SeatCycle

SeatCycle helps airlines monetize unsold seats by offering last-minute discounts paired with smart future flight credits.Passengers get better value, while airlines increase revenue and future demand.

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Inspiration

SeatCycle was inspired by how opaque airline pricing feels, especially around add-ons like seats, upgrades, and hidden value. We wanted to flip the narrative: instead of extras feeling like sunk costs, they should feel like smart, value-generating decisions that benefit future travel.

What it does

SeatCycle is a flight booking concept that highlights how seat selections and add-ons can generate future travel credit. Users can browse mock flight options, select seats on an interactive seat map, and instantly see both the upfront cost and the future credit they earn. An AI analyst provides quick, contextual insights to help users feel confident about their choices.

How we built it

We built SeatCycle using Flask for the backend and HTML with Tailwind-style utility classes for the frontend. The backend generates mock flight and seat data, while a Gemini-powered AI model analyzes options and provides recommendations or travel tips. JavaScript handles real-time UI updates, such as seat selection, credit calculation, and AI responses, creating a smooth, interactive experience.

Challenges we ran into

One challenge was designing the experience so that the value of future credit was immediately clear without overwhelming the user. Integrating AI responses in a way that felt helpful and fast, rather than gimmicky, also required careful prompt design and graceful fallbacks when the API was unavailable.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud of building a clean, intuitive seat-selection interface that instantly communicates both cost and value. Successfully integrating AI-driven insights into the flow of the product, while keeping the experience lightweight and responsive, was another major win.

What we learned

We learned how powerful small UI feedback loops can be in shaping user perception of value. On the technical side, we gained experience combining a traditional web stack with generative AI to enhance decision-making without replacing user agency.

What's next for SeatCycle

Next, we plan to connect SeatCycle to real flight data, expand credit logic across multiple add-ons, and refine the AI analyst to give more personalized recommendations. Longer term, we envision SeatCycle as a smarter layer on top of travel booking that helps users continuously optimize for future value.

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