App Overview:
TripSource®, the mobile travel assistant app for BCD Travel, the world’s third largest Travel Management Company, transforms how corporate travellers manage their trips, allowing them to stay organised, informed and productive while on the go. TripSource® was developed to provide corporate travellers with a smoother trip experience by transferring all of their trip details into one convenient screen and sending push alerts to notify them of changes as they happen. The app, available for iOS and Android smartphones and responsive website, is currently launched in 86 countries, in 5 languages and growing.
From the app’s unique ‘card-based’ design to the latest OS enhancements and real-time communication functionality, BCD Travel sets TripSource® apart from other corporate travel apps by ensuring an excellent user interface and experience, making it the app their travellers do not want to travel without.
Exceptional User Interface:
1. Innovative ‘card’ design concept - TripSource® tracks and organises all trip details by segment, including flight, hotel, ground transfer, car rental and rail. The app breaks away from the typical flat list patterns used by competitor apps by incorporating a user-friendly concept of a trip envelope full of ‘cards’ related to different trip segments - pulling open an envelope reveals an easy to follow timeline for the trip with a stack of information cards for each part of the journey. Travellers just need to log in with their corporate email address and TripSource® automatically displays their current, future and past trips, with air, hotels, ground transportation and more. Each itinerary is presented in chronological order, so the traveller always knows where they’re headed next, and if anything changes, their itinerary and information is updated instantly.
2. Important information always on hand - Individual cards will display all the details that business travellers need to navigate specific segments of their trip including confirmation numbers, phone numbers and addresses.
3. Maps and directions - Each trip segment also includes maps and directions for easy navigation, allowing travellers find their hotel, meeting, car hire location etc. without having to leave the TripSource® app.
4. Emphasis on UI throughout development - Travel can be a very stressful experience so UI design was paramount during the development of the app. TripSource® is a showcase of excellent design and usability as a result of the strong emphasis placed on both the interactive and visual aspects of the app to ensure an engaging experience. The user interface and experience was designed within an agile development environment, allowing regular usability testing and iteration with design.
5. Latest OS enhancements - Crafting the interface to the highest quality was prioritized over initially adding lots of extra features, ensuring the goal of excellent user experience was achieved from the first release. During initial development, the UI was completely redesigned upon the announcement of iOS7. This overhaul brought a refreshed, simpler UI, high quality destination photographs incorporated into each trip card and better maps integration, amongst others.
6. Traveller autonomy - The app encourages full traveller autonomy, encouraging users to remain in the app for their end-to-end trip management. Travellers can add customized, user-generated trip details, use ‘Outside of Travel Management Company Booking’ cards, add ‘followers’ to trips so itineraries and any trip changes are automatically shared and leverage email and calendar syncing.
7. Real-time communication - TripSource® provides multi-language alerts to inform travellers in real-time of check-in reminders, gate changes and flight delays and cancellations. Once a trip has commenced, TripSource® will let travellers know of any en-route changes – including flight delays and gate changes. TripSource® also provides helpful tips and reminders on company policy. Such additional features enhance the passenger experience as travellers can, for example, relax in the airport lounge knowing that TripSource® will alert them when they need to move and advise which gate to head to; making the regular checks of the departure information screens a distant memory.
8. Responsive website - BCD Travel also brings TripSource’s excellent user interface to mobile web. Originally launched for iOS and Android smartphones, the responsive website version of TripSource® enables BCD Travel’s clients to connect with their end-travellers at even more touchpoints. Travellers can access TripSource® online from their PC, tablet or smartphone at tripsource.com.
Since launch, BCD Travel has seen TripSource® app usage and adoption explode both in the US and internationally. The app’s phenomenal results exemplify how TripSource® succeeds in using mobile and digital technology to improve the passenger experience. The app’s exceptional user interface, wide range of unique features, creative design and use of the most innovative technology make TripSource® an award worthy digital initiative that business travellers will never again want to travel without.