Press Release: Volando.com
April 10, 2001
MIAMI BEACH, FL -- Travel industry leaders Volando and Stella Barros now offer Latin American consumers the most
comprehensive array of innovative travel plans and tools, technology and customer services. The recent consolidation
of the two companies brings together: 1) Volando's superior technology and a portfolio of more than 6,000 negotiated
travel products; and 2) Stella Barros' brand recognition in Brazil, leisure travel products portfolio, superior
customer service, and more than 40 years in the market.
Volando, based in Miami Beach, acquired Stella Barros, headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in December 2000. As
a result, Volando and Stella Barros' combined ``Brick & Click'' model now allows consumers to choose how to
access travel products and services based on their individual preferences.
``The integration of our two companies permits us to offer consumers across Latin America the best travel products,
at the best value, with the most reliable customer service in the industry,'' says Esteban Torbar, president and
chief executive officer of Volando. ``Our customers can reach us on-line through the Internet and via e-mail, or
off-line through our call centers, or by fax, or by visiting any of our 200 offices across the region. This flexibility
is critical when you keep in mind that 98% of all travel transactions in Latin America are still conducted off-line.
As a regional travel organization, we are committed to provide the best travel products and outstanding service
tailored to our customers' wishes.''
Among Volando's competitive advantages is the unique Booking Engine, developed in partnership with Sabre Holdings
Corporation Inc., the leader in on-line travel technology in Latin America. It is the first Booking Engine to simultaneously
search for the lowest airfares and travel dates while also displaying alternate available dates in a single screen.
``Volando and Stella Barros have an important place in the Latin American travel marketplace. We are proud to be
associated with Volando and its network of leading Travel Organizations in Latin America,'' said Jay Jones, Sabre
VP Latin America, the Caribbean and Mexico. ``Together we have built a state-of-the-art booking engine which will
benefit the consumer tremendously,'' added Jones.
As part of the merger, new Web sites (www.volando.com and www.stellabarros.com.br) were launched offering several
innovative features, including a ``Package Channel'' and a ``Tours Channel.'' Together, these features represent
the broadest assortment of vacation planning tools available in the on-line market. They also include a ``Negotiated
Air Fare Alerts'' section displaying the most competitive air-fare pricing in the Latin American region.
About Volando
Volando.com is the premier provider of travel products and services in Latin America. The company started operations
in March 2000, and in December 2000 acquired Stella Barros, one of the largest travel organizations in Brazil.
Volando.com encompasses a network of agencies that include Stella Barros and Gapnet in Brazil, Viajes Verger in
Argentina, Aviatur in Colombia, Corporate Travel Services in Mexico and Turismo Maso Internacional in Venezuela,
with combined yearly revenues of more than US $500 million. Volando.com has the financial backing of Citicorp Venture
Capital Latin America, Explorador.net, E-Vision Partners and Lemberg. For further information, please go to: www.volando.com and www.stellabarros.com.br.
Volando.com and the Volando.com logo are registered trademarks of TravelYA Network.
About Sabre
Sabre is the leading provider of technology, distribution and marketing services for the travel industry. Headquartered
in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, the company has nearly 10,000 employees worldwide who span 45 countries. Sabre reported
2000 revenues of $2.6 billion, an increase of 7.5 percent from 1999. Sabre maintains an ownership interest of approximately
70 percent in Travelocity.com (Nasdaq: TVLY), the world's leading online B2C travel site. More information on Sabre
is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.sabre.com. Sabre and the Sabre
logo are registered trademarks of an affiliate of Sabre Inc.
SOURCE: Volando.com