In-flight hackathon held between Hong Kong – London
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Travel fare aggregator website Skyscanner has completed the world’s first in-flight hackathon on an 80-hour trip between Hong Kong and London.
A total of 32 entrepreneurs, engineers and designers took place in the hackathon, which commenced on May 5 and involved the use of Skyskanner’s Flights API.
The hackathon also gave participants access to Skyscanner’s Travel Insight product, which provides routes and pricing data and insights from the website’s more than 50 million monthly users, and access to real life travel customers to test their assumptions while building an app.
Skyscanner was founded in Scotland in 2001, and was acquired by China’s largest travel company Ctrip in November last year for $1.75 billion.
The company said the novel hackathon was designed to allow developers to immerse themselves in the travel experience while building an app. Last year, the company also launched its Build with Skyscanner competition aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs.
“We are delighted to be supporting Hack Horizon and the 32 finalists chosen for this innovative event,” Skyscanner commercial director Paul Whiteway said.
“We are always keen to support great start-ups with our APIs, and are excited to see the results from the new products – particularly with the immersive and totally unique experience this hack provides for the developers involved.”
Questions & Answers
Q.What was the primary purpose of holding this hackathon during a flight?
What was the primary purpose of holding this hackathon during a flight?
The hackathon was designed to allow developers to fully immerse themselves in the travel experience. This unique setting helped them while they were building new applications using Skyscanner's tools and data.
Q.What resources did the participants have access to during the hackathon?
What resources did the participants have access to during the hackathon?
Participants used Skyscanner's Flights API and Travel Insight product, which provides routes and pricing data. They also had access to real travel customers to test their assumptions for the apps they were building.
Q.Who acquired Skyscanner last year and for how much money?
Who acquired Skyscanner last year and for how much money?
Skyscanner was acquired by China's largest travel company, Ctrip, in November last year. The acquisition was completed for a reported sum of $1.75 billion.
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