TripIt, the site that creates customized travel itineraries from travel confirmation emails, is upgrading its premium version today to be even more useful. Now TripIt Pro will track any pro member’s flight itinerary so they are notified of a price drop that could trigger a potential airline refund.
TripIt Pro members will now be alerted by email and text message when they may be eligible for an airline credit or voucher. Any eligible flight within TripIt Pro is automatically monitored for post-purchase price drops. Consumers simply contact the airline via phone to obtain their credit, armed with the information TripIt Pro provides in its alerts.
The startup has activated the feature for a select number of beta testers and users have been receiving credits or vouchers ranging in value from $20-$600. It’s a no-brainer; and travelers have nothing to lose.
TripIt Pro now also features new benefits from partners; enrolled members will received a complimentary membership to Hertz #1 Club Gold and Regus Businessworld Gold (which is a $660 value). And the yearly fee for TripIt Pro has dropped from $69 to $49 (coincidentally this is about the same amount has you would pay to check-in two bags on most airlines).
TripIt Pro’s existing features include a notification via text or email when there is a flight delay, cancellation or gate change. If there is a need to reschedule, TripIt Pro finds alternate flights, including flight status and open seats. The service also tracks frequent traveler points all in one place and allows travelers to designate an inner circle of people with whom to share all their trips. And the premium service works on the startup’s mobile apps.
Update: TripIt’s official response regarding Yapta.
“TripIt built the technology for our flight refund feature from the ground up. Yapta is and continues to be a valued partner, but we were looking to develop a more seamless user experience where we automatically tracked flight itineraries for refunds with no effort on the part of the user. Any of our free TripIt users can still add TripIt itineraries to Yapta for tracking, though, and it’s a well trusted service used by millions.”
