Beating the Rental Car Companies & Hotel Chains, with AutoSlash’s Jonathan Weinberg
The Thrifty Traveler Podcast
Early Industry Pushback to AutoSlash
Jonathan recounts AutoSlash's launch, rapid user uptake, and the rental car industry's hostile reaction in the first weeks.
This week, a bonafide travel hacker and self-proclaimed “bad boy of the travel industry” joins the show to discuss his two services that help millions travel more for less.
Jonathan Weinberg is the founder and CEO of our beloved AutoSlash and, more recently, HotelSlash. So who better to hop on the podcast and make both Gunnar and Kyle smarter about the worlds of hotel and car rental booking? Jonathan talks about his career before getting into travel – including his firsthand experience being in the Twin Towers on 9/11 – and then walks us through how and why he founded the two money-saving booking platforms that Gunnar and Kyle use all the time. Plus, we chat about Georgia (the country, not the state) and get a little giddy about a handful of new Park Hyatt properties in the pipeline.
Thanks to HotelSlash for sponsoring this episode of the show! Try it out today: Use promo code THRIFTYTRAVELER for a free 90-day trial – plus, get $20 off your first prepaid booking!
00:00 - A quick note about today’s episode
00:18 - Introducing AutoSlash and HotelSlash CEO, Jonathan Weinberg!
01:48 - Ruffling feathers in the travel industry
06:55 - Something Hot: Why we can’t stop talking about Georgia (the country, not the state) and a flight deal to get you there
12:45 - Something Hotter: Park Hyatts are renovating, opening, and expanding all over the world - our favorites are…
16:40 - A word from our sponsor: HotelSlash, the easiest way to book a cheaper hotel stay - and rebook when prices drop
17:47 - Jonathan’s path into the travel industry: A travel-filled childhood, working on Wall Street, finding flight deals, & more
24:00 - A harrowing experience inside World Trade Center Tower 2 on Sept. 11, 2001 - read Jonathan’s firsthand account
29:20 - The how & why behind AutoSlash
33:43 - Pivoting to HotelSlash and how it’s different from other hotel booking sites
41:10 - Becoming “bad boys of the travel industry”
47:15 - International driver’s permits: Do you need them?
50:35 - Listener Feedback: Amy’s wins in Montana,including a sweet rental car deal
53:00 - On the spot: Gunnar and Kyle’s thoughts on hidden city ticketing (or “Skiplagging”)
Produced and edited by Sylvia Thomas
Show music: “All That” by Benjamin Tissot
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