(Left, Ben Sinclair of Uppward at Cornstalks Demo Night, photo by Danny Schreiber.)
This is the fourth post in an eight-post series recapping the demonstrations that took place at Thursday’s Cornstalks Demo Night. To learn more about the event, see our post, “Cornstalks ‘Demo Night’ happening next Thursday, March 31.“
Ben Sinclair, co-founder of Uppward, presented the social travel application that makes it easier for travelers to chat, make connections and get value from in-flight conversations. The application allows users to add and check-in to specific flights and connect with fellow travelers sitting beyond their immediate row.
“There is at least one person on a flight you should know,” Sinclair said on behalf of Uppward. “There’s got to be other people you should be talking to.”
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In addition to the social dimension of the application, Uppward includes a universal mileage program for users to build flier miles and earn rewards as they reach benchmark miles. Uppward also awards users with wings – similar to badges on Foursquare – for specific airport destinations and travel accomplishments.
A few highlights from Sinclair’s presentation:
- Uppward has a unique opportunity to know where users are and where they are going months in advance, simply because of its access to flight information. Taking advantage of location-based marketing opportunities through sponsor integration, is the next step for Uppward. The company looks to include sponsors that can provide additional offers and rewards to its users on-the-go.
- As it sits, Uppward is accessible only through the iPhone. Next for up for Uppward will include Android support to “unlock” more users to the service, Sinclair said.
- Uppward utilizes the GPS feature on the iPhone to track check-ins and landings of each flight. Uppward also includes a radar feature incorporating real time activity with the application to track where users are in relation to their flights.
- Uppward integrates with TripIt, and through this integration flight itineraries can be accessed through the application. Twitter integration is also another feature of the application and updates can sync automatically.
- Modifications to Uppward 2.0 will include graphical refinements and a new streamlined interface.
