Flyr Just Raised $295m: CEO Alex Mans Tells Us What's Next

16.08.2024 - 22:34 / skift.com / Gordon Smith

There are plenty of metrics for success in the airline sector, but money is a pretty good place to start. Earlier this month, Flyr made headlines with one of the largest single funding raises in travel tech history. The San Francisco-based firm secured $295 million – the biggest deal of its kind in 2024 so far. In total, Flyr says it has now raised more than $500 million.

Flyr says its platform helps airlines offer dynamic pricing, personalized offers, and other digital products. The company has also been rolling out similar products for hotels. There’s AI in the mix, and talk of improving legacy systems – but what is Flyr doing differently to attract so much investment?

For the latest in our Leaders of Travel: Skift C-Suite Series, met Alex Mans, founder and CEO of Flyr to learn more about the company’s growth trajectory and get his take on how AI could revolutionize the travel industry. 

Skift: Before we get stuck into all things Flyr, let’s take a step back. Tell us about the personal journey that brought you where you are today. 

Alex Mans: I was born and raised in the Netherlands and spent my weekends as a kid on the airfield because my grandparents spent a lot of time there. I was exposed to flying and aviation very early. When I was nine or 10 years old, I started building websites and getting into software development. I finished high school when I was just shy of 14 and instead of going to college, I started a software development company in network security. That’s where I really got into artificial intelligence and machine learning. 

At 22, I packed my bags and left for Silicon Valley. Being obsessed with software and aviation, I forecast the price of airline tickets, recommending whether to buy or wait. But a few years into that journey, and after having already partnered with Tripadvisor and major OTAs, we decided to pivot the company because we were getting approached by a bunch of airlines saying, ‘Hey, if you’re forecasting our pricing strategy, why don’t you come help us and do a better job of pricing to begin with?’ That got us into the B2B enterprise side and we started to provide revenue management systems to airlines, working with JetBlue, Air New Zealand, and a bunch of others.

What came next? How did you and the company make the jump towards your current business model?

We were observing issues in the industry, namely that the experience that travelers have booking their flights hasn’t really changed in many years, and airlines are desperate to provide new products. I read your article on Southwest’s move into premium seating. They’re trying to move into paying for your seat, but the infrastructure that powers these airlines dates back to the 1980s, both in terms of the