Embarq is a new service put together by Air Canada that offers crowdsourced airline vacations to consumers that are unable to afford the initial ticket price. The program allows consumers to share their intended destination and reasons for going in the hopes that others will help to fund their trip through donations. The service helps millennials achieve their travel goals and visit places across the globe that they would otherwise be unable to afford to see.
Embarq works by allowing consumers to sign up to the program and then set a destination location, called a 'Wish.' The trip is then coupled with an explanation to why funding is needed, such as for a honeymoon, school trips, volunteer excursions or sporting games. If funding is received from fellow peers, Air Canada grants the user a gift card with the amount needed to book their trip.
Crowdfunded Airline Vacations
Air Canada's Embarq Service Provides Donation Funding For Airfaire
Trend Themes
1. Crowdsourced Vacation Funding - Create a platform where people can donate to help others achieve their travel goals and make travel more accessible.
2. Micro-donation-based Services - Develop services that allow people to donate small amounts of money to support others in achieving their goals or accessing services/products that they might not otherwise be able to afford.
3. Social Media-based Donation Platforms - Explore opportunities to leverage social media platforms to build communities of donors and recipients who can help each other reach their goals.
Industry Implications
1. Travel and Tourism - Develop innovative funding models or financing options that can help make travel more accessible and affordable to a wider range of consumers.
2. Donation-based Crowdfunding - Create new services or platforms that leverage the power of crowdfunding to help people access goods and services that might otherwise be out of reach.
3. Micro-gift Card Solutions - Develop new gift card models that allow micro-donations to be aggregated into larger sums that can be used to purchase goods or services, or fund experiences like vacations.