Flight Penguin: Hipmunk Founders Launch New Flight Search

A New Flight Search Service Emerges from Hipmunk’s Legacy

The individuals who initially created Hipmunk are now developing a successor to their previously discontinued flight search platform.

Acquisition and Subsequent Developments

The original startup was acquired by Concur, a travel and expense platform owned by SAP, back in 2016. Adam Goldstein, the CEO at the time, stepped down in 2018. However, Goldstein revealed that he and his co-founder, Steve Huffman – who also serves as the co-founder and CEO of Reddit – remained dissatisfied when Concur ultimately ceased operation of the service at the start of the previous year.

“Throughout the years, the platform garnered millions of users who greatly appreciated its functionality,” Goldstein stated. (I personally was among those users, and even before knowing about this new venture, I began our conversation by expressing my fondness for Hipmunk.)

Introducing Flight Penguin

Consequently, the pair provided seed funding for a project known as Flight Penguin, with Goldstein assuming the role of chairman for the new company. The actual development of the product was undertaken by Sheri Zada, a former developer from Hipmunk.

Familiar Interface and Enhanced Features

Users familiar with the older Hipmunk interface will find the Flight Penguin design immediately recognizable. It features a visual layout designed to clearly display flight timings and layover durations.

Similar to Hipmunk’s “agony” metric for sorting results, Flight Penguin introduces a “pain” metric. This allows users to prioritize flights based on overall convenience, avoiding options with inconvenient schedules or lengthy layovers.

Improvements Over the Original

This isn’t simply a re-creation of Hipmunk; it incorporates several key improvements. Notably, it enables users to search using Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, alongside U.S. dollars, with plans to integrate additional currencies and rewards programs in the future.

The product is delivered as a Google Chrome extension, offering a complete web experience rather than an overlay on existing websites. Goldstein explained that this approach allows Flight Penguin to access data “through the frontend” for the most current information.

Comprehensive Flight Data

Furthermore, Goldstein emphasized that Flight Penguin aims to display “all the flights” available. This means the platform will avoid agreements with airlines that restrict the visibility of certain flights or prices.

It will also include airlines that typically do not make their flight data accessible through other search platforms.

“Many flights are available, but consumers often miss them due to deals made between travel search sites,” he explained. “We have decided not to participate in this practice.”

Subscription Model

While offering more comprehensive results, this approach means Flight Penguin won’t earn affiliate fees from flight purchases. Instead, the service will operate on a subscription basis, charging users $10 per month after a 30-day trial period. (This introductory rate is subject to change.)

Target Audience and Business Philosophy

Goldstein concedes that the service may “not become a mainstream product used by 50 million Americans,” but he anticipates attracting a dedicated subscriber base of frequent travelers who “value their time and prioritize a positive flight-booking experience.”

“Our experience with Hipmunk demonstrated that the traditional online travel business model functioned well for consumers when there was significant competition between airlines and travel agencies,” he added. “However, with reduced competition, platforms often become agents for the companies they represent, making it challenging to prioritize user experience. We are choosing to deviate from this model and establish our own set of principles.”

Availability and Waitlist

Flight Penguin is currently accepting sign-ups for a waitlist. However, Goldstein clarified that this is primarily to manage user onboarding in a controlled manner and anticipates moving users off the waitlist relatively quickly.