Flying
A social iPhone app for keeping track of upcoming trips
The airline industry has achieved a new level of universal hatred in recent years, and it has little do with TSA restrictions. Surprise fees, security management akin to cattle herding and consistently poor customer service turns what should be an exciting adventure into a painful voyage. In an attempt to bring a bit of positivity back to the act of air travel, a group of entrepreneurially-minded graduates from The Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design created Flying, an iPhone app that tracks flights, offers insights into travel patterns and integrates social options to connect with fellow travelers.
Flying adapts the social connectivity and reward incentives of an app like Foursquare with reputable, up-to-the-minute airline data from OAG for a comprehensive travel app. Aesthetically inspired by the more simple times of Pan Am era, the intuitive app makes it easy to add flight details and share them with friends who may be traveling at the same time. Plus the app delivers data visuals and tidbits of information after each trip.
As you continue to use Flying, you earn stamps that, in an effort to connect physical and digital design, were scanned from actual passport-like stamps. “Having travel milestones highlighted is a nice way to give travelers more self-awareness,” explains Flying co-founder Andrew Spitz on the idea behind the stamp rewards. And really, who among us hasn’t killed time waiting for a flight by flipping through their passport, recalling memories connected to each stamp. Flying helps capture and keep those memories feeling fresh.
As for the inevitable Tripit comparison, Flying feels like more of a cousin than a brother. “We have a different flavor and philosophy,” says Spitz. “And we don’t see ourselves as a competitor. Their technology is great and we hope to be able to integrate the Tripit API at some point to ease the process of adding flights.” While we haven’t boarded a plane since downloading Flying, we’re looking forward to a summer of experimenting with the nicely designed app. Download Flying for free now in the iTunes App Store.
Images by Graham Hiemstra and courtesy of Flying
