New Engine For Low Fares

By Eric Roston

Brian Barth and his team of five data divers knew the software they developed had potential. For something. As Barth explained one day in 1999 to a buddy from his M.I.T. rowing days, he had an Internet search engine that could reach far into dynamic databases and cope with constantly churning information. His friend, then working in the airline industry, gave Barth the news: "Don't you realize? This is the Holy Grail of travel. They've wanted to do this forever."

Thus emerged Sidestep, Barth's two-month-old company, which joins second-generation dotcom travel sites like QIXO and Farechase in a challenge to such powerhouses as Travelocity, Expedia and Priceline. Sidestep's edge is that, in addition to finding low fares for consumers, it offers airlines the prospect of removing an expensive link or two from the travel reservation chain--namely, the so-called global distribution systems, like Sabre, that complete about 75% of all travel bookings.

Barth's software, which must be downloaded to a PC's Internet Explorer browser, searches airline, car and hotel websites to find exclusive low fares. (Mac and Netscape versions are in the works.) An Internet plug-in allows bargain hunters to view Sidestep's search results and competitors' side by side.

This being 2001, no net startup is guaranteed. Already, one promising travel site, Savvio, has closed. But Sidestep has money and momentum, and it is adding to the 28 airlines now signed up. In any event, Barth figures he can point his new search engine at other industries. Perhaps all he needs now is to bump into another M.I.T. friend to tell him which one.

--By Eric Roston