Planes, trains, automobiles and... submarines? Travel companies are finding innovative ways to make your travel experience easier. From discovering new places to go, to booking places to stay when you get there, find out what these Seattle travel tech companies and startups are up to.
Top Travel Companies in Seattle
- Expedia Group
- Airbnb
- Uber
- Egencia
- Global Yodel
What they do: Airbnb is a community marketplace for people to list and discover places all over the world. Looking for an alternative to a hotel on your next trip? Users are able to rent apartments from Airbnb-approved renters and book local experiences through the website. The company has over two million apartment listings in 192 countries. In addition to their Seattle office, Airbnb has offices all over the world, including Canada, India and Germany.
Founded: 2008
What they do: Bellevue-based Expedia is the largest online travel agency in the world. The company owns 200 different travel sites, and it has millions of different flight, hotel, activity and rental car options to help everyone create the right vacation that fits their needs.
Founded: 1996
What they do: Ride-hailing unicorn Uber makes it easier for people to get around. Whether it’s a short ride to the grocery store or a longer ride to the airport, Uber users have transportation with the click of a button. The company offers individual ride-sharing services like UberPool all the way up to SUV’s for larger groups. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, but also calls Seattle home.
Founded: 2009
What they do: Egencia, the corporate travel brand of Expedia, helps businesses in nearly 60 countries manage their travel programs better. The company’s simplified travel management tools offer everything from traveler risk management to meeting and event logistics while on the road. Egencia helps businesses save time and money when it comes to the company’s vast suite of travel logistics and data options.
Founded: 2002
What they do: Global Yodel is an online community dedicated to looking at destinations around the globe from the perspective of a local. The Global Yodel community produces and publishes photography, video, design and writing rooted in the places that contributors call home. The company wants their network to learn real travel tips from real local people.
Founded: 2011
What they do: Hotwire.com is a travel site that offers low rates on hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises, vacation packages and airline tickets. The company was one of the first travel sites to offer deep travel discounts and even features self-negotiated “Hot Rate” deals. Acquired by Expedia, Hotwire has offices in New York City and San Francisco in addition to Seattle.
Founded: 2000
What they do: Jrrny allows for anyone to document their travels for others to use as future recommendations. Visiting Italy or wanting to know more about trips for music lovers? Jrrny has articles about restaurants, museums and random unique experiences travelers can learn from and use for their own upcoming trips.
Founded: 2015
What they do: If you’re planning a memorable roadtrip, look no further than myscenicdrives.com. The site offers travel routes based on U.S. states and is useful for planning everything from hour-long Sunday drives to longer, multi-hour drives through National Parks. Once a route is chosen, users can read useful information about the drive, such as the mileage, duration, a crowdsourced route rating and even book a hotel along the route.
Founded: 2009
