Articles tagged “funding”

Here is this week's crop of travel startups that investors feel comfortable backing, including a meetings and conventions booking platform and a private car booking service.

Airports are never easy to work with and require cutting through red tape longer than any distance a traveler can drive in a Turo rental. Focusing on connecting travelers with cars outside the airport environment introduces more personality into the company and allows it to better compete with ride-hailing app giants like Uber.

As the industry ponders a number of new on-demand car-hailing apps getting massive amounts of funding, can these startups really compete with the name recognition of Uber in the long-run?

As large Asian markets like China increasingly demonstrate the desire for adventure activities Klook has positioned itself to be at the center of this trend.

Saez-Gil knows the ways in which companies, which once could get away with bad customer service and bad design, are realizing that the Internet has made open innovation possible.

FlightCar has a cool idea that lets travelers get monetary usage out of their cars, which would otherwise remain stationary during a trip, but it probably still isn't any easier or cheaper to use the service compared to an already existing airport car rental company.

As mega online travel agency Expedia invests millions of dollars in technology that it hopes will improve the user experience it looks like Routehappy, which Expedia uses, has investors who know what they're doing.

BlaBlaCar, which actually deserves to be called a "sharing economy" company, has a model unique from other ride-share companies for many reasons, including the fact that drivers know they can't make a personal business out of it. As it continues growing in markets outside the U.S., other global companies like Uber know they chase after very different travelers than BlaBlaCar.

As more mobile discovery happens in destinations the need is urgent to provide ample free Wi-Fi hotspots in cities along with the means for travelers to find them.

The Baubax Travel Jacket is the modern-day equivalent of the geeky pen holder/pocket protector and shows how freaked out a lot of people are about the stress of the airport and passenger experience. Warning: Don't give a romantic hug as a sendoff at the airport to someone wearing one of these contraptions. You might puncture something.