[November 19, 2015] |
|
Freebird Launches Mobile Rebooking Tool to Empower Travelers During Flight Disruptions - Just in Time for Holiday Travel
Freebird,
Inc., a company dedicated to empowering travelers, today announced
the launch of its namesake product, which enables travelers to skip the
line and instantly book a new ticket - on any airline at no additional
cost - in the event of a flight cancellation, four-hour delay, or missed
connection. The mobile tool provides travelers with instant
notifications in the event of a flight disruption, and offers them the
ability to rebook in less than 30 seconds with only three taps on their
mobile device. Ahead of the launch, the Cambridge-based company secured
$3.5M in funding from General Catalyst, Accomplice, Slow Ventures, and
strategic angel investors.
"We all travel for important reasons - especially during the holiday
season," said Ethan Bernstein, co-founder and CEO of Freebird. "Yet when
a flight disruption occurs, the rebooking process can leave us feeling
helpless and frustrated. Freebird enables travelers to skip the line and
choose a new ticket on any airline, book it for free, and ultimately get
to the people and places that matter most. Our mission at Freebird is to
empower business and leisure travelers year-round, during the holiday
season, through winter, and beyond."
The Freebird launch comes just ahead of the Thanksgiving travel rush -
when approximately 3.5 percent of Americans take flights - as well as
the busiest travel day of the year, which occurs the Sunday after
Thanksgiving. On average, 250,000 travelers experience a flight
cancellation each Thanksgiving holiday and 3 million travelers are
delayed by more than 30 minutes, according to a Freebird analysis. As a
result of flight cancellations and delays, US travelers are expected to
lose 6 million hours during Thanksgiving travel this year.
Freebird's analysis of Thanksgiving travel, covering the Friday before
the holiday until the Monday afterwards, further reveals that:
-
The Monday before Thanksgiving is the worst day for cancellations,
while the day beore Thanksgiving (Wednesday) is the worst for
significant delays;
-
The worst hour of the day for both flight cancellations and
significant delays is 6AM - 7AM;
-
The worst travel disruption this decade occurred at Dallas/Fort Worth
in 2013 when 473 flights were cancelled on the Sunday and Monday
before Thanksgiving, representing approximately 30% of flights;
-
The destination with the most Thanksgiving flight arrival delays is
Chicago's O'Hare, with an average of 16.5 million minutes of lost
traveler time per holiday due to late arrivals.
Travelers can purchase Freebird via www.getfreebird.com
at any time after their itinerary is confirmed, up until approximately
two days prior to departure. Currently offered for domestic US flights
only, Freebird is available for a flat-fee of $19 for a one-way flight
or $34 for a roundtrip flight during its winter travel and launch
promotion. Following the promotion, Freebird fees will vary
flight-by-flight, based on factors such as likelihood of a disruption,
and will typically cost less than $30 for a one-way flight. Prices are
determined by Freebird's proprietary algorithm that predicts the risk of
flight disruptions for millions of flights per year.
For more information on Freebird's mission to empower travelers or to
learn about how Freebird works, visit www.getfreebird.com.
About Freebird
Freebird empowers travelers to skip the line and instantly rebook their
trip - on any airline at no additional cost - in the event of a flight
cancellation, significant delay, or missed connection. For more
information, visit www.getfreebird.com.
Graphics:
Screenshots: http://bit.ly/1l7ikFU Infographics:
http://bit.ly/1QPg4jh
Social media:
Facebook (News - Alert): facebook.com/getfreebird Twitter (News - Alert):
@getfreebird AngelList:
angel.co/getfreebird
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151119005662/en/
[ Back To Homepage ]
|