TravelBird
Careers at TravelBird
Mission
TravelBird’s mission is to offer inspirational deals that encourage people to travel to destinations they may not have previously thought of.
History
Dutch entrepreneurs Symen Jansma and Dennis Klompalberts were unimpressed with the state of online travel websites. They felt that there was an abundance of information regarding deals on the Internet, presenting a daunting search experience for consumers. So in 2010 they founded a company called TravelBird featuring a website that would streamline the process to make it simpler.
Specifically, the site only offered a set number of travel deals per day. It began with four deals per day for Dutch destinations, then increased to six. The offers were placed into specific categories, such as“sun destinations“, “holidays“, and “city breaks“. By 2011, the site had so much success that the firm was able to expand its operations from the Netherlands to Germany and Belgium.
The next few years saw continued progress and growth. In 2013 TravelBird opened offices in France, Denmark, Austria, and Luxembourg. The same year it achieved growth of 311% and a turnover of €70 million. In 2014 it raised €32 million in funding, enabling it to enhance its offerings by introducing a mobile site and a mobile app. That year, it also expanded to Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
Benefits at TravelBird
Business model of TravelBird
Customer Segments
TravelBird has a mass market business model, with no significant differentiation between customer segments. The company targets its offerings at all consumers seeking travel deals.
Value Proposition
TravelBird offers three primary value propositions: cost reduction, accessibility, and brand/status.
The company reduces costs through its main feature. It offers six travel deals daily that provide discounts ranging in size from 30% to 70%.
The company creates accessibility by providing a wide variety of options. It operates in 11 different countries across Europe. It has acquired several companies since its founding, enabling it to provide a broader range of destinations – these include Belgian travel platform mytrip.nl, Dutch travel platform BookVandaag, and the booking website TravelCoupon.nl. Lastly, it enables customers to use many different payment options, including PayPal and payment cards such as Visa and MasterCard.
The company has established a strong brand due to its success. It is one of Europe’s fastest-growing online travel firms. It serves more than four million travelers annually, at a rate of about 19,000 per day. Its website receives over 9.5 million visitors per month. A survey found that more than 8 out of 10 of its customers would recommend it to friends, and it has over 750,000 fans on Facebook.
Channels
TravelBird’s main channel is its website. The company promotes its offering through its social media pages.
Customer Relationships
TravelBird’s customer relationship is primarily of a self-service, automated nature. Customers utilize the service through the main platform while having limited interaction with employees. The company’s website provides a number of self-help resources, including access to an e-mail newsletter with selected offers, a blog with travel advice and insider tips, and answers to frequently asked questions. That said, there is a personal assistance component in the form of phone, e-mail, and live chat support.
Key Activities
TravelBird’s business model entails maintaining a robust platform for its customers. The platform includes its website and mobile app.
Key Partners
TravelBird forms strategic partnerships with business-to-business firms such as loyalty programs, large retail chains, and tour operators in order to enhance offerings for its clients. The company also maintains affiliate programs (varies by country) through which it invites third parties to promote it on their platforms (websites and mobile apps). Leads that result in purchases earn them commissions.
Key Resources
TravelBird’s main resource is its software platform, which serves 9.5 million visitors per month.
It depends on human resources in the form of technology employees who maintain and update the platform and customer service personnel who provide support.
Lastly, as a startup it has relied on funding from outside parties, raising $38.75 million from three investors as of November 2014.
Cost Structure
TravelBird has a cost-driven structure, aiming to minimize expenses through significant automation and low-price value propositions. Its biggest cost driver is likely marketing expenses, a fixed cost. Another major driver is in the area of customer support/operations.
Revenue Streams
TravelBird has one revenue stream: revenues it generates from a transaction fee it charges consumers for trips booked through the site.
Our team
info: Symen Jansma previously served as the Owner of and a Publisher at Medix Publishers, as a Business Development Manager at Emesa Nederland, as an Innovation/M&A Manager at Kluwer, and as a Senior Consultant at Twynstra the Bridge.
info: Dennis Klompalberts earned an undergraduate degree at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. He previously served as Founder and Managing Director of Improval and as a Business Development Manager at Gartner.
info: Steven Klooster earned an M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at Delft University of Technology and an MBA at London Business School. He previously served as the COO of Lyst, as an Associate at Warburg Pincus, and as an Investment Manager at SG Capital Europe.
info: Philipp Wassibauer earned a B.S. in Computer Science at George Washington University. He previously served as a Marketing Technology Lead Engineer at GetYourGuide, as a Co-Founder and CTO of Gidsy, and as a Co-Founder and CTO of Maptales.
