CarTrawler puts ride-hailing into airline mobile apps

CarTrawler, the technology platform that powers car rentals, chauffeurs, taxis and other ground transportation services, is adding on-demand ride hailing to its system.

Through a partnership with London-based startup Splyt, CarTrawler’s air and rail customers can now offer ride-hailing right in their mobile apps.

The integration comes through Splyt’s API that gives CarTrawler access to its marketplace of vendors including Careem, Cabify and MyTaxi.

“So rather than having Car Trawler go to every ride-hailing player separately, or every airline going to every ride-hailing player separately and doing separate negotiations, separate invoicing relationships, and separate integrations, we bundle it into a single marketplace and become that single source of access to global on demand inventory,” says Philipp Mintchin, founder and CEO of Splyt.

Travelers will be able to compare different local ride options and book their selection in the airline’s app as soon as they land.

Payments will be managed via the airline app and carriers will have the option to allow frequent flyer program members to use points or airmiles to pay for the ride. 

CarTrawler currently has around 100 airlines and 2,500 online travel brand partners on its books.

Mintchin says the partnership allows airlines and rail companies to provide a more seamless experience for travelers by eliminating the burden of downloading and giving payment details to multiple apps. 

“It’s about retaining the user, it’s about the user interacting with your brand - not just before or after booking - and it’s about ancillary products that differentiate yourself from your competitors,” he says.

Splyt launched in 2015 as a consumer-focused app and then pivoted in December 2016 to become a B2B mobility marketplace. The company currently provides access to on-demand transportation in more than 360 cities across 29 countries.

Mintchin says they are continually adding new ride-hailing services to the marketplace, but he could not comment on whether they may add Uber or Lyft.