5 New Travel Startups That Provide Shortcuts to Better Booking

Travel booking is a hassle for everyone from individual backpackers to multimillion dollar companies. These tools want to cut down on the costs and time needed to plan and then get from point A to point B.

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Accovibe creates, distributes, and collects analytics on hotel guest feedback surveys. Accovibe incentivizes guests to fill in the survey and helps owners understand the feedback they receive.

SkiftTake: Hotel guests today are as likely to fill in paper feedback forms as they are to make a reservation over the phone. A mobile digital survey is better for guests and hotels that can immediately analyze stats and improve the hotel experience.

FLYR wants to help travelers find the best airfare by searching for better fares one week after bookings. Users search and select flights and FLYR saves that fare for them while also searching for better deals that users can switch to without any change or cancellation fees.

SkiftTake: In theory the service gives flyers another seven days to find a better fare than that which they booked, but it also complicates the booking process without the promise of a better fare. It sounds like more of a headache than a help at this stage.

Tripzon is a one-stop shop for travelers that are booking hotels, flights, rental cars, and activities for several destinations over a relatively short period of time. The startups has raised $800,000 and has three versions for consumers, travel agents, and boutique travel to the South Pacific.

SkiftTake: Coordinating and keeping track of multiple bookings over a relatively short period of time is tough so becoming a platform that not only books but organizes travel plans is a valuable proposal for travelers that want to control the planning process.

Routist is a mapping service for companies that need to send drivers out on the road for deliveries. It optimizes the best routes, exports the plan to drivers, and adjusts routes based on real-time information.

SkiftTake:  Google Maps is a great service for getting from point A to B, but a smarter system is needed for companies that spend valuable time and money on quickly getting from stop to stop.

JetSmarter is a marketplace for private jets and private air customers. Flyers can booking directly to access wholesale rates avoiding broker fees and commission rates. The startup claims to have more than 3,200 jets in its marketplace and attracted more than 3,000 flight requests.

SkiftTake: The private aviation industry is relatively small, but there have been an uptick in businesses catering to the market. That’s because much fewer sales are needed to match profits made in commercial aviation.