Company Profiles: Spotlight on Travel and Tech

If you’re like most of us these days, you probably enjoy saving money on travel. After all, discount booking and rate comparison websites abound to help us do exactly that. But what if you could make the world a little better while scoring an exclusive deal? You actually can—if you use Kind Traveler.

RewardExpert recently spoke with Jessica Blotter (CEO) and Sean Krejci (COO)—Kind Traveler’s co-founders—about the inspiration behind the give-and-get hotel booking platform and how you can use it to save money on your next vacation.

According to industry powerhouse The Knot, the average U.S. wedding costs $35,329—including $16,107 for the venue, $2,783 for a photographer, $1,245 for a deejay, $582 for a cake and $278 for an officiant. That’s an astounding outlay for a one-day celebration, and it is amazing that any of today’s couples have money left over for their honeymoons at all.

Have you ever shown up in a foreign destination and not known what to do? Doing research ahead of time can certainly help, though you might end up sorting through a sea of endless sponsored ads and hackneyed tourist traps.

You have your plane tickets, your luggage and you’re  ready for takeoff. The only issue is, who will get you once you arrive at your destination?

That’s where companies like Blacklane come into play. The professional driver service company covers the first and last miles of your journey, which are usually rides to and from the airport.

For the millennial generation, cultural immersion is an important part of any travel experience. According to one survey of individuals between the ages of 18 and 30, 86 percent said the desire to experience a new culture was their strongest travel motivator. If it’s also yours—and you want to eat local foods, experience local activities and get to know someone who actually lives there while on your next vacation—you should consider Homestay.com.

There are lots of services these days all designed to help plan that next trip, from accommodations to transportation and sightseeing.  Yet, what are your options when it comes to finding a travel buddy? Well there’s Stitch for folks over 50 looking for people to explore the world with.

Planning a trip can be a real hassle, starting with choosing which airline would provide the most bang for its buck.

Luckily, things are arguably easier than ever before thanks to companies like FareCompare, which doesn’t sell plane tickets but does allow travelers to compare ticket costs.

If you’ve ever applied for or renewed a passport, you’re probably well aware that the process is neither simple nor fast. According to the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, routine processing times for passport services are currently six weeks from the time of application—and that’s only if you completed everything correctly the first time around. If you need to obtain a tourist or business visa for your destination, the process will take even longer.

According to AAA, 35 percent of Americans will travel as a family in 2017. While these excursions can be a great way to unplug, relax, reconnect and make memories, they can also be stressful—especially when children are involved.

From diverse preferences regarding destinations, accommodations and activities, to backseat disputes over who gets a window and who is touching who, planning a family getaway that makes everyone happy can feel downright impossible.

Planning the wedding of your dreams isn’t complete without the perfect honeymoon. So, what will it be? Will you wine and dine your nights away in Paris? Or just lounge on the beach in Bali?

When looking for hotels, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the options. With each site claiming to have the lowest price, how does one know they’re actually getting the best deal? Even if you’re a veteran trip planner, you could still be missing out and not even know it.

Maybe you’ve flown across the country and want a car for tooling around town. Perhaps you’re planning a road trip and need a vehicle that can hold your passengers and gear. Whatever the reason, you’ve found yourself at the counter of a car rental company, answering the inevitable question: do you want economy, standard or full size? If you have your heart set on a specific make, model or color, you’re likely out of luck—unless you choose to rent from Turo.

The days of sitting in an airplane and worrying about your possible demise are over.

SkyGuru, a company that provides flight travelers with real-time aviation data, is the first iPhone app that merges mobile technology and professional aviation to analyze and predict fight process. It guides passengers through potential anxieties that come with traveling in the clouds. Denis Frolov, a representative for the company, talked to RewardExpert.com about the benefits.

While taking time away from the daily grind to explore a new destination can be an exciting and invigorating way to recharge and unwind, the pre-trip planning process is often overwhelmingly stressful. Fortunately, the developers of TripSee have found a way to eliminate the need for the cumbersome spreadsheets, endless email chains, and stacks of written notes many of us previously relied on when creating a family or group vacation itinerary.

In the world of travel, children are a top priority. However, the process of traveling is like raising children themselves: messy, fun and a brand new adventure every day.

During a visit to Nepal, John Wood was simultaneously struck by the enthusiasm of the local students and the lack of resources in their schools. That led him to leave his senior executive position at Microsoft and start Room to Read in 1999. The organization’s scope has grown over the years, but its mission remains essentially the same: transform the lives of children in developing countries through education.

Students might think high school and college is only a time for classes and exams, but it’s also an opportunity to explore the world. American students backpack through Europe, Japanese students adventure around the Outback, and along the way, all learn more about new places and cultures.

Vacation travel can feel magical, especially when finding an off-the-beaten-track spot. Travel apps are great to find places to go, but often algorithms miss hidden treasures.

Life’s most interesting journeys are about more than the fastest way to get from Point A to Point B. While there are plenty of navigation apps to assist you with maneuvering your way through city streets by car, those traveling by foot have had a dearth of options—until now.

Whether you’re traveling at home or abroad, exploring an unfamiliar city or just running errands in your own hometown, Sidekix will help you make the most of every step of your expedition.

RewardExpert spoke with Jenny Drezin, CMO and one of the company’s three co-founders, to find out more about the inspiration behind the app, how it works, and how any traveler can use it to discover new places on foot.

The tour company in charge of your European holiday goes bankrupt. A volcano destroys the Indonesian city you intend to visit. You twist an ankle while trekking through Nepal, or suffer a life-threatening illness while on a cruise to Brazil. Your house burns down while you’re exploring the jungles of South America. These unforeseen events, and countless others like them, are more common than you might think and can easily destroy a vacation—unless you have travel insurance.