Freebird provides a mobile rebooking tool that guarantees passengers can be rebooked after cancellations or other disruption events with just three taps. The company aggregates flight-pattern data to predict the probability of disruptions and prices access to its service accordingly, charging a minimum of $19 per flight (more depending on distance, season and location). It serves both independent travelers and corporate partners, and currently works with 100 corporate clients and 10 corporate travel agency partners, including BCD Travel. Freebird expects to support 250,000 travelers this year. The startup was founded in 2015 and is based in Cambridge, Mass. It is in discussions with American Express and Citi, among others, to roll its travel benefits into corporate card services. To date the company has raised $16.5 million in funding. Freebird provides a mobile service that enables business travelers and corporate travel managers to book a replacement ticket for free on any airline after a cancellation, significant delay, or missed connection. Led by co-founder and CEO Ethan Bernstein, the company offers the rebooking capability directly via users' mobile phones. Freebird intends to use the $5M raise to accelerate expansion in the corporate travel market. The company has raised $8.5M in total funding to date. It has signed partnerships with Travel Management Companies (TMCs) including Altour, Options Travel, Safe Harbors Business Travel, Short’s Travel Management, Travel and Transport, Upside Travel, Casto Travel and Flight Centre Travel Group (USA) as official resellers. The product positioning focuses on reducing the impact of flight disruption for corporate travelers and travel managers. Freebird offers a mobile tool that sends instant notifications of flight disruptions and lets travelers rebook on any airline in under 30 seconds with three taps. The product covers cancellations, four-hour delays, and missed connections and is currently offered for domestic U.S. flights only. Travelers can purchase Freebird via getfreebird.com any time after their itinerary is confirmed up until approximately two days before departure. During its winter travel launch promotion Freebird charges $19 for a one-way flight and $34 for a roundtrip; following the promotion fees will vary by flight based on a proprietary algorithm and will typically cost less than $30 for a one-way flight. Ahead of the launch the Cambridge-based company secured $3.5M in funding from General Catalyst, Accomplice, Slow Ventures, and strategic angel investors. Freebird positions itself to reduce time lost to travel disruptions and aims to empower business and leisure travelers year-round.

Total raised

$17M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Oct 2018