Trip Plus utilizes a concise 11-slide Demo Day deck to pitch a travel platform designed to help users 'earn award travel faster.' The core value proposition, as shown on slide 3, is that paying a small premium (e.g., $60) can result in significantly higher mileage yields, potentially leading to a free award ticket. The company targets a specific market segment: travelers who fly 2-5 times annually and mix international and domestic routes. By the time of this presentation, Trip Plus had achieved a $1M run rate for 2017 and established partnerships with major industry players like Priceline an…
Key takeaways
- The company positions itself with the tagline 'Earn award travel faster and more easily' on slide 1.
- A specific product example on slide 3 shows that paying $60 more for a $690 ticket can yield 12,914 miles (51% of an award goal) versus just 3,446 miles (13% of a goal).
- The target audience is defined on slide 4 as passengers flying 2-5 times annually, positioned between frequent flyers and budget travelers.
- Trip Plus cites a total market context of 3.7 billion air travel passengers in 2016 on slide 4.
- The platform lists eight major partners on slide 5, including Priceline, Skyscanner, HotelsCombined, and Bankrate.
- The company reported a $1M run rate for the year 2017 on slide 6.
- The deck omits a dedicated team slide, though Ryan Lin is identified as Co-founder and CEO on slide 1.
- There is no explicit 'Ask' slide or breakdown of how investment funds will be utilized in the provided slides.
Executive Summary: The Travel Hacker for the Masses
Trip Plus presents a focused value proposition in its 500 Startups Demo Day deck. The company aims to democratize 'travel hacking' by automating the complex calculations required to maximize airline mileage accrual. By shifting the consumer's focus from the absolute lowest price to the highest value-per-mile, Trip Plus identifies a lucrative middle ground in the travel market. With a reported $1M run rate in 2017, the deck serves as a proof of concept for a specialized meta-search engine that appeals to the aspirational traveler.
Slide 1: Title and Identity
The deck opens with a clean, minimalist title slide. The logo for Trip+ is prominent, accompanied by the sub-headline: "Earn award travel faster and more easily." This immediately establishes the company's purpose. Ryan Lin is introduced as the Co-founder and CEO of Tripplus Travel Service Inc. The branding is consistent, using a palette of orange and dark grey that persists throughout the presentation.
Slide 2: The Vision Statement
Slide 2 is a transition slide featuring a large dollar sign watermark and the text: "Let's spend smarter together." This slide serves to pivot the conversation from 'saving money' to 'spending intelligently.' It sets the stage for the product demonstration by suggesting that the cheapest option is not always the smartest option for the long-term traveler.
Slide 3: The Product Value Proposition
This is the core functional slide of the deck. It uses a side-by-side comparison to illustrate the "Trip Plus Choice." On the left, a screenshot of the interface shows a flight from SFO to TPE for $690 . Below the price, the platform calculates the mileage yield for different programs. It highlights that by "Paying $60 more," a user can earn 12,914 miles (51% of an award goal) via Singapore Airlines, compared to only 3,446 miles (13% of a goal) via United Airlines for a cheaper fare. The equation on the slide is simple: Trip+ + Miles = Earn a free award ticket. This slide effectively quantifies the benefit of the service in terms that any traveler can understand.
Slide 4: Market Segmentation
Trip Plus uses a pyramid graphic to define its Total Addressable Market (TAM). Citing 3.7 Billion Air Travel Passengers in 2016 , the slide segments the market into three tiers: Frequent Flyers at the top, Budget Air Passengers at the bottom, and the target audience in the middle. The target is defined as those with an "Avg. Annual fly: 2~5" and a "Combination of int'l & domestic travel." This is a strategic choice; frequent flyers already know how to hack miles, and budget flyers won't pay a premium. The middle tier represents a massive, underserved population that desires luxury travel but lacks the expertise to optimize for it.
Slide 5: The Partner Ecosystem
To establish credibility, slide 5 displays the logos of eight major partners. These include Priceline, Skyscanner, HotelsCombined, Bankrate, Money101.com.tw, CardBenefit, and CreditCards.com. The inclusion of credit card comparison sites (Bankrate, CreditCards.com) is a strong signal regarding the company's secondary revenue stream: referring users to high-yield travel credit cards that complement their mileage goals. The presence of Skyscanner and Priceline suggests that Trip Plus is integrated into the broader travel booking infrastructure.
Slide 6: Traction and Closing
The final slide in the provided sequence serves as the 'mic drop' for the Demo Day pitch. It features the bold headline "EVERYONE CAN BE A TRAVEL HACKER" and a large callout for a "$1M 2017 Run Rate." By placing this figure next to the product interface, the company demonstrates that its theoretical value proposition has translated into actual market demand. The slide also includes the company URL (tripplus.cc) and contact information for the CEO, including an AngelList link.
What Trip Plus Does Well
The deck excels at visualizing a complex benefit. Mileage programs are notoriously difficult to navigate, but slide 3 boils the entire business model down to a simple math problem: is $60 worth 9,000 extra miles? For most travelers, the answer is yes, and Trip Plus makes that calculation instantaneous. Furthermore, the market segmentation on slide 4 is highly disciplined. By explicitly excluding the top and bottom of the pyramid, the founders show investors they understand exactly who their customer is and, more importantly, who they are not.
What is Missing from the Deck
As is common with Demo Day decks, several critical pieces of information are omitted to maintain a fast pace:
Team Slide: Beyond the CEO, there is no mention of the engineering or travel industry expertise behind the platform. · Competition: There is no mention of existing tools like ExpertFlyer or Point.me (formerly Juicy Miles), which compete in the award optimization space. · Unit Economics: While the $1M run rate is impressive, the deck does not disclose the Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) or the average commission per booking. · The Ask: The slides do not state how much capital is being raised or what the specific milestones for the next 18 months are.
Founder's Playbook: Lessons to Copy
Founders should look at slide 3 as a masterclass in demonstrating value. Instead of explaining the algorithm, they show the result of the algorithm. If your product saves time or increases yield, show a 'before and after' or a 'this vs. that' comparison. Additionally, the use of industry logos on slide 5 provides immediate 'borrowed authority.' If you are a small startup, showing that you are integrated with giants like Priceline or Skyscanner reduces the perceived risk for an investor. Finally, the bold declaration of a run rate on the final slide ensures that the audience leaves with a specific, hard metric in mind, which is essential for standing out in a crowded Demo Day lineup.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary problem Trip Plus is solving?
- Trip Plus addresses the inefficiency of standard travel booking, where users often choose the absolute lowest price without considering the value of the miles earned. As shown on slide 3, the platform identifies flights that cost slightly more but offer disproportionately higher mileage rewards, helping users reach 'free' award tickets significantly faster than they would through traditional search engines.
- Who is the target customer for Trip Plus?
- According to the market pyramid on slide 4, the company targets the middle tier of travelers. These are individuals who fly between 2 and 5 times per year and engage in a combination of domestic and international travel. They are not 'budget' flyers who only care about the lowest fare, nor are they 'frequent flyers' who likely already have established loyalty strategies.
- How does Trip Plus generate revenue?
- While a specific business model slide is not included in the provided set, slide 5 lists several affiliate and lead-generation partners such as Priceline, Skyscanner, and CreditCards.com. This suggests a revenue model based on commissions from flight and hotel bookings, as well as potential referral fees for credit card sign-ups related to mileage programs.
- What traction had the company achieved at the time of the deck?
- The company demonstrated significant early traction by reporting a $1M run rate for 2017, as stated on slide 6. This figure, combined with the list of established industry partners on slide 5, indicates that the platform had successfully moved past the MVP stage and was actively processing transactions or generating significant referral volume.
- What critical information is missing from this pitch deck?
- The deck is missing several standard venture components: a detailed team slide (beyond the CEO), a competitive landscape analysis, unit economics (CAC/LTV), and a specific funding ask. However, as a Demo Day deck, it is designed to be a high-level teaser to secure follow-up meetings rather than a comprehensive due diligence document.
