Getting Ready: The Airline Management System

Problem definition

An airline management system is a software used to manage all activities of the airline system efficiently. Nowadays, every airline has a management system to digitize the process of scheduling flights, managing staff, ticket reservations, and performing other necessary airline management tasks. Moreover, the system keeps track of the number of aircraft, pilots, and their availability at airports. The system provides customers the complete flight information to view the available flights and schedule them online. The front desk officer should be able to reserve tickets, create itineraries, and make flight payments for the customer, providing a smoother booking experience for those who prefer or require in-person assistance. Similarly, the admin can manage all the airline activities with the help of this system. Therefore, the airline management system facilitates its customers and admins and controls all the operations of the airline company.

Expectations from the interviewee

There are several components present in the airline management system, each with specific constraints and requirements. The following provides an overview of some of the main things that the interviewer will want to hear you discuss in more detail, during the interview.

Flight reservation

Flight reservation is an essential part of the airline management system. The system has to ensure that no two people should be mapped to the same seat. The interviewer expects you to ask questions to identify how the system will complete flight reservations:

• How will the system ensure that multiple users do not have the same seat on the aircraft?

• Can one itinerary reserve multiple flights?

• Can the customer reserve the whole aircraft?

Payment handling

One of the airline management system's most significant attributes is its payment structure for its customers. This can vary, so the interviewer would expect you to ask the questions listed below:

• What payment methods can the customer use, for example, credit card or cash?

• How does the customer make the payment? Does the customer pay online or in persone?

• Will the customer be able to pay in advance for a flight booking, or is a just-in-time (JIT) payment method available?

Price variance

Now that we’ve discussed the payment methods of the airline management system, let’s ask the interviewer about the pricing model. You may ask the questions listed below:

• Is the price set manually, or does the system calculate the price for each flight?

• Does every seat has the same price, or is it calculated based on the seat type?

• Does the weekdays and weekends affect the price of the flight?

• Is the price of the flight affected by an increase in demand?

• How does the duration of the flight affect the payment?

Flight cancellation

In the airline management system, the customer may want to cancel the flight after booking it. Therefore, you can ask the following questions:

• Can the customer cancel a flight?

• What is the time limit to cancel the flight?

• Which type of users are allowed to request a flight cancellation?

Flight scheduling

Flight scheduling is crucial for ensuring timely and conflict-free operations. The interviewer might expect you to ask:

• How is a flight schedule created and managed?

• Can a flight be delayed or rescheduled, and how is this handled in the system?

• Is there any buffer time considered between flights for aircraft and crew?

Staff and crew management

Managing pilots and crew availability is vital for operations. You may want to ask:

• How is crew availability tracked in the system?

• Can crew members be assigned to multiple flights in a day?

• What happens if a crew member becomes unavailable suddenly?

Design approach

We’ll design this airline management system using the bottom-up approach. For this purpose, we will follow the steps below:

• Identify and design the smallest components first, including seat, flight, etc.

• Use these small components to design bigger components, including airport, aircraft that can be composed of multiple seats, etc.

• Repeat the steps above until we design the whole airline management system.

Design pattern 

During an interview, it is always a good practice to discuss the design patterns that an airline management system falls under. Stating the design patterns gives the interviewer a positive impression and shows that the interviewee is well-versed in the advanced concepts of object-oriented design.

Let’s explore the requirements of the airline management system in the next lesson.