Sure, Dallas have some iconic spots, like Robert Johnson’s former recording studio and the, albeit morbid, Grassy Knoll. And there is that leaning tower thing, but who doesn’t want to get away sometimes?
One local startup, which emerged from stealth at the beginning of the year, is looking to help people across the country do just that, with the recent raising of a $500,000 pre-seed funding round through friends and family, and the launch of its new mobile app.
Dallas-based FlyLine is a membership travel booking platform, which was founded in 2019 and emerged from stealth earlier this year. The startup uses a process called “virtual interlining,” something that used to be reserved for travel agents that helps users book trips through multiple carriers in order to get a cheaper fare.
“We search all of the flights… and put them in one spot so you know you’re getting the best fare,” said Zachary Burau, CTO at FlyLine. “You know when you search, you’re going to get all of the different flights for that day.”
The company was co-founded by local entrepreneurs CEO Adam Ward, who co-founded Dallas-based sports and entertainment hospitality company Blockparty, and Burau, who founded Wanderlift – the initial idea behind Flyline. After connecting and building out the software, the entrepreneurs launched Flyline on Jan. 1.
FlyLine offers two levels of membership. According to Ward, if a user plans to spend at least $500 in the year on flights, the memberships pay for themselves. The platform is able to offer cheaper flights by cutting out booking fees and scanning flights from multiple carriers. Also, if the startup can’t find the cheapest flight, it will link you to where the cheapest one is.
The startup’s platform also has features for navigating the hassles of the airport, like automatic check-in and guaranteed baggage transfer. It also gives users advice along their trip with an algorithm that tailors travel tips and recommendations.
“We hope that with our site we allow people to travel more because they’re not having to spend as much on their airfare purchase, which is the most significant portion of your travel expense,” Ward said.
Ward said that in addition to helping customers save money, he hopes the platform allows people to travel more freely, giving them time to reconnect with family or discover a new place and culture.
“Everything we build into the site is geared toward saving time and money,” said Ward. “We have a phrase - spend less; travel more. So we see travel as being transformative.”
According to the company, its FlyLine fares are cheaper 70% of the time for international flights and cheaper 40% of the time on domestics. However, the software will connect users with the cheapest ticket, even if not directly through FlyLine. The company tracks more that 250 airline carriers through the Airline Tariff Publishing Company, where it tracks them using the Global Distribution System.
Since its launch, Ward said FlyLine has been gaining traction largely through online influencers and travel bloggers writing about the product. He said that one of the biggest customer bases for FlyLine at the moment is in Australia.
“Instead of opening a bunch of different tabs and searching, just pay a membership fee, go to our site and know we're going to give you the cheapest flight every time,” said Burau. “We want to make it super simple for people to book and fly.”
"we see travel as being transformative."
Flyline is in the process of raising $500,000, which Ward said they have raised about half of so far. The company was also recently accepted into the Capital Factory accelerator program. It hopes, with the new funding, to build out more features on the app, as well as grow its customer base and workforce.
“Zach in a talented engineer that I have had the ability to observe for some time. I have been impressed with how resourceful and committed he is to advance his business. When Adam Ward joined as his co-founder, we knew it was the right opportunity to get them involved,” said Bryan Chambers, VP of accelerator and investment fund at Capital Factory. “North Texas is home to several great travel technology companies and it's a natural strength for our region.”
