NWAC Northwest Airlines (MM)

UATP Achieves 10% Growth in 2004 Corporate Travel Charge Volume WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Air Travel Plan, Inc. (UATP), the global travel payment network, is continuing a nearly two-year growth trend with a 10 percent increase in business travel volume in 2004 that reached USD 7.7 billion in sales. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040318/UATPLOGO ) "UATP's 2004 volume is another indicator that business travel is continuing its recovery from post 9/11 declines and that companies want to lower the cost of credit card transactions as part of their business strategy," said Ralph Kaiser president and CEO, UATP. "We have seen significant growth in all of our worldwide markets segments: Asia/Pacific; Europe and Africa; and, North and South America." "With VARIG Brazilian Airlines and the new Northwest Airlines AirPlus Company Account now competing for corporate sales, UATP expects to see its growth pattern continue in 2005," Kaiser added. Since the third quarter of 2003, UATP has experienced six straight quarters of growth that has increased sales nearly 20 percent from USD 6.5 billion in 2002 to USD 7.7 billion in 2004. UATP is targeting sales of USD 8 billion in 2005. UATP continues to broaden its customer base by enlisting travel agencies as Merchants through the UATP Settlement Solution (USS), which provides a non- clearinghouse settlement solution for discount or low cost carriers that want to capture the benefits of the UATP payment network. In December, Merchant e- Solutions, Inc. (MeS) became a UATP Acquirer for all Sabre Connected(SM) travel agencies, which will enable them to process service fees against UATP charge accounts. About UATP UATP accounts are accepted as a form of payment for corporate business travel by more than 200 airlines worldwide. UATP accounts are issued by these airlines: Aer Lingus, Air New Zealand, Alitalia, American Airlines (NYSE:AMR), Austrian Airlines, Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL), Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL), Japan Airlines (OTC:JALSY) (BULLETIN BOARD: JALSY) , Qantas Airways, Ltd., Scandinavian Airlines System, United Airlines (OTC:UALAQ) (BULLETIN BOARD: UALAQ) , US Airways (OTC:UAIRQ.OB) (BULLETIN BOARD: UAIRQ.OB) , and VARIG Brazilian Airlines. AirPlus International issues the UATP-based Company Account for: British Airways (NYSE:BAB), Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL), Lufthansa German Airlines, Northwest Airlines (NASDAQ:NWAC). CONTACT: Ken Murphy of Universal Air Travel Plan, Inc., +1-202-626-4029, or . http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040318/UATPLOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Universal Air Travel Plan, Inc. CONTACT: Ken Murphy of Universal Air Travel Plan, Inc., +1-202-626-4029, or Web site: http://www.uatp.com/

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