Quicket is a mobile app that exists to book airline tickets - or as the company touts itself, an app for "mobile travel services." This is a definition that speaks to the startup's ambition to become a more "multi-functional travel application," which offers more than just the ability to book and save tickets.
The startup is moving down this path by offering a slightly different take on its feature set. The first notable feature was social check-in via Facebook, which allowed users who had booked tickets on Quicket to see other Quicket users on the same flight.
Of course, this limitation to Quicket users is significant, as it requires a critical mass to be useful. It's also a bit of a replication of other social seating initiatives developed by startups such as SeatID. However, the integration has now been extended to Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter, perhaps increasing the chance for serendipitous connections with wider networks.
Regardless, the approach has been to compete on a unique feature set rather than on price or inventory - where the startup is at a huge disadvantage to larger players.
The next feature on this path is one that is wholly unique as far as a situational approach to the flight experience. The app now allows users to view Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb movie reviews, even while in offline airplane mode. This is especially useful for long-haul fliers familiar with the paralysis of choice that comes from seeing over 200 hundred movies on an in-flight entertainment screen.
In a smart marketing move to non-customers, the in-flight movie reviews are available to all travelers and not just Quicket customers.
The feature's uniqueness is also a clever way to become an on-going resource for users while on the move. The approach is similar to other startups, such as Airbnb, that are looking to add more useful features and content to move beyond the booking and become a mobile travel resource.
The strategy is to increase overall utility so that a user can't imagine booking elsewhere. Users wouldn't want to lose out on a startup's comprehensive travel toolkit, and thus the startup enjoys more loyalty without an unwinnable battle for users via app install ads or Google pay-per-click auctions.
Other features in this vein include scanning boarding passes to save in the app and SeatGuru-style plane information and seat advice. The app will soon dive into deeper airport information to become a more useful resource for its users.
The movie review news coincided with an updated version of the app. Here's a look at how the previous version of the app looked on Android.