Boosting in-flight sales

with an

with

offline guest-to-crew app

an offline guest-to-crew app ecosystem

with an offline guest-to-crew app ecosystem

ecosystem

During test flights with Porter Airline, my design increased purchases by 52%, cut spoilage by 22%, and achieved a 57% download rate—projecting $3.5M in new annual revenue fleet‑wide.

A flight attendant holds a tablet while a passenger uses a smartphone on an airplane, showcasing the design mockup in context.
A flight attendant holds a tablet while a passenger uses a smartphone on an airplane, showcasing the design mockup in context.
A flight attendant holds a tablet while a passenger uses a smartphone on an airplane, showcasing the design mockup in context.

Overview

In mid-2023, Porter Airlines was losing millions each quarter due to high onboard spoilage and low conversion.

At Guestlogix — an airline SaaS company with over a decade of experience — we had two separate products: a crew POS app and a passenger pre-order site. Airlines used one or the other, but never both. There was no unified system — no way to support sales across the entire journey.

When Porter approached to us, we saw an opportunity to change that.

By connecting our tools into one seamless, offline-capable ecosystem, we could unlock missed sales moments — from the gate to cruising altitude. That’s how the vision for a connected guest-to-crew experience was born.

As the lead designer, I brought that vision to life — designing both apps end-to-end to extend the sales window, streamline workflows, and make buying effortless, all under tight technical and timeline constraints.

In mid-2023, Porter Airlines was losing millions each quarter due to high onboard spoilage and low conversion.

At Guestlogix — an airline SaaS company with over a decade of experience — we had two separate products: a crew POS app and a passenger pre-order site. Airlines used one or the other, but never both. There was no unified system — no way to support sales across the entire journey.

When Porter approached to us, we saw an opportunity to change that.

By connecting our tools into one seamless, offline-capable ecosystem, we could unlock missed sales moments — from the gate to cruising altitude. That’s how the vision for a connected guest-to-crew experience was born.

As the lead designer, I brought that vision to life — designing both apps end-to-end to extend the sales window, streamline workflows, and make buying effortless, all under tight technical and timeline constraints.

In mid-2023, Porter Airlines was losing millions each quarter due to high onboard spoilage and low conversion.

At Guestlogix — an airline SaaS company with over a decade of experience — we had two separate products: a crew POS app and a passenger pre-order site. Airlines used one or the other, but never both. There was no unified system — no way to support sales across the entire journey.

When Porter approached to us, we saw an opportunity to change that.

By connecting our tools into one seamless, offline-capable ecosystem, we could unlock missed sales moments — from the gate to cruising altitude. That’s how the vision for a connected guest-to-crew experience was born.

As the lead designer, I brought that vision to life — designing both apps end-to-end to extend the sales window, streamline workflows, and make buying effortless, all under tight technical and timeline constraints.

My Role & Duration

Lead Product Designer: Product strategy, user & competitive research, interaction & visual design, prototyping & testing, stakeholder facilitation

Lead Product Designer: Product strategy, user & competitive research, interaction & visual design, prototyping & testing, stakeholder facilitation

Lead Product Designer: Product strategy, user & competitive research, interaction & visual design, prototyping & testing, stakeholder facilitation

Team: 2 PMs, 2 Designers (including myself)

Timeline: 6 months (Apr - Sept 2023)

The problem

A

revenue leak

in

the sky

Porter’s onboard retail program was under pressure: only 7% of passengers made purchases, while spoilage from unsold meals kept rising.

To uphold its premium promise — ensuring Reserve passengers always got their first-choice meal — Porter consistently overstocked perishable items. But with no refrigeration on board, anything unsold after two hours had to be thrown out.

The root issues spanned UX, operations, and product gaps:

Porter’s onboard retail program was under pressure: only 7% of passengers made purchases, while spoilage from unsold meals kept rising.

To uphold its premium promise — ensuring Reserve passengers always got their first-choice meal — Porter consistently overstocked perishable items. But with no refrigeration on board, anything unsold after two hours had to be thrown out.

The root issues spanned UX, operations, and product gaps:

Only 7% of passengers purchased onboard, while meal waste surged from overstocking to meet “premium choice” promises. Without refrigeration or extended buying windows, crew struggled to sell before meals expired—causing revenue loss and inefficiency.

Choice came at a cost

Flights were overstocked to guarantee choice — but meals expired quickly, driving up waste and cost.

Crew overloaded

Expected to manage inventory and drive sales, crew were overwhelmed. SOPs were skipped, and items were often given away.

Sales moment passed

The only buying window was mid-flight — when passengers were settled, distracted, or asleep.

This wasn’t just a UX issue — it was a system failure.

This wasn’t just a UX issue — it was a system failure.

Tools, timing, and workflows weren’t aligned to support sales — or to scale the premium experience Porter promised.

Chart depicting sales window and crew duties over time with three distinct phases: pre-flight preparation, in-flight duties, and post-flight processing.
Chart depicting sales window and crew duties over time with three distinct phases: pre-flight preparation, in-flight duties, and post-flight processing.
Chart depicting sales window and crew duties over time with three distinct phases: pre-flight preparation, in-flight duties, and post-flight processing.

Sales vs. Service: Navigating Competing Priorities In-Flight

Sales vs. Service: Navigating Competing Priorities In-Flight

Sales vs. Service: Navigating Competing Priorities In-Flight

Strategy & opportunity

Reframing the ask:

A system

built to sell

built to

sell

Porter came asking for a better crew app. But I saw a broader opportunity: what if we could extend the sales window beyond the aisle?

The real challenge wasn’t just conversion—it was fragmented tools, missed moments, and no visibility into demand.

Instead of treating pre-order and onboard sales as separate tools, I proposed a unified, guest-to-crew ecosystem—one that could guide the retail journey from gate to cruising altitude.

With no time for formal user research, I leaned on what we had:

  • Past airline pilots and internal sales data

  • Crew interviews from previous launches

  • Patterns from food delivery and POS systems

This wasn’t just a UI challenge—it was a retail experience problem. We needed a system designed to drive sales, not just record them.

Porter came asking for a better crew app. But I saw a broader opportunity: what if we could extend the sales window beyond the aisle?

The real challenge wasn’t just conversion—it was fragmented tools, missed moments, and no visibility into demand.

Instead of treating pre-order and onboard sales as separate tools, I proposed a unified, guest-to-crew ecosystem—one that could guide the retail journey from gate to cruising altitude.

With no time for formal user research, I leaned on what we had:

  • Past airline pilots and internal sales data

  • Crew interviews from previous launches

  • Patterns from food delivery and POS systems

This wasn’t just a UI challenge—it was a retail experience problem. We needed a system designed to drive sales, not just record them.

Porter came asking for a better crew app. But I saw a broader opportunity: what if we could extend the sales window beyond the aisle?

The real challenge wasn’t just conversion—it was fragmented tools, missed moments, and no visibility into demand.

Instead of treating pre-order and onboard sales as separate tools, I proposed a unified, guest-to-crew ecosystem—one that could guide the retail journey from gate to cruising altitude.

With no time for formal user research, I leaned on what we had:

  • Past airline pilots and internal sales data

  • Crew interviews from previous launches

  • Patterns from food delivery and POS systems

This wasn’t just a UI challenge—it was a retail experience problem. We needed a system designed to drive sales, not just record them.

how might we

Extend the sales journey beyond the aisle—empowering crew without adding friction, and creating more moments for passengers to buy?

Extend the sales journey beyond the aisle—empowering crew without adding friction, and creating more moments for passengers to buy?

Connected

Connected

Cabin

Delivering the right product, at the right time, through the right channels.

Connected Cabin reimagines in-flight sales as a connected journey—not a rushed mid-flight transaction.

Built for offline realities and operational simplicity, it empowers passengers to order anytime from gate to landing—while giving crew real-time visibility and effortless tools to stay in sync.

Connected Cabin reimagines in-flight sales as a connected journey—not a rushed mid-flight transaction.

Built for offline realities and operational simplicity, it empowers passengers to order anytime from gate to landing—while giving crew real-time visibility and effortless tools to stay in sync.

An iPad Mini and a smartphone displaying the crew app and the guest app, showing the buy on board ecosystem.
An iPad Mini and a smartphone displaying the crew app and the guest app, showing the buy on board ecosystem.
An iPad Mini and a smartphone displaying the crew app and the guest app, showing the buy on board ecosystem.

Three Guiding Principles

To ensure we solved the right problems, we anchored our solution around three key principles:

Start early

Enable purchases before boarding, extending the sales window and reducing decision pressure mid-flight.

Crew-friendly design

Streamline crew workflows, automate inventory, and reduce cognitive load during service.

Offline-first by design

Ensure seamless experiences even in low or no connectivity environments—no workarounds, no excuses.

The

Guest

App

Seamless ordering – from gate to cruising altitude

Seamless ordering – from gate to cruising altitude

Passengers weren’t missing products — they were missing the right moments to buy. We reimagined in-flight shopping as a continuous journey, surfacing relevant offers before boarding and creating effortless ways to purchase anytime, even offline.

Passengers weren’t missing products — they were missing the right moments to buy. We reimagined in-flight shopping as a continuous journey, surfacing relevant offers before boarding and creating effortless ways to purchase anytime, even offline.

Five design mockups showing the main screens of the Guest App
Five design mockups showing the main screens of the Guest App
Five design mockups showing the main screens of the Guest App

before takeoff

Extending the sales window

Passengers could now pre-order meals during check-in or boarding—when attention was highest and decisions less rushed.

This helped shift revenue earlier, reduce spoilage, and simplify mid-flight service.

Passengers could now pre-order meals during check-in or boarding—when attention was highest and decisions less rushed.

This helped shift revenue earlier, reduce spoilage, and simplify mid-flight service.

Pre-orders (before the onboard service) accounted for 66% of sales in test flights.

Pre-orders (before the onboard service) accounted for 66% of sales in test flights.

during the flight

Removing friction from buying

During flight, the app offered seat-specific and cabin-aware menus, available throughout the journey—not just during one rushed cart pass.

Orders were synced to the crew, reducing back-and-forth and manual tracking.

During flight, the app offered seat-specific and cabin-aware menus, available throughout the journey—not just during one rushed cart pass.

Orders were synced to the crew, reducing back-and-forth and manual tracking.

Mid-flight purchases increased by 52% in test routes.

Mid-flight purchases increased by 52% in test routes.

when offline

Building confidence in completion

With offline-first architecture, passengers could browse, order, and even queue payment without connectivity.

Payment methods included pay now, pay later, and wallet options, tailored to airline operational realities.

With offline-first architecture, passengers could browse, order, and even queue payment without connectivity.

Payment methods included pay now, pay later, and wallet options, tailored to airline operational realities.

With offline-first architecture, passengers could browse, order, and even queue payment without connectivity.

Payment methods included pay now, pay later, and wallet options, tailored to airline operational realities.

Flawless order submission even during low-connectivity zones.

Flawless order submission even during low-connectivity zones.

The

Crew

App

Built for the aisle — fast, accurate, and always in sync

Built for the aisle — fast, accurate, and always in sync

While the guest app focused on early intent, the crew app was built to streamline speed and accuracy in-flight.

I designed it to optimize three things: faster aisle service with a deferred fulfillment flow, reliable offline syncing to prevent missed orders, and flexible inventory controls to reduce guest disappointment.

Together, these improvements drove higher conversion, fewer mistakes, and a smoother crew experience—without adding extra burden.

While the guest app focused on early intent, the crew app was built to streamline speed and accuracy in-flight.

I designed it to optimize three things: faster aisle service with a deferred fulfillment flow, reliable offline syncing to prevent missed orders, and flexible inventory controls to reduce guest disappointment.

Together, these improvements drove higher conversion, fewer mistakes, and a smoother crew experience—without adding extra burden.

Three design mockups showcasing the primary screens of the Crew POS App.
Three design mockups showcasing the primary screens of the Crew POS App.
Three design mockups showcasing the primary screens of the Crew POS App.

Sell smarter, not slower

Deferred fulfillment flow doubled conversion in half the time.

I redesigned the order flow to separate order-taking from fulfillment, allowing crew to capture multiple orders in a single pass and deliver them later. This minimized cart stops and reduced aisle time.

Tested in Guestlogix’s in-flight simulation, this flow doubled sales in half the time compared to legacy cart-based service. In a real flight, Porter’s purser used the feature intuitively on her first try — and asked for it to be shipped the next day.

I redesigned the order flow to separate order-taking from fulfillment, allowing crew to capture multiple orders in a single pass and deliver them later. This minimized cart stops and reduced aisle time.

Tested in Guestlogix’s in-flight simulation, this flow doubled sales in half the time compared to legacy cart-based service. In a real flight, Porter’s purser used the feature intuitively on her first try — and asked for it to be shipped the next day.

Illustration showing a flowchart of how the crew can choose to collect payment now or later to fit to their preferred workflow.
Illustration showing a flowchart of how the crew can choose to collect payment now or later to fit to their preferred workflow.
Illustration showing a flowchart of how the crew can choose to collect payment now or later to fit to their preferred workflow.
Flowchart illustrating the order placement and fulfillment logic between the guest apps and crew app.
Flowchart illustrating the order placement and fulfillment logic between the guest apps and crew app.
Flowchart illustrating the order placement and fulfillment logic between the guest apps and crew app.

Order Fulfillment Diagram for All Channels

Stay in sync - without internet

Offline mesh syncing keeps crew members updated in real time.

To avoid reliance on unstable Wi-Fi, we implemented a mesh network that synced orders and inventory in real time across devices. Orders appeared with large, seat-specific labels and were auto-sorted front-to-back to align with natural service flow.

This allowed any crew member to fulfill any order, reducing handoffs, missed items, and confusion. After six rounds of live testing, we refined layouts and syncing logic based on crew feedback — resulting in zero missed orders, faster fulfillment, and no additional training needed.

To avoid reliance on unstable Wi-Fi, we implemented a mesh network that synced orders and inventory in real time across devices. Orders appeared with large, seat-specific labels and were auto-sorted front-to-back to align with natural service flow.

This allowed any crew member to fulfill any order, reducing handoffs, missed items, and confusion. After six rounds of live testing, we refined layouts and syncing logic based on crew feedback — resulting in zero missed orders, faster fulfillment, and no additional training needed.

Two crew apps can sync to each other using mesh network in real time effortlessly
Two crew apps can sync to each other using mesh network in real time effortlessly

Know what’s available, control what’s not

Crew can manage inventory in-flight, avoid oversells, and pause sales in real time.

Instead of relying on backend updates or support teams, we gave crew direct control over in-flight inventory. With just a few taps, they could pause unavailable items, adjust stock counts, or hide sold-out products instantly—keeping the menu accurate throughout the flight.

This prevented guests from ordering out-of-stock items, reduced awkward service moments, and unlocked smarter upsell opportunities by focusing attention on what was actually available. Crews reported fewer complaints, faster service, and more confidence managing sales on the fly.

Instead of relying on backend updates or support teams, we gave crew direct control over in-flight inventory. With just a few taps, they could pause unavailable items, adjust stock counts, or hide sold-out products instantly—keeping the menu accurate throughout the flight.

This prevented guests from ordering out-of-stock items, reduced awkward service moments, and unlocked smarter upsell opportunities by focusing attention on what was actually available. Crews reported fewer complaints, faster service, and more confidence managing sales on the fly.

Two crew app screens showing a quick inventory edit modal on the Catalog page, and a full inventory management page with advanced features.
Two crew app screens showing a quick inventory edit modal on the Catalog page, and a full inventory management page with advanced features.

impact & results

Real flights,

real results

Across six test flights with Porter Airlines, we validated the guest-to-crew system in real-world conditions. Through in-flight simulations, live observations, and hands-on crew usage, we measured both business impact and user satisfaction — capturing results from both passenger and crew perspectives.

Across six test flights with Porter Airlines, we validated the guest-to-crew system in real-world conditions. Through in-flight simulations, live observations, and hands-on crew usage, we measured both business impact and user satisfaction — capturing results from both passenger and crew perspectives.

+52%

+52%

Conversion

Conversion

-22%

-22%

Spoilage

Spoilage

+10%

+10%

Avg. Order Value

Avg. Order Value

+57%

+57%

App Downloads

App Downloads

Taking orders is so much faster and better. I’m so happy!

Head Flight Attendant @ Porter

I don’t need to ask them to take off headphones—just deliver and tap.

BOB Flight Attendant @ Porter

It's like Uber Eats in the air. If I'd known about it earlier, I wouldn't have bought food in the airport.

Passenger

  • Photo taken on the Porter test flight data with GLX staff, the designer Janice, and Porter crew.
  • Photo taken on the Porter test flight date with senior Porter crew and GLX staff (in blue shirt)
  • Photo I took on the Porter test flight date showing a crew using the POS to complete a checkout for a Passenger.
  • Photo I took on the Porter test flight date showing the Crew App taking a credit card payment from a passegner.

reflection & next steps

Testing, Measuring, and

Scaling the Vision

This project reinforced the value of designing for both passenger experience and operational efficiency. By launching an offline-first MVP, we delivered immediate results while building a foundation for future growth.

If I had continued on this project, my focus would have been on:

  • A/B testing key touch points (e.g., boarding notifications vs. in-flight upsells) to optimize conversion.

  • Tracking spoilage vs. sales ratio to balance revenue and waste reduction.

  • Continuous crew feedback loops to refine usability and workflows in live environments.

Strategic Roadmap:

  • Phase 2: Expand to pre-flight online ordering (booking/check-in).

  • Phase 3: Add dynamic promotions based on flight context and inventory.

  • Phase 4: Launch post-flight offers to increase lifetime guest value.

  • Phase 5: Drive data-led stock optimization to further reduce waste and improve operational accuracy.

Let’s create together.

Get in touch

Made with coffee and love @2025

22:29:41

Let’s create together.

Get in touch

Made with coffee and love @2025

22:29:41

Let’s create together.

Get in touch

Made with coffee and love @2025

22:29:41