How to Send Automated Emails From Your Travel Booking Website

Running a travel booking website means dealing with a lot of emails. Booking confirmations, trip reminders, follow-ups, you name it. And if you’re sending these manually, you’re probably spending way too much time on it.

Here’s the thing: most of this can be automated. I’m talking about emails that send themselves at exactly the right time, with the right information, without you having to do anything.

That’s what WP Travel Engine’s Advanced Email Automator does. And in this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to set it up and use it for your travel business.

What This Plugin Actually Does

Before we get into the setup, let’s be clear about what we’re dealing with.

The Advanced Email Automator is an add-on for WP Travel Engine. If you’re running a travel booking site on WordPress and using WP Travel Engine for bookings, this plugin automates your email communication based on what your customers do.

Someone books a trip? They get a confirmation email automatically. Trip starts tomorrow? They get a reminder. Trip just ended? They get a follow-up asking for a review.

You set it up once, and it runs itself. No more forgetting to send important emails or spending hours doing it manually.

Why You Actually Need This

Look, I get it. Another plugin, another expense. But here’s why this one matters.

You’ll save actual time. If you’re handling even 20 bookings a week, that’s dozens of emails you’re probably sending manually. Each one takes a few minutes. That adds up fast.

Your customers expect it. People are used to getting instant confirmations, reminders, and follow-ups. When they don’t get them, they worry. They email you asking if their booking went through. Now you’re dealing with support tickets instead of just sending an automated email.

You won’t forget things. We’re all human. When you’re busy, emails get forgotten. Someone books a trip three months out, and when it gets close to the departure date, you forget to send the reminder. With automation, that doesn’t happen.

It looks professional. Timely, well-written emails make your business look organized and reliable. That matters when people are trusting you with their vacation plans.

What You Need Before Starting

Here’s what you need to have in place:

• WordPress 5.0 or higher (you’re probably already good here)
• WP Travel Engine plugin installed and active
• A license for the Advanced Email Automator addon
• Basic familiarity with your WordPress dashboard

That’s it. You don’t need to know how to code or understand complex technical stuff.

Installing the Plugin

This part is straightforward, but I’ll walk through it anyway.

Step 1: After you purchase the addon, you’ll get a zip file. Download it and keep it handy.

Step 2: Go to your WordPress dashboard. Click on Plugins, then Add New, then Upload Plugin.

Step 3: Click Choose File and select the zip file you downloaded. Click Install Now.

Step 4: Once it installs, click Activate.

Step 5: Now, here’s the important part: you need to activate your license. Go to WP Travel Engine in your sidebar, then Extensions. Find Advanced Email Automator in the list, enter your license key, and click Activate.

You need this license activation to get updates and support. Don’t skip it.

Understanding How the System Works

Before you start creating emails, you need to understand the basic concept.

The system works on triggers. A trigger is just an event that causes an email to be sent. For example:

• New Trip Booked triggers when someone completes a booking
• Before Trip Starts triggers a certain time before departure
• After Trip Ends triggers after someone returns
• Enquiry Form Submitted triggers when someone fills out your inquiry form

Each trigger lets you send a specific email. You create the email content, choose the trigger, and set any timing details. Then the system watches for that trigger and sends the email automatically.

That’s the whole concept. Triggers and emails.

Setting Up Your First Automated Email

Let’s create your first automation. We’ll do a booking confirmation email since that’s probably the most important one.

Go to the settings page. In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to WP Travel Engine, then Settings, then Email, then Notifications.

This is where all your email automations live.

Click Create Notification. You’ll see a button at the top of the page. Click it.

Now you’re looking at the configuration page. Here’s what each field means:

Title

This is just for you. It’s how you’ll identify this automation in your list. Something like “Booking Confirmation Email” works fine. Make it descriptive so you know what it does at a glance.

Trigger Event

This dropdown is where you choose what triggers this email. For a booking confirmation, select “New Trip Booked.”

Here are all the available triggers:

• New Trip Booked (right after someone completes booking)
• Before Trip Starts (send X days/hours before departure)
• After Trip Ends (send X days/hours after return)
• Enquiry Form Submitted (when someone contacts you)
• Review Submitted (when someone leaves a review)
• Booking Pending (when someone starts but doesn’t complete the booking)
• Remaining Partial Payment Done (requires Partial Payments addon)
• Due Payment Pending (requires Partial Payments addon)

For now, stick with “New Trip Booked.”

Schedule Settings

This appears for time-based triggers like “Before Trip Starts” or “After Trip Ends.” You can set exactly when the email sends.

For example, you might send a trip reminder “1 day before the trip starts” or a follow-up “2 days after the trip ends.”

For a booking confirmation, you don’t need this. It sends immediately after booking.

Subject Line

This is what people see in their inbox. Make it clear and useful.

Good examples:

• “Your [Trip Name] Booking is Confirmed”
• “Booking Confirmation for [Customer Name]”
• “Trip Confirmation: [Trip Name] on [Start Date]”

Bad examples:

• “Important information” (too vague)
• “Booking notification” (sounds automated and impersonal)

Email Content

Here’s where you write the actual email. Use the editor to format text, add links, and structure your message.

But here’s where it gets useful: you can use placeholders to automatically insert customer-specific information.

Placeholders are code snippets that get replaced with real data. For example:

• {customer_name} becomes the customer’s actual name
• {trip_title} becomes the name of the trip they booked
• {booking_date} becomes the date they made the booking
• {trip_start_date} becomes when their trip starts
• {trip_end_date} becomes when their trip ends
• {payment_amount} becomes what they paid

So instead of writing “Dear customer,” you write “Dear {customer_name},” and each person gets their own name in the email.

Here’s a simple booking confirmation template you can use:

Hi {customer_name},

Thanks for booking with us. Your trip is confirmed.

Here are your booking details:

Trip: {trip_title}
Start Date: {trip_start_date}
End Date: {trip_end_date}
Amount Paid: {payment_amount}
Booking Date: {booking_date}

We'll send you a reminder closer to your departure date. If you have any questions, just reply to this email.

Looking forward to your trip,
[Your Company Name]

Simple, clear, and it uses placeholders to personalize automatically.

Enable/Disable Toggle

At the top of the notification, there’s a toggle switch. Make sure it’s turned on. If it’s off, the email won’t send even though you created it.

This is useful later when you want to temporarily pause an automation without deleting it.

Click Save. Your first automation is now live.

Creating More Useful Automations

Now that you know the basics, let’s set up a few more automations that actually help your business.

Trip Reminder Email

This one sends a day before someone’s trip starts. It’s helpful because people appreciate the reminder, and it reduces anxiety.

Create a new notification. Go back to Notifications and click Create Notification.

Set up the basics:

• Title: “Trip Reminder – 1 Day Before”
• Trigger: “Before Trip Starts”
• Schedule: “1 day before”

Write the subject line: “Your {trip_title} trip starts tomorrow”

Write the email content:

Hi {customer_name},

Just a reminder that your {trip_title} adventure starts tomorrow ({trip_start_date}).

Here are a few things to prepare:

- Bring a valid ID
- Check the weather and pack accordingly
- Arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes early
- Have our contact number saved: [your phone]

If you need anything or have last-minute questions, call or email us.

See you tomorrow,
[Your Company Name]

Save and enable it.

Post-Trip Follow-Up

This automation asks for reviews and keeps customers engaged after they return.

Create a new notification.

Settings:

• Title: “Post-Trip Follow-Up”
• Trigger: “After Trip Ends”
• Schedule: “2 days after”

Subject line: “How was your {trip_title} experience?”

Email content:

Hi {customer_name},

Hope you had an amazing time on your {trip_title} trip.

We'd love to hear about your experience. Would you mind leaving us a quick review? It really helps other travelers.

[Link to review page]

And if you're already thinking about your next adventure, here are a few trips you might like:

[Link to similar trips]

Thanks for traveling with us,
[Your Company Name]

Save and enable.

Inquiry Response

When someone fills out your inquiry form, they should get an immediate response.

Create a new notification.

Settings:

• Title: “Inquiry Auto-Response”
• Trigger: “Enquiry Form Submitted”

Subject line: “Thanks for your inquiry about {trip_title}”

Email content:

Hi {customer_name},

Thanks for reaching out about {trip_title}. We received your message and will get back to you within 24 hours.

In the meantime, here are a few resources that might help:

- [Link to trip details page]
- [Link to FAQ]
- [Link to contact page]

If your question is urgent, feel free to call us at [your phone number].

Talk soon,
[Your Company Name]

Save and enable.

Pending Payment Reminder

Sometimes people start booking but don’t complete payment. This gentle reminder can help convert them.

Create a new notification.

Settings:

• Title: “Pending Payment Reminder”
• Trigger: “Booking Pending”

Subject line: “Complete your booking for {trip_title}”

Email content:

Hi {customer_name},

Looks like you started booking {trip_title} but didn't finish the payment process.

Your spot isn't reserved yet, but you can complete your booking anytime:

[Link to complete booking]

If you ran into any issues or have questions, just reply to this email. We're here to help.

[Your Company Name]

Save and enable.

Making Your Emails Better

Once your basic automations are running, here are some ways to improve them.

Use conversational language

Your emails don’t need to sound like legal documents. Write like you’re talking to someone. Use “you” and “we.” Keep sentences short.

Get the timing right

For pre-trip emails, one day before is usually good. Too early, and people forget. Too close and they might miss it.

For post-trip emails, 2-3 days after return works well. People need a day to recover, but their experience is still fresh.

Test everything

Before you launch any automation live, test it. Create a test booking with your own email address. Make sure the email sends, the timing is right, and all the placeholders work.

Go to your notification settings and temporarily change the timing to something shorter (like 5 minutes) for testing. Just remember to change it back.

Make placeholders work for you

Don’t just use the basic ones. Check the documentation for all available placeholders. Some useful ones:

• Payment status information
• Booking reference numbers
• Customer phone numbers
• Trip duration
• Number of travelers

Create email sequences

Don’t just send one email per trigger. Think about the whole customer journey.

For example, after someone books:

1. Immediate confirmation
2. Two weeks before: packing list and preparation tips
3. One day before: final reminder with meeting details
4. Two days after: follow-up and review request
5. One week after: next trip suggestions

You can set up multiple automations for the same general timeframe but with different purposes.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Emails not sending

First, check if the notification toggle is enabled. Sounds basic, but it’s easy to forget.

Next, check your SMTP settings. WordPress’ default email sending isn’t always reliable. Install WP Mail SMTP or similar and configure it with a proper email service.

Finally, verify the trigger conditions are actually being met. A “New Trip Booked” email won’t send if bookings aren’t going through properly.

Placeholders showing up as text

If you see {customer_name} In the actual email, instead of the person’s name, check your syntax. Make sure you’re using the exact placeholder names from the documentation.

Some placeholders only work with certain booking types. If data doesn’t exist, the placeholder won’t work.

Wrong timing on scheduled emails

Check your WordPress timezone settings. Go to Settings, then General, and verify the timezone is set correctly for your location.

Also, double-check the schedule settings in the notification itself. Make sure you set “before” vs “after” correctly.

Emails are going to spam

This is usually an SMTP configuration issue. Make sure you’re using a proper transactional email service like SendGrid, Mailgun, or WP Mail SMTP with proper authentication.

Also, check your email content. Avoid spam trigger words, don’t use all caps, and include a proper sender name and address.

Advanced Tips for Getting More Value

Segment by customer behavior

If you notice certain customers book similar types of trips, create specialized email sequences for those segments. Adventure travelers get different follow-ups than luxury travelers.

Add upsells strategically

After someone books, send them an email a few days later suggesting add-ons or upgrades. Don’t do this immediately; it feels pushy. Wait a bit.

Use email for retention

Most businesses focus on getting new customers. But past customers are easier to convert. Set up a series of emails that go out months after a trip, suggesting new destinations.

Track what works

Pay attention to which emails get opened and clicked. If your post-trip emails have low open rates, maybe the timing is off or the subject line needs work.

Respect preferences

Always include an unsubscribe option. Make it easy to find. If someone opts out, honor it immediately.

Working with Other Plugins

The Advanced Email Automator works well with other WP Travel Engine addons.

Partial Payments addon adds extra triggers for payment installments. If you offer payment plans, you’ll want this.

Email Customizer addon lets you design better-looking email templates with branding and custom layouts. The Automator handles when emails are sent, the Customizer handles how they look.

Both plugins work together, but handle different things.

What This Means for Your Business

Here’s the practical impact of setting this up properly.

You’ll save time. Even with just 30 bookings a month, you’re saving hours of manual email work. That’s time you can spend on marketing, improving your offerings, or just not working.

Customers will have a better experience. They get timely information exactly when they need it. That reduces anxiety and support questions.

You’ll look more professional. Automated emails that arrive at the right time make your business seem organized and established, even if you’re a one-person operation.

You’ll get more reviews. Sending a review request at the right time (2-3 days after the trip) dramatically increases the chances someone will actually leave one.

You won’t lose sales to forgetfulness. Those pending payment reminders convert people who got distracted. Without them, those bookings are just lost.

Getting Started Today

Start simple. Don’t try to set up every automation at once.

Do these first:

1. Booking confirmation (immediate)
2. Trip reminder (1 day before)
3. Post-trip follow-up (2 days after)

Get those working properly, then add more over time.

Test everything with real bookings (use your own email). Make sure the timing works and the placeholders populate correctly.

Then let it run. Check back after a week or two to see if emails are sending as expected.

That’s really all there is to it. The plugin handles the technical stuff. You just need to write decent emails and choose the right timing.

Final Thoughts

Email automation isn’t complicated, but it makes a real difference in how your travel business runs.

You’re not replacing personal communication. You’re handling the repetitive stuff automatically so you can spend more time on things that actually need your personal attention.

The setup takes a few hours. But once it’s done, it runs itself and saves you time every single week.

If you’re still sending booking confirmations and trip reminders manually, you’re wasting time you could be using to grow your business. Set up the Advanced Email Automator, get your basic automations running, and move on to more important things.

That’s it. Now you know how to set up automated emails for your travel booking site. Go do it.