Travel Companion Exchange

Last updated

Travel Companion Exchange (TCE) was a travel companion matching service established by Jens Jurgen in 1982. [1] As the first [2] general interest travel companion matching service in existence, it became the forerunner of many similar services and helped pioneer and legitimize the field of singles matching services in general. It was the largest [3] and most successful [4] of its type at the time.

Contents

History

While traveling alone through Europe Jurgen developed the idea for a companion matching service for travelers. He already was operating a similar program for members who shared a common interest in the arts, and he had written several short books on travel subjects. Using the mailing list of those who had contacted him with inquiries about the books, he sent a questionnaire to gauge their interest in finding a travel companion. Met with an overwhelming positive response, he commenced on the larger service.

Initially, his goal was to provide a service that would help travelers save money by sharing expenses, particularly to avoid the single supplement levied by cruise ship operators. He did not at first think that the service would serve as a matchmaker. However, he found that more than 70 percent of his clients either requested companions of the opposite sex or were willing to accept them; fewer than 15 percent wanted private rooms. [5]

He developed a profile questionnaire that identified key personal habits and preferences that would impact on compatibility while traveling. After completing the questionnaire and mailing it to the TCE office, members were mailed a monthly summary of the profiles of all members with current travel plans or desires. They could then request the full profiles and contact information for those they were interested in.

The novelty and utility of the service soon resulted in write-ups in major publications like the Los Angeles Times [6] and Prevention magazine, [7] which generated a flood of inquiries. [8] As a result, the business grew quickly, and within a year it had 2,500 active members [9] in 48 states, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Japan. [10] By 1997 it had served over 70,000 members. [11] No figures are available for the total number of members it had in the full 20 years it was in operation.

The monthly mailings were accompanied by a newsletter in which Jurgen shared tips drawn from his wealth of experience in the travel sector, and from the contributions of members and other travel professionals. This newsletter was rated by Newsday as "one of the three best general travel newsletters." [12]

The profile was so successful in indicating potentially compatible partners that the service suffered an unusually high turn-over due to members finding a permanent partner and dropping their memberships. [13]

Jurgen operated the business out of his home in Amityville, NY, at first alone, then with staff made necessary by the increased workload. Competing services soon sprang up, and they began to use the Internet, reaching a larger audience at a lower cost. Jurgen, however, resisted transferring TCE to the Web due to his concern over the privacy and safety of his members, citing the difficulty of verifying the identity of online applicants. He did, however, put up home pages which directed visitors to the mailing address and phone numbers of the Amityville office.

Jurgen closed the business in 2003 for personal reasons.

Founder

Originally from Germany, Jurgen was a mechanical engineer who worked for Long Island Light Co. While there, he started the employees' travel program, chartering flights to Europe, and began researching and writing on travel subjects. In 1976, after a divorce, he quit his job and toured Europe in an RV for three years. [14]

Jurgen wrote and self-published several books during his career, including: Guide to Air Charter Groups and Air Travel Bargains (1967) European Car Ferry Services (1971) and Air Travel & Charter Flight Handbook (1973) The latter book led to his being called as an expert witness on air travel matters before a US Senate Committee which ultimately led to the airline deregulation hearings. [10]

These books also brought such a quantity of inquiries by mail that he organized his own charter travel club and operated it until 1973. [6]

He continued to write and publish other travel titles: Charter Flight Directory, subtitled "How To Fly for Less" (1976,1977 and 1978 editions) and 1001 sources for Free Travel Information – Valuable Freebies You Should Know About (1978) Accumulated tips from the TCE newsletter were compiled into a 24-page booklet called Foiling Pickpockets and Other Travel-related Scams (1997 and 2000 editions) which became recognized as the best consumer guide available [15] and Jurgen was frequently quoted in articles on the subject. [16] The titles were all well received by the public, and in total, he sold approximately 120,000 copies of the books.

In 1997, he married Eul Lee, whom he had met through TCE. She became his partner in the business as well – in fact, the demands of the work were such that they could only drive to Philadelphia for a few days for their honeymoon.

Revival

After his retirement, Jurgen retained ownership of the domain names he had used for TCE as well as several other travel related domains. [17] In 2011 he sold the www.travelcompanionexchange.com domain to Brian Eugene, a former member of TCE, who revived it as an Internet-only travel companion matching service. [18] [19]

Related Research Articles

Paved and unpaved roadways, as well as railways, provide the main forms of transport in Madagascar. Madagascar has approximately 31,640 km (19,660 mi) of paved roads and 836 km of rail lines. In 2010, Madagascar had 432 km (270 mi) of navigable waterways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amityville, New York</span> Village in New York, United States

Amityville is a village in the Town of Babylon in Suffolk County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 9,500 at the 2020 census. The village maintains its own accredited law enforcement agency the Amityville Police Department known for very fast response times to calls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frequent-flyer program</span> Airline loyalty program

A frequent-flyer programme (FFP) is a loyalty program offered by an airline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin R. Kregel</span> American astronaut (born 1956)

Kevin Richard Kregel is an American former astronaut, and former member of the Space Launch Initiative Project at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.

<i>The Amityville Horror</i> 1977 book by Jay Anson

The Amityville Horror is a book by American author Jay Anson, published in September 1977. It is also the basis of a series of films released from 1979 onward. The book is based on the claims of paranormal experiences by the Lutz family, but has led to controversy and lawsuits over its truthfulness.

Canada 3000 Airlines Inc. was a Canadian discount charter airline offering domestic and international flights. It was the largest charter airline in the world at the time of its operation, with over 90 destinations worldwide, although it changed to scheduled service in 2000 after the Canadian Airlines and Air Canada merger. Canada 3000 competed with Air Canada, WestJet, and fellow charter airline Air Transat. In November 2001, the airline went out of business after a sharp decline in revenues following the September 11 attacks in the United States. There have been several attempts to restart the airline since then. The airline was headquartered in Etobicoke in the west-end of Toronto, Ontario.

eHarmony Dating website

eHarmony is an online dating website launched in 2000. eHarmony is based in Los Angeles, California, and owned by Nucom ecommerce, a joint venture of German mass media company ProSiebenSat.1 Media and American private equity firm General Atlantic.

<i>The Amityville Horror</i> (2005 film) Film by Andrew Douglas

The Amityville Horror is a 2005 American supernatural horror film directed by Andrew Douglas, and starring Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George, and Philip Baker Hall. It also featured the debut of actress Chloë Grace Moretz. Written by Scott Kosar, it is based on the novel The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson, which was previously adapted into the 1979 film of the same name, while also serving as the ninth film in the Amityville Horror film series, and was also served as inspiration for The Conjuring 2, which documents the experiences of the Lutz family after they move into a house at 112 Ocean Avenue, Long Island. In 1974, real-life mass murderer Ronald DeFeo Jr. killed six members of his family at the same house in Amityville, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Titan Airways</span> British charter airline

Titan Airways Limited is a British charter airline based at London Stansted Airport. The carrier specialises in short-notice ACMI and wet lease operations, as well as ad-hoc passenger and cargo charter services to tour operators, corporations, governments, and the sports and entertainment sectors. The company holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence, permitting it to carry passengers, cargo and mail, on aircraft with 20 or more seats.

<i>The Time Travelers Wife</i> 2003 novel by Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler's Wife is the debut novel by American author Audrey Niffenegger, published in 2003. It is a love story about Henry, a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably, and about Clare, his wife, an artist who has to cope with his frequent absences. Niffenegger, who was frustrated with love when she began the novel, wrote the story as a metaphor for her failed relationships. The tale's central relationship came to Niffenegger suddenly and subsequently supplied the novel's title. The novel has been classified as both science fiction and romance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Scouting overseas</span>

There have been American Scouts overseas since almost the inception of the movement, often for similar reasons as the present day. Within the Scouting America formerly the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), these expatriate Scouts are now served by two overseas local Councils. Within the Girl Scouts of the USA, the USAGSO serves such a purpose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Ketcham (Indiana surveyor)</span> American politician (1782-1865)

Colonel John Ketcham was an American surveyor, building contractor and judge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross-strait charter</span> Charter flights flying directly between Taiwan and Mainland China

A cross-strait charter is a charter flight between Taiwan and mainland China, across the Taiwan Strait. After the Chinese Civil War, no direct flights were allowed between Taiwan and mainland China; this remained the case until 2003. Passengers had to transfer in a third city, such as Hong Kong, to complete their trip.

Hillman's Airways was a 1930s British airline which later became part of British Airways.

<i>Out & About</i> (newsletter)

Out & About, was a travel newsletter tailored for gay and lesbian travelers. It was founded in 1992. Until the publishing ceased in 2004, the newsletter was putting out a publication rich in detail and tinged with LGBT advocacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International flight</span> Commercial airplane flight between airports in separate countries

An international flight is a form of commercial flight within civil aviation where the departure and the arrival take place in different countries.

Air Commodore Peter James Drissell is a retired Royal Air Force officer. He is currently Director of Aviation Security at the Civil Aviation Authority. He previously served as Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment, and as a senior civil servant as Director Security and Business Continuity for the Home Office.

ENTREE Travel Newsletter is a travel newsletter by American writer Bill Tomicki. It bills itself as "An uncompromising and confidential travelers newsletter."

Brigadier Henry Coventry Maitland-Makgill-Crichton, was a Scottish senior officer in the British Army. A graduate of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Maitland served as an officer in the Royal Scots Fusiliers during the Second Boer War and the First World War. He was severely wounded in both conflicts and received multiple mentions in despatches.

Hadassah Magazine is an American magazine published by the Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization of America. It covers Israel, the Jewish world, and subjects of interest to American Jewish women. It was established in 1914.

References

  1. ↑ Brock, Fred (May 2, 1999). "Seniority: Matching Up, for Travel and More". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  2. ↑ Reynolds, Christopher (March 2, 1997). "Travelers Who Want To Solo Face High Prices For Solitude". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  3. ↑ Shea, Barbara (November 7, 1995). "Traveling Smart / Tips And Strategies – Help for Singles Seeking Bargains, Companions". Seattle Times. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  4. ↑ Allen, Jean (November 24, 1996). "The Lone Traveler's Lament". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  5. ↑ Brock, Fred (May 2, 1999). "Seniority; Matching Up, for Travel and More". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  6. 1 2 Hulse, Jerry (November 13, 1983). "Club for Lonely Single Travelers Produces Joy in Amityville Today". Los Angeles Times.
  7. ↑ sidebar, unattributed (July 1983). "Finding a Travel Companion". Prevention.
  8. ↑ Spano, Susan (February 6, 2000). "For the Widowed, Travel, Like Time, Helps Heal All Wounds". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  9. ↑ Brock, Fred (May 2, 1999). "Seniority: Matching Up, for Travel and More". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  10. 1 2 Hulse, Jerry (November 13, 1983). "Exchange helps singles find travel partners". The Bend Bulletin (LA Times Service). Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  11. ↑ Ketcham, Diane (March 23, 1997). "Romance in the Air". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  12. ↑ Simmonds, Robert B. (April 1998). "Pickpockets, Bag Snatchers and Other Travel Delights". The Mexico File Newsletter. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  13. ↑ "About TCE". Travel Companions Inc. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  14. ↑ Ketcham, Diane (March 23, 1997). "Romance in the Air". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  15. ↑ Yenkel, James T. (June 22, 1997). "Don't be Robbed of a Good Time". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  16. ↑ Gardner, Marilyn (October 22, 1997). "Savvy Travelers: Don't Be Outwitted By Pickpockets". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  17. ↑ Wegscheider, Jens. "Travel and Singles / Dating Business Domains for Sale" . Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  18. ↑ Perkins, Ed (October 3, 2012). "Seniors on the Go: How singles can avoid the gouge". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  19. ↑ admin (2018-05-23). "Travel Chums". Brickell Magazine. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.