Rapidly growing customer base

AT&T and priceline.com said Monday they will swap marketing services in a move intended to generate tens of thousands of new customers for each company. Under terms of the agreement, priceline.com, the e-commerce site that lets buyers bid for airline tickets and hotel rooms, among other goods and services, will be featured on the AT&T WorldNet Service, which has 1.8 million members. Customers of priceline.com will be asked if they want to sign up for selected AT&T wireless, long-distance and Internet services when they are about to bid for leisure airline tickets or hotel rooms. If they do choose to sign up at the moment, up to $75 in sponsor money will be added to the customer_s bid, making it more likely the offer will be accepted by a major airline or hotel. Priceline.com said sponsor dollars helped attract almost 3 million unique customers in its first 18 months of operation. "We believe that the combination of priceline.com_s brand and our access to AT&T WorldNet Service_s rapidly growing customer base will result in many new and repeat customers for Priceline.com and our various services," said Daniel Schulman, president and COO of Priceline.