Stratton Travel Attends Exclusive Luxury Travel Conference

Mahwah, NJ September 24, 2004 -- Over 2,000 top luxury travel agents from North and South America, the Caribbean and Australia " all part of the by-invitation-only Virtuoso travel network " recently convened in Las Vegas at the Bellagio for the ultimate summit of industry leaders. Thousands of individual meetings were conducted over a week between agents and top executives from the world's best cruise lines, hotels, resorts, airlines, tour operators and other travel-related companies. Mahwah, New Jersey-based Stratton Travel Management and parent company, VTS Travel Enterprises, were among the attendees.It was an amazing week of new information, updates and relationship building, said Robin Marcus, CTC, a Master Cruise Counselor at Stratton Travel, and we are honored to be among this elite group of travel professionals. Marcus continued, A personal connection is invaluable in this industry, and our clients truly benefit from this high-level networking as well as the most up-to-date knowledge of what's new, improved and on the horizon in luxury travel.To be considered for membership in Virtuoso, a travel agency must maintain a certain annual sales threshold with Virtuoso's elite travel industry partners, including hotel groups such as Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and St. Regis, as well as top cruise lines such as Crystal, Cunard, Silversea and Seabourn. Leveraging its $3 billion annual buying power, Virtuoso holds exclusive agreements with the world's leading hotels, resorts, spas, cruise lines, tour companies, rail lines, airlines and ground operators. Utilizing a Virtuoso specialist (such as those at Stratton Travel) to arrange upscale leisure travel automatically entitles clients to complimentary upgrades, amenities, privileged access opportunities and private events at many top international and domestic destinations. To find out more about top vacations worldwide, contact the following travel specialists: Tamsin Allpress at 888-697-0588 for exotic destinations; Robin Marcus at 888-456-9195 for luxury cruises, tours and spa vacations; Benita Herman at 888-488-0445 for expert cruise, tour and family travel guidance or call 800-223-0599 to find general information about Stratton Travel and its resources within the Virtuoso network of luxury travel agencies. About Stratton Travel ManagementStratton Travel Management is a Mahwah, New Jersey-based corporate and leisure travel agency with more than 35 on-site locations in the United States. Senior Stratton Travel agents work with corporate clients to consolidate purchasing power, leverage the latest travel technology and achieve cost savings through corporate travel policy enforcement and negotiated travel rates. As a Virtuoso agency, Stratton Travel's leisure division focuses on upscale, luxury travel for clients interested in traveling worldwide. Dedication to service and a superior understanding of each client's needs make Stratton Travel a great choice for all travelers, business or leisure!About VTS Travel EnterprisesVTS Travel Enterprises, Inc. is a leading travel management company located in Mahwah, New Jersey, specializing in managed corporate and leisure travel. Established in 1980, VTS Travel has grown through a program of strategic acquisitions and partnerships, increasing the number and quality of corporate, consumer and technology services offered. During this time, VTS Travel has become a leader in many aspects of the travel industry with over $500 million in current annual revenues, an employee base of over 400 national travel agents and 120 onsite representatives working within leading U.S. corporations. With services that range from telephone-based air, hotel and leisure reservations to Internet-based managed travel and reporting, VTS can supply an end-to-end travel solution for less.

Carlson Leisure Travel Services Scores Extraordinary ROI and Highest Customer Satisfaction as Re-certification to the COPC-2000 Standard is Completed

Amherst, NY May 3, 2004 -" Carlson Leisure Travel Services is among the top services providers for credit card companies, financial institutions, and fulfillment loyalty programs. Driven by the demand for highest quality customer service, Carlson Leisure Travel Services clearly demonstrated World Class distinction while implementing the re-certification process across multiple contact centers. The re-certification audit was completed in less than one week with Carlson Leisure Travel Services meeting 100% compliance requirements immediately.Carlson Leisure Travel Services continues to make history as the first " and to date, only " travel fulfillment provider worldwide to achieve re-certification, and again, among mid- to large-size companies, achieving re-certification in the shortest time period. The re-certification process clearly demonstrates our continued commitment to Contact Center Excellence, ensuring our clients the highest quality customer service, stated Eric Burdon, Executive Vice President of Minneapolis-based Carlson Leisure Travel Services, which operates customer contact centers in Boise, Idaho and St. Louis, Missouri. Recognizing the critical importance of exceptional and consistent customer experience, the COPC certification process aligns perfectly with the Best-in-Class vision of Carlson Leisure Travel Services. Understanding the operational impact of quantified measures has driven both customer satisfaction and increased revenue. In fact, over 80% of recent, dramatic cost savings have been directly attributed to the COPC-2000 Standard implementation. COPC has been instrumental in our efforts to improve our business " and the results speak for themselves. They have helped us combine the best of the COPC-2000 Standard framework, Six Sigma and COPC Registered Coordinator training, enabling us to successfully grow our revenue, dramatically reduce operating costs, while delivering the highest level of quality and customer service, declared Mark Steinweg, General Manager. These efforts not only help to provide peace-of-mind to our clients and their customers, but it also strengthens our reputation as a great and secure place to work.Since its inception in 1996, Carlson Leisure Travel Services has evolved into the prominent service provider in the field of leisure travel award redemption programs and continues to enhance its valued level of customer service.About COPC Headquartered in Amherst, New York, Customer Operations Performance Center, Inc. (COPC) is the leading authority on customer contact center operations. COPC is authorized to issue certification to the COPC-2000 Standard, a comprehensive operations performance standard that specifies minimum operational requirements in critical functional areas. COPC services clients on a worldwide basis, and has representatives in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Japan, Singapore, United Kingdom, and the United States.The COPC Standard was developed in 1995 by individuals from Microsoft, Motorola, Dell, American Express, L.L. Bean, Intel, and other customer-focused companies who were concerned with the level of service quality provided by Customer Service Providers (CSPs). Several hundred locations in 30 countries are using the Standard to improve performance, reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction. Users include firms in e-commerce, computer hardware and software, financial services, healthcare, telecommunications and consumer products. For additional information about COPC, visit www.copc.com, email info@copc.com or call us at 512-250-3412.About Carlson Leisure Travel ServicesCarlson Leisure Travel Services, a division of Carlson Travel Group, Inc. (wholly-owned by Carlson Companies), provides corporate clients with employee leisure booking tools, including TripForce.com, in addition to providing financial institutions and credit card reward programs with travel award redemptions. Through its customer contact centers, Carlson Leisure Travel Services currently assists more than 6.5 million active members of client credit card loyalty programs.Carlson Travel Group, Inc, is a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Carlson Companies. Among the names in the Carlson family of brands and services are: Carlson Marketing Group, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Carlson Destination Marketing Services, Regent International Hotels, Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Park Plaza, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, Park Inn hotels, Results Travel, Cruise Holidays, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, and T.G.I. Friday's and Pick Up Stix restaurants.