Airlines Are Backing Volantio (YC W09), a Startup That Could Fix Overbooking
A good start, but I think this could be taken much farther.<p>If we look back 20+ years, we built up very strong rituals around scheduling because we couldn&#x27;t make the system work any other way. But in-person plans have become much more dynamic as we become better connected. Air travel is still very much in the old world there: we book far in advance, slotting ourselves into fixed-schedule, fixed-capacity options, even though we are often much more flexible.<p>For example, every August I go back for a big camping trip with extended family. I could fly from a few different airports into a few different cities over a few days. Since working remotely for a day or two isn&#x27;t a problem, the return&#x27;s even more flexible. Why do I have to buy a specific down-to-the-minute ticket now if I want a good price?<p>I&#x27;d be happy to commit now, and then let the airlines (or airlines negotiating automatically with my booking agent) work out exactly when I&#x27;m going. They could use much more data to maximize efficiency, giving us lower total prices.