Yapta, an online travel shopping service, has raised another $2 million in Series B funding led by Voyager Capital. Also joining the round were Bay Partners, First Round Capital, Swiftsure Capital, W Media Ventures and other private investors. This brings Yapta’s total capital raised to $7.7 million.
The Seattle-based startup addresses the issue of fluctuating travel prices on the Web. For example, one day a flight to Vegas may be offered at $150, and the next at $75 and so on. Unlike other competitor sites, TravelZoo and CheapTickets, which offer users deals on flights, Yapta monitors airfare price volatility and alerts consumers when prices on their selected flights drop via email alerts. To make things better, if a customer buys a ticket, and the price on that ticket drops further, Yapta offers travel vouchers and in some cases, cash refunds.
Based on surveys conducted by American Express Travel in May of 2009, 89% of travel agents report receiving more inquiries about deals this year than in past. Yapta says its users are more “self-reliant and confident” when using their website since they have access to pricing in a historical context.
In hard economic times, startup companies must have some sort of business model to be worthy of funding. In Yapta’s case, it generates revenue through targeted advertising for the travel industry. It also has a Premium Service for people who don’t feel like waiting in line or making the effort to receive travel vouchers. Yapta will take care of this for a fee of $15.
Yapta, which was founded in 2007, says it has alerted hundreds-of-thousands of travelers to more than $150 million in travel savings. The company will use this round to grow these stats by furthering the development of its airfare and hotel price monitoring service and provide working capital for the company’s continued marketing efforts.
At Culture, Religion & Tech, take II in Miami on October 29, 2024
Read more...
Bambi Francisco Roizen
The company will use the funding to broaden the scope of its AI, including new administrative tasks
Read more...
Steven Loeb
The company will be deploying Qventus’ Perioperative Solution to optimize its robotics program
Read more...
Steven Loeb
Startup/Business
Joined Vator on
Next time you're on a flight enjoying your honey-roasted peanuts, ponder this: The average flight price fluctuates 400%. In other words, the guy next to you may have paid hundreds of dollars less for his ticket than you paid for yours. How can you avoid paying too much? Use Yapta.
Yapta was created to make it easy for you to find the best flight at the right price. We do this by helping you find flights based on your personal preferences, tracking prices on these trips, and alerting you when prices drop so that you can purchase tickets when they're most affordable.
Even after you purchase your ticket, Yapta continues to track its price. If the price drops below what you paid, and you're eligible for a refund or travel credit from the airline, Yapta can help you claim it.
Yapta was launched in May 2007 and has since helped its members save millions of dollars on airfare. Here are just a few of the people who have been integral to Yapta's success-and your savings:
