Jetsetter, Gilt’s exclusive site for travel sales launched an iPhone app over the weekend, and it’s making me wish I could take a paycut in lieu of more vacation days.
Jetsetter has replaced the days of offline travel agents, offering a valuable platform of customer service and expert advice. It offers daily, time-limited sales of up to 50% off of a curated list of 5-star and boutique hotels and spa, ski and beach vacations such as weekend trips to wine country or Las Vegas, Mexico all-inclusive packages, Macchu Picchu treks, Kenyan safaris and Mediterranean cruises.
Like its mother site, the app is beautifully designed. Open up the app to view upcoming and current sales, as well as book hotel rooms and vacation packages in minutes. The robust app lets you peruse editorial reviews and photos of each hotel. Check out Jetsetter’s editorial reviews under “What We Love,” then read “The Fine Print” section for details and check out the hotel’s location under “Map.”
While the app just offers flash sales currently, retail will be added to the iPhone in next 3-6 months. Jetsetter will soon be taking full advantage of its mobility by releasing realtime sale alerts.
Jetsetter is members-only but for a limited time all iPhone users can shop the app without having to join. If you like it, use this link for membership access.
High end travelers purchasing pricey vacations demand high quality customer service. This past week, Jetsetter’s eight-person, NYC based service team interacted with more than 2,500 members. In fact, according to Jetsetter, more than 90% of calls were answered in under 20 seconds. They also boasted a 100% resolution rate to the members’ request on all snowstorm based questions. Suddenly online customer service got a lot more personal.
According to a post-stay customer survey conducted in August 2010, 84 % of Jetsetter members booked a hotel based exclusively on Jetsetter’s recommendation. And upon return, 90% said they would recommend the hotel to a friend.
We recently wrote about Jetsetter’s partnership with travel exploration site Wanderfly, and Jetsetter CEO Drew Patterson thinks 2011 will be the year of inspiration.
“There are dozens of travel sites helping travelers get from Point A to Point B, but no one website helps travelers decide where to go. Jetsetter is like a glossy travel magazine, inspiring vacation ideas through beautiful photography and first person reviews, but it also provides the ease of booking and price transparency of a traditional travel site.”
Jetsetter currently has four employees working fulltime on mobile and they are hiring additional engineers. An Android app is coming next. And the iPad is of course coming and “will blow minds” according to Jetsetter. Stay tuned for an upcoming interview with skateboarding and karaoke-ing CEO Drew Patterson about what’s in store for Jetsetter in 2011.
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