5 New Travel Startups for Solving Booking, Logistics Struggles

This week’s collection of startups cover diverse challenges from where to place your luggage on the last day of travel to how to get the most points per every travel transaction. Each proposes a relatively simple solution; however, not all may be the most efficient.

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>> Leave Your Luggage is an Amsterdam-based startup that will transport customers’ luggage from their hotel to Schiphol Airport on the last day of their trip so users are free to explore the city without worrying about picking up bags. The first suitcase costs $22 and each additional item is $9.

SkiftTake: This is a smart proposal and one that travelers would be interested in; however, safety and privacy concerns could deter some customers. Expansion to more cities will help the startup build its brand and customer base.

>> TripMule connects travelers’ requests and travel agents, matching requests with an agent specialized in that destination or type of travel. For customers, the service is free to use and there’s no commitment to purchase one of the options found by travel agents. For agents, the startup brings free (for now) leads that could leave to future customers.

SkiftTake: TripMule would need to attract a large user base to make it worth agents’ time to search for deals and possibly, repetitively come up empty handed.

>> Kaligo is a Singapore-based hotel booking platform that rewards customers with miles and points on popular airline and credit card programs. The number of points available changes based on hotel and booking dates.

SkiftTake: Kaligo is not the first travel site to do this. Both PointsHound and RocketMiles have been competing for U.S. travelers keen on earning points with every booking, and with some success. Kaligo can differentiate itself by focusing on the Asia market.

>> Tickts is a mobile app for finding or selling event tickets at the last minute. The app matches users based on location, leads them an a private chat to work out details, and allow users to rate one another based on the experience.

SkiftTake: The system could work well in large cities with multiple events throughout the week; however, location is no longer a prerequisite for a ticket swap or sell since so many now be downloaded via email.

>> Tenderfoot is a social platform that helps travelers keep track of who they meet throughout a trip and to chat with them. The app aims to differentiate itself by equating fellow travelers to passport stamps in which users can scan a QR code, with or without internet, to keep track of others that they have met.

SkiftTake: Facebook has become the de facto social platform for travelers where you can stay in touch with almost any traveler met on a trip. And competing with Facebook is a foolish endeavor from the start.