4. Expanded Feature Catalog (What Travellers and Travel Pros Ask For)
Each feature is classified: TS / D / X / L. Priority is for the recommended wedge (the travel-advisor and agency tool): P0 = v1, P1 = next, P2 = later, — = don't build.
4.1 Planning (advisor-side)
| Feature | Category | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client brief → AI draft itinerary (days, budget, pace, interests, constraints) | TS for consumers / D for advisors | P0 | The advisor edits instead of writing from scratch. Aim for 2–3 hours cut to about 20 minutes. |
| Drag-and-drop day editor with realistic travel times and opening days | TS | P0 | Validate against real opening hours to avoid AI errors. |
| Supplier and content library (the agency's own hotels, drivers, guides, notes, photos) | D | P0 | Creates switching cost. The agency's knowledge becomes the product. |
| Branded proposal and quote (web link + PDF, pricing, inclusions and exclusions, T&Cs) | D | P0 | This is what wins the client. |
| WhatsApp-native sharing and updates | D (India, Middle East, SEA, LatAm) | P0 | Most competitors are email-first. |
| Templates and reusable days ("Classic Kerala 7D") | TS | P1 | Big time-saver. |
| Multi-option proposals (3 hotel tiers) | D | P1 | Raises conversion. |
| Hard-constraint checker: dietary (veg, Jain, halal), accessibility, kids, visa needs for the client's passport | D | P1 | A real gap. Source visa data from official sources and label it informational. |
| Lead and client CRM-lite (enquiries, follow-ups, status) | TS | P1 | Keep it light. Don't build Salesforce. |
| Payment links (to the agency's own gateway account) and payment schedule reminders | TS | P1 | Never hold customer funds. |
| Group trips: rooming lists, per-person costs, collecting payments from each traveller | D | P2 | Strong for tour operators and wedding or college trips. |
| B2B inventory (hotels and activities with net rates) | L now / D later | — (later) | It's the venture step (take-rate), but it's capital- and contract-heavy. |
4.2 In-trip companion (traveller-side, delivered by the advisor)
| Feature | Category | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traveller trip app (mobile web/PWA): itinerary, vouchers, tickets, contacts, maps | TS | P0 | Branded with the agency's logo. |
| Offline access | TS | P0 | Essential abroad. |
| Day-of reminders ("pickup at 8:30, driver Ramesh, +91…") | TS | P0 | Cuts 2 a.m. calls to the advisor. |
| Flight status alerts and gate or delay notifications | D | P1 | Paid data (FlightAware, Cirium, OAG). Meter it, and include it in a higher tier. |
| Adaptive re-planning (delay, weather, closure → suggested swap, advisor approves) | D | P1 | The "guide" feature done safely. The advisor stays in the loop. |
| Local "what's near me now" suggestions, based on the plan and preferences | D | P2 | Use a licensed places API and follow its display rules. |
| Official safety and advisory alerts | D / L | P2 | Official feeds only, labelled informational. |
| Chat with the advisor inside the trip app, or through a WhatsApp bridge | D | P1 | This is where the agency proves its value. |
| Translation phrases, currency, plug types, emergency numbers | TS | P2 | Commodity content, but expected. |
| AI chat "guide" (free-form Q&A about the destination) | TS / L | P2 | Hallucination risk. Ground it in the itinerary and trusted sources. |
| Audio guide at sights | X | — | VoiceMap and similar tools own this. Link out. |
| Human guide matching marketplace | L | — | Link to GetYourGuide or Viator affiliates, or to the agency's own guides. |
4.3 Consumer features (if you ever go direct to consumers)
| Feature | Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Booking-email import (TripIt-style) | TS | Expected by frequent travellers. |
| Collaborative group planning with voting | D | Wanderlog does it. Strong in friend groups. |
| Expense tracking and splitting | TS | Splitwise is the default. Integrate rather than rebuild. |
| Budget tracker | TS | — |
| Packing list generator | X | A novelty. Low value. |
| Price-drop alerts for flights and hotels | TS | Google, Hopper and Kayak do it free. |
| Points and miles optimisation | D (niche) | Real willingness to pay, but crowded (point.me, Roame, Seats.aero). A separate product. |
| eSIM, insurance and forex affiliates | TS (revenue) | Among the higher affiliate commissions in travel. A monetization add-on. |
| Trip journal and photo book | X | Nice to have, and nobody pays for it. |
| Carbon footprint | X | Stated demand, little usage. |
| Social feed of other travellers' trips | X / L | Moderation, cold start, privacy. |
4.4 Business travel (explicitly excluded)
Policy compliance, approvals, corporate cards, expense reports, duty-of-care tracking, negotiated rates. Classification: a separate product for a separate buyer. Don't build it.
4.5 Net effect
Out of about 40 features, about 10 go into the advisor v1. They're mostly workflow (brief → itinerary → proposal → trip app → reminders). They beat free consumer planners because they make a paying professional faster and more professional, not because the AI is smarter.