In 2018, we consulted on and built a mobile app for Thomas Cook Airlines. By now an app had become more of an expectation than an extra for passengers – so from the very start, we were under pressure to deliver as fast as possible.

A platform for the long term

Our first technical recommendation was to build in React Native, as it would work for both iOS and Android and also be easier for Thomas Cook’s team to manage in the future. Next, we got into development, building out features for passport scanning, integrated baggage tracking, airport information and flight alerts – everything you’d expect from a modern airline.

A creative solution to get there faster

Having supported Thomas Cook on their web build, we had a good knowledge of their datasets and were able to create the app’s API layer using provisional data to define the calls and objects, despite still waiting for the back-end to be completed. This solution allowed us to build and test far quicker and, importantly, get the app into the hands of passengers sooner.

Thomas Cook unfortunately went out of business in 2019, but we continue to work as a trusted partner of its German sister brand, Condor.