Business need
Some may say that a plane is one of the most antisocial environment, mainly because people are stuck there for long hours with a barely pleasant company. But what is worse, even after a flight is over, they still need to spend hours at the airports, killing time during long layovers.
Surely modern airports offer a wide range of entertainments and promotions like shops, cafes, art galleries, and more, but do not make socializing easier.
Solution
Softarex Technologies, Inc. has taken part in developing a mobile platform that can connect people of the same interests on their trips. With this application, users can search for the most suitable company for a flight or arrange a pleasant pastime during a long layover at an airport.
There was no system on the market that would not only relieve the boredom at airports check-ins, boards passing, and flights waiting, but also add more ease to a flight by making new acquaintances or finding someone who will not break into the comfort bubble. The market has been facing a lack of a solution for this. That is why the main goal was to create one.
What was achieved:
- Passengers can now forget about the unpleasant companies since every trip can be accompanied by the people alike or at least someone who respects their personal spac.
- Airports may turn into much better place and trips can become way more beneficial with the airport chats. Fancy for a drink? Want to share a taxi? Looking for a company to spend an hour or so in a cafe? Every user can propose an activity, add location pin and get ready to receive dozens of replies. Simple as that.
Technologies
- Java 8
- React Native
- PostgreSQL
- Redis
Project Results
With the help of the application, passengers can now totally change the way they travel using the following functions:
- Personal profile. Users can create profiles and briefly outline their personal info, interests, business areas, and preferred activities during the trip. There is no worry that someone unwelcome would see sensitive info as access to each profile field can be easily modified.
- Flights search. Cost and duration tend to be the main factors that influence the user’s choice of flight, also that could be airline and layover hubs. But this app allows users to take another important parameter into account: the passengers. The powerful search engines allow to look through all the existing flights and check who has already joined them.
- Connections. Once users find an interesting company among registered passengers, they can send a connection request and chat when it is accepted.
- Blacklist. Of course, there is no guarantee that every passenger would be nice and friendly. People are people and everything might happen, but bullying and harassment are restricted in this app, so each user can block a troll and report abuse.
- Airport chats. There is a space created for each and every airport, which user joins automatically once they arrive in. Of course, thousands of users in a single chat might cause a flood, so the app has the option to create threads for proposing one of the predefined activities: Restaurant, Beer, Coffee, Share a taxi, and Shuttle. Users can add their current location tag, a comment, and wait for replies. When users leave an airport – they leave its chat and all their threads expire.
- Flight chats. It is another channel that unites all the passengers who have joined a flight. Met a person on a plane but don’t remember their name? Lost something? Or just curious who else is flying with you? All the answers can be found in this chat. Might sound like there are too many chats, but the flight chats expire in a day after a plane lands, leaving a place for new connections.
- Trending. Users can mark the purpose of a trip and see where else do people fly with the same intentions. It may help to find another suitable option.