AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL NAMES “THE TRAVEL AUTHORITY”
AS REPRESENTATIVE TRAVEL AGENCY OF THE YEAR

NEW YORK - October 3, 2007 – American Express Travel named The Travel Authority asRepresentative Travel Agency of the Year at this year’s annual American Express U.S. Representative Network National Conference held at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona. This new honor is given to the agency that best exemplifies industry and customer advocacy, business development and innovation, and whose contributions to the Network have advanced the status of the American Express Representative Network in the industry.

Tom Lumley, President & CEO of The Travel Authority accepted the award from Ellen Bettridge, vice president of the U.S. Retail Travel Representative Network during a special presentation at the conference.

Founded in 1970, The Travel Authority was originally based in Louisville, KY. Over the next 35 years the company expanded throughout central Kentucky, southern Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and Jacksonville, FL before joining the American Express Consumer Travel Network in 2005.  Today, The Travel Authority offers a full array of services including corporate travel management, online travel, vacation travel stores, meetings & incentives, 24/7 travel support center and Champion Sports Tours, their collegiate and professional fan travel division. 

About American Express
American Express entered the travel agency business in 1915 and today is the world’s largest travel service network. The company has more than 2,200 Travel and Foreign Exchange Services* locations worldwide in more than 140 countries.
American Express Company is a leading global payments, network and travel company founded in 1850.