partnered with entrepreneurs to build great businesses for more than 45 years. NVP focuses on investments in information technology including: software, services, enterprise and communications systems, semiconductor/components and Internet, media and consumer. The firm currently manages more than $2.5 billion in venture capital out of its office in Palo Alto, California. Managing Partner Promod Haque has been ranked as a top dealmaker on the annual Forbes Midas List for the past six years. In 2004, Forbes named him as the #1 venture capitalist worldwide based on performance over the last decade. For more information, visit the firm's website at www.nvp.com.
About Trident Capital
Trident Capital is a leading venture capital and private equity firm with over $1.5 billion of capital under management, including $400 million raised in its most recent fund, Trident Capital Fund VI. Trident focuses on investments in the business services, information services, software sectors, Internet and Cleantech across a variety of industries. Within its sector focus, Trident invests across multiple stages, including traditional venture capital investing as well as investments in micro-cap public companies, buyouts and consolidation platforms. The firm has made over 120 investments since inception. Trident has investment offices in Palo Alto, Calif. and Westport, Conn. For more information, visit the firm's website at www.tridentcap.com.
(1) Based on United's flight schedule between Jan. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2008.
SOURCE: Sojern, Inc.
Sojern, Inc. Susan Booth, 402-996-2027 Susan.booth@sojern.com or Porter Novelli, On behalf of Sojern Aaron De Lucia, 512-527-9881 Aaron.delucia@porternovelli.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008 ********************************************************************** As of Friday, 07-11-2008 23:59, the latest Comtex SmarTrend� Alert, an automated pattern recognition system, indicated a DOWNTREND on 05-21-2008 for AMR @ $7.24. As of Friday, 07-11-2008 23:59, the latest Comtex SmarTrend Alert, an automated pattern recognition system, indicated a DOWNTREND on 02-28-2008 for CAL @ $26.22. For more information on SmarTrend, contact your market data provider or go to www.mysmartrend.com SmarTrend is a registered trademark of Comtex News Network, Inc. Copyright � 2004-2008 Comtex News Network, Inc. All rights reserved.
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