Product Feature Builder
Qatar Airways In flight maps experience
Feature Brief
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Overview
The Qatar-Maps Experience transforms the traditional in-flight map from a passive flight-tracking tool into an intelligent, immersive journey platform that supports reassurance, discovery, cultural respect, entertainment, loyalty engagement, and destination commerce before, during, and after the flight.
Built on the FlightPath3D + Thales ecosystem, the initiative leverages existing platform maturity while layering Qatar-owned experience, brand, loyalty, and commercial strategy on top.
The result is a differentiated, future-ready IFEC capability that strengthens Qatar Airways ' premium positioning while opening new engagement and revenue pathways.
The Problem
Traditional in-flight maps:
- Offer limited interactivity and emotional engagement
- Provide little reassurance or context during long-haul travel
- Lack cultural, religious, and accessibility awareness
- End abruptly when the aircraft lands
- Miss opportunities for destination inspiration, loyalty engagement, and commerce
Competitors (e.g. Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Delta) deliver polished or visually impressive maps, but none treat the map as a journey companion that connects flight awareness, destination storytelling, loyalty, and real-world experiences.
The Opportunity
Qatar Airways has a unique opportunity to:
- Lead the market with a culturally intelligent, inclusive, and personalised map experience
- Turn flight time into destination inspiration and emotional connection
- Extend the in-flight experience into post-flight planning and booking
- Introduce loyalty-exclusive value in a non-intrusive, premium way
- Unlock new revenue streams without compromising brand integrity
Initiative Scope
The Qatar-Maps Experience will deliver:
1. Immersive Journey Awareness
- Multi-view interactive map (World, Route, Window, Cockpit, Night, Aircraft 360)
- Real-time flight intelligence (progress, ETA, altitude, speed, world clocks)
- Flight-phase-aware behaviour and autoplay for passive viewing
2. Cultural, Religious & Inclusive Design
- Prayer times with altitude-aware calculation
- Mecca / Qibla direction
- Ramadan awareness
- Accessibility-first map mode (WCAG / ADA compliant)
- Family-friendly and kids-specific experiences
3. Destination Discovery & Storytelling
- Flying-Over-Places points of interest along the route
- Destination Guides and Street Maps
- Premium short-form destination and adventure content from partners such as Red Bull Media House
- AI-driven Flight Companion surfacing contextual insights
4. Destination Experiences & Commerce
- Curated destination experiences and tours via partners such as Red Group
- In-flight preview of experiences with short-form content
- Purchase via QR or connected flows
- Exclusive pricing and benefits for Qatar Airways loyalty members
5. Gamified Exploration (Premium-Appropriate)
- Light-touch gamification to encourage exploration, not distraction
- Destination and landmark discovery challenges
- Family-friendly and kids-focused challenges
- Recognition, badges, or loyalty-adjacent rewards (non-cash)
- Designed to reinforce curiosity and engagement, not competition
6. Continuation Beyond the Flight
- Saved destinations and experiences
- Mobile handoff via QR
- Post-flight inspiration and future trip planning (Where-We-Fly)
Strategic Value
For Passengers
- A calmer, more reassuring journey
- Meaningful use of flight time
- Cultural respect and inclusivity
- Inspiration and confidence for arrival and future travel
For Qatar Airways
- Clear differentiation vs competitors
- Reinforcement of premium, human-centred brand values
- Increased loyalty engagement and member value
- New commercial and partnership revenue streams
- A scalable platform aligned to fleet evolution
Executive One-Line Summary
Qatar-Maps redefines the in-flight map as an intelligent journey companion — combining flight awareness, cultural respect, immersive storytelling, loyalty value, and destination experiences to elevate every moment onboard and beyond.
Feature Canvas
Objectives
Transform the traditional in-flight map into an intelligent, immersive journey platform that blends flight awareness, cultural respect, destination inspiration, short-form premium content, and interactive engagement — while unlocking new loyalty-driven revenue streams, partnerships, and differentiated experiences unique to Qatar Airways.
Goals
1. Provide an interactive journey map that enhances customer engagement throughout the flight.
2. Enable passengers to explore and purchase experiences and merchandise directly from the in-flight map.
3. Position Qatar Airways as a premium airline offering unique, differentiated in-flight services.
4. Integrate the map experience into the Qatar Airways ecosystem for a seamless customer journey.
Dependancies
- Strategic content partnerships with premium experience storytellers such as Red Bull Media House for short-form destination and adventure content.
- Commercial partnerships with destination experience providers such as Red Group to enable booking of tours, activities, and attractions.
- Integration with the FlightPath3D platform and Thales Gen4 / Gen5 IFEC systems.
- Collaboration with Qatar Loyalty, Digital, and IT teams to enable member recognition, exclusive pricing, and benefits.
- Availability of high-quality, multi-language short-form video and experience metadata.
- Regulatory, data-privacy, and payment compliance across all operating regions.
- Fleet and aircraft configuration alignment (monitor type, connectivity availability, input method).
- Governance for sponsored content, pricing rules, loyalty entitlements, and brand safety.
Deliverables
- An immersive multi-view 3D map experience (World, Route, Window, Cockpit, Night, Aircraft 360).
- Real-time flight intelligence with flight-phase awareness and autoplay behaviour.
- Experience Content Layer
- Tap-to-explore destinations and landmarks
- Short-form premium video content from global partners (e.g. adventure, culture, lifestyle)
- Destination Experiences Marketplace
- Curated tours, attractions, and activities by destination
- Loyalty-exclusive pricing and benefits for Qatar Airways members
- QR or connected purchase flows
- Gamified Exploration Mechanics
- Achievement badges for destinations visited or explored
- Route-based challenges (e.g. continents crossed, landmarks discovered)
- Family-friendly map challenges and kids-specific rewards
- Loyalty point or status-adjacent recognition (non-cash rewards)
- AI-driven Flight Companion surfacing contextual content, challenges, and experiences.
- Kids Map with educational and gamified learning experiences.
- Accessibility-first map mode compliant with WCAG / ADA standards.
- Ground and arrival intelligence including taxi-phase and airport awareness (where supported).
- Analytics framework covering engagement, content performance, commerce, and gamification participation.
Timeline
Phase 1 — Core Journey & Immersion
- Multi-view immersive map
- Flight intelligence & autoplay
- Base destination exploration
Phase 2 — Cultural, Inclusive & Family Experiences
- Prayer times, Qibla direction
- Accessibility map
- Kids Map
Phase 3 — Content, Personalisation & Continuation
- Premium short-form experience content integration
- AI Flight Companion
- Qatar account personalisation
- Mobile handoff and saved experiences
Phase 4 — Commerce, Loyalty & Gamification
- Destination experience marketplace
- Loyalty-exclusive pricing and offers
- Gamification mechanics and challenges
- Sponsored experience content
- Analytics-driven optimisation
Key Metrics
- Engagement rate with map views and experience content.
- Completion and dwell time for short-form video experiences.
- Destination experience exploration and save rates.
- Conversion rate for destination experiences and loyalty-exclusive offers.
- Participation rate in gamified challenges and achievements.
- Incremental loyalty engagement and member sign-ups driven in-flight.
- Post-flight continuation and QR engagement rates.
- Customer satisfaction, NPS uplift, and premium brand perception.
Stakeholders
- Product & IFEC Strategy — Vision, roadmap ownership, prioritisation.
- Engineering & Platform Teams — FlightPath3D, Thales, backend integration.
- Digital, Data & Loyalty — Account integration, analytics, personalisation.
- Commercial & Partnerships — Destination content, experiences, monetisation.
- Brand & Marketing — Experience alignment with Qatar brand values.
- Customer Experience & Service Design — Usability, accessibility, inclusivity.
- Cabin Operations & Fleet — Aircraft, monitor, and operational feasibility.
- Legal, Compliance & Risk — Data privacy, content governance, regional compliance.
Feature Research
It is really important at this point that you do additional research. We suggest you do Competitor Analysis and then Surveys and Customer interviews on the feature concept. to ensure your feature is bring value and solving customer problems. This helps you refine your thought and will aid in surfacing requirements.
Story Map
User Activities
User Stories
Success Metrics
Tasks
Value Proposition Canvas
Customer Jobs
- Track their flight journey in real time with clear, accurate, and reassuring information (progress, ETA, altitude, speed, time zones).
- Understand where they are, what phase of the journey they are in, and what to expect next.
- Feel calm, oriented, and in control during long-haul and unfamiliar journeys.
- Engage with immersive, visually rich content that makes flight time feel shorter.
- Explore the world beneath and ahead of them through destinations, landmarks, and cultural context.
- Preview real-world experiences they can enjoy at their destination.
- Watch short-form, premium experience content related to travel, adventure, culture, and lifestyle.
- Purchase or save destination experiences and activities during the flight.
- Access exclusive value and benefits as Qatar Airways loyalty members.
- Maintain cultural and religious practices while travelling (e.g. prayer times, direction).
- Entertain children and travelling companions with family-friendly and educational experiences.
- Navigate arrival with confidence, especially in unfamiliar airports and cities.
- Discover past, current, and future Qatar destinations for inspiration and connection.
- Continue exploration and planning after landing on their personal devices.
Customer Pains
- Traditional maps lack engagement, immersion, and emotional connection
- Limited access to destination-specific experiences and inspiration during the flight
- Difficulty understanding flight progress and how much of the journey remains
- Anxiety or uncertainty during long-haul flights due to lack of contextual awareness
- Difficulty navigating arrival context, especially in unfamiliar destinations
- Missed opportunities for in-flight shopping, discovery, and future travel planning
- Fragmented or unengaging in-flight content offerings
- Inability to personalise the experience based on passenger preferences or flight context
- Lack of cultural and religious awareness within the in-flight experience
- Poor accessibility for passengers with visual, motor, or cognitive needs
- Limited or inappropriate content for children during long flights
- In-flight experiences that abruptly end once the aircraft lands
Customer Gains
- A reassuring sense of progress, orientation, and trust throughout the journey.
- Immersive, beautiful experiences that make long-haul travel feel shorter.
- Respectful support for cultural and religious needs at altitude.
- Inclusive experiences that work for all passengers, including those with accessibility needs.
- Meaningful engagement for children and families.
- Inspiration drawn directly from the journey and destinations below.
- Easy discovery of experiences, attractions, and activities before arrival.
- Recognition and exclusive value as a Qatar Airways loyalty customer.
- Enjoyment through light, premium gamification and discovery.
- Seamless continuation from in-flight exploration to post-flight planning.
- A premium, thoughtful experience that reflects Qatar Airways’ brand values.
Gain Creators
- Replaces static maps with dynamic, immersive, and contextual experiences.
- Centralises all flight awareness into a single, intuitive journey interface.
- Reduces anxiety by clearly communicating journey progress and expectations.
- Supports religious observance accurately and respectfully at altitude.
- Removes accessibility barriers through inclusive design modes.
- Keeps children engaged with age-appropriate, interactive experiences.
- Eliminates the disconnect between in-flight inspiration and real-world action.
- Makes loyalty value visible and meaningful during the journey.
- Prevents the experience from ending abruptly at landing through continuation.
- Balances engagement and calm with premium-appropriate gamification.
Pain Relievers
- Transforms the map into an intelligent journey companion, not just a display.
- Makes flight time emotionally engaging through exploration and storytelling.
- Creates moments of delight via contextual AI-driven insights.
- Encourages curiosity and discovery through gamified exploration.
- Strengthens brand trust through cultural intelligence and inclusivity.
- Deepens loyalty connection through exclusive experiences and recognition.
- Turns destinations into tangible experiences before passengers arrive.
- Extends Qatar Airways’ premium experience beyond the aircraft cabin.
- Positions Qatar as the global leader in thoughtful, human-centred IFEC.
Products & Services
The Qatar-Maps Experience delivers:
- A multi-view interactive 3D map (World Explorer, Route, Window, Cockpit, Night, Aircraft 360).
- Real-time flight intelligence (progress, ETA, altitude, speed, world clocks).
- Flight-phase-aware behaviour and autoplay for passive viewing.
- AI-driven Flight Companion surfacing contextual, phase-aware insights.
- Cultural and religious features:
- Prayer times with altitude-aware calculation
- Mecca / Qibla direction
- Ramadan awareness
- Destination discovery:
- Flying-Over-Places points of interest
- Destination Guides and Street Maps
- Premium short-form experience content from global content partners.
- Destination experience marketplace:
- Tours, attractions, and activities
- Loyalty-exclusive pricing and benefits
- QR or connected purchase flows
- Gamified exploration:
- Discovery challenges and achievements
- Family-friendly and kids-specific activities
- Recognition and loyalty-adjacent rewards
- Kids Map with educational and gamified content.
- Accessibility-first map mode (WCAG / ADA compliant).
- Ground and arrival awareness (taxi-phase, Control Tower where supported).
- Mobile handoff and post-flight continuation.
Requirements
Product Feature Goals
Goals of the Qatar Airways In-flight Maps Experience
Enhance In-flight Engagement
The primary goal is to transform the existing in-flight map into an interactive journey tool that enhances passenger engagement throughout the flight. By providing a visually appealing and informative map experience, the goal is to make flights more enjoyable and engaging for passengers.
Monetize Through Direct Sales
A significant goal is to enable passengers to explore and purchase experiences and merchandise directly from the in-flight map. This additional stream of revenue aims to be beneficial for both Qatar Airways and its partners.
Positioning as a Premium Airline
The initiative aims to position Qatar Airways as a leading premium airline by offering unique, differentiated in-flight services that reflect its commitment to cultural respect, inclusivity, and passenger engagement.
Seamless Integration
Another goal is to integrate the map experience smoothly into the existing Qatar Airways ecosystem, providing an uninterrupted and consistent customer journey from booking, through the flight, to post-flight engagements.
Strategic Fit of the In-flight Maps Experience
The Qatar-Maps Experience aligns closely with Qatar Airways' strategic objectives, offering clear differentiation against competitors and reinforcing the airline's premium positioning. It introduces new revenue streams without compromising brand integrity and supports the evolution of Qatar Airways' in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) strategy.
The initiative also fosters enhanced loyalty engagement, ensuring Qatar Airways remains at the forefront of in-flight innovation by embracing culturally intelligent and inclusive design that respects and excites passengers.
Assumptions Underpinning the Initiative
Availability of Content
It is assumed that high-quality content for immersive experiences will be readily available from partners, and that agreements can be reached to showcase this content effectively.
Technological Integration
There is an assumption that technical integration with the FlightPath3D tech stack will be seamless, enabling real-time flight tracking and enriched passenger engagement through the map.
Customer Responsiveness
One assumption is that customers will be willing to engage with and purchase experiences directly from the in-flight map, providing positive feedback that can inform future iterations and enhancements.
Regulatory Compliance
Compliance with regulatory requirements for in-flight connectivity and purchase transactions is assumed to be manageable, ensuring all aspects of the feature fall within legal boundaries.
Customer needs to be meet
Epic 1: Immersive Flight Experience
As a customer, I want to interact with a multi-view 3D map to track my flight's progress in real time, so I can have a more engaging and informative journey.
As a customer, I want the in-flight map to provide real-time flight intelligence, such as ETA and altitude, so I feel reassured during my flight.
As a customer, I want the map to feature flight-phase-aware behaviour that allows for passive viewing, to enjoy a seamless experience without manual interactions.
Epic 2: Cultural and Inclusive Design
As a customer, I want the map to show prayer times and Qibla direction, so I can meet my religious obligations while flying.
As a customer, I want an accessibility-first map mode, so those with disabilities can engage with the feature effortlessly.
As a family-focused customer, I want kid-specific experiences offered, ensuring content is appropriate and engaging for different age groups.
Epic 3: Destination Discovery and Storytelling
As a customer, I want to receive information about points of interest along my flight path, so I can learn more about the regions I'm flying over.
As a customer, I want access to premium short-form content about destinations, increasing my excitement for the places featured in my flight.
Epic 4: Destination Experiences and Commerce
As a customer, I want to preview and purchase curated destination experiences directly from the in-flight map, simplifying my travel planning process.
As a loyal Qatar Airways customer, I wish to access exclusive pricing and benefits for experiences, enhancing my travel value.
Epic 5: Gamified Exploration
As a customer, I want the map feature to include light-touch gamification, making the exploration process more enjoyable and interactive without being distracting.
As a family-focused customer, I appreciate challenges that encourage learning about destinations in a fun way, promoting engagement for the whole family.
Epic 6: Continuation Beyond the Flight
As a customer, I want the ability to save destinations and experiences for later access, allowing me to plan future trips seamlessly.
As a customer, I seek a mobile handoff option via QR code for ease of access to in-flight map content post-flight.
Business needs to be meet
Epic 1: Passenger Engagement and Experience
As a business, we want to develop an interactive 3D map that tracks flights and provides immersive content, enhancing the passenger's in-flight experience with real-time data and journey awareness.
As a business, we want to offer passengers the ability to explore and filter purchasable experiences or merchandise directly from the map, increasing engagement and opportunities for discovery.
As a business, we want to integrate cultural, religious, and inclusive design features, such as prayer times, Mecca direction, and family-friendly experiences, to cater to diverse passenger needs.
Epic 2: Commercial and Revenue Opportunities
As a business, we want to create a platform that facilitates the purchase of experiences and merchandise, enabling Qatar Airways to generate additional revenue through in-flight commerce.
As a business, we want to partner with content providers and experience vendors to showcase feature destinations and events, such as the FIFA World Cup and F1, further enhancing our brand value and partnership revenue streams.
As a business, we want to provide exclusive pricing and benefits for Qatar Airways loyalty members within the map experience, fostering loyalty and repeated engagement.
Epic 3: Integration and Seamless Customer Journey
As a business, we want to integrate the map experience with Qatar accounts for personalised recommendations and seamless post-flight engagement, ensuring a cohesive customer journey.
As a business, we want to ensure the solution is built on the FlightPath3D + Thales ecosystem, leveraging existing platform maturity for a future-ready infrastructure.
Epic 4: Competitive Differentiation and Brand Positioning
As a business, we want to position Qatar Airways as a premium airline by delivering a differentiated, intelligent map experience that elevates our competitive standing in the market.
As a business, we want to reinforce our human-centred brand values by offering a culturally respectful and inclusive experience, enhancing our premium positioning.
Operational needs to be meet
Epic 1: Interactive Map Development
Develop a dynamic, interactive 3D map that offers various views such as World, Route, Window, Cockpit, Night, and Aircraft 360. Implement features for real-time flight intelligence displaying progress, ETA, altitude, speed, and world clocks.
Ensure the map supports flight-phase-aware behaviours and auto plays for passengers who prefer a passive experience.
Epic 2: Cultural and Inclusive Design
Incorporate prayer times with altitude-aware calculations and indicate the direction of Mecca/Qibla, accommodating religious needs of passengers. Design the map with accessibility-first principles, ensuring it complies with WCAG and ADA standards.
Develop family-friendly and kid-specific interactive experiences that cater to passengers of different age groups.
Epic 3: Destination Discovery & Storytelling
Integrate "Flying-Over-Places" points of interest along the flight route, providing destination guides and street maps for passengers. Collaborate with partners like Red Bull Media House to deliver premium short-form destination and adventure content.
Utilize AI-driven Flight Companion to surface contextual insights for passengers.
Epic 4: Destination Experiences & Commerce
Create curated destination experiences and tours through collaboration with partners such as Red Group. Enable in-flight previews of experiences with short-form content for passengers.
Implement a purchase mechanism via QR codes or connected flows, offering exclusive pricing and benefits for Qatar Airways loyalty members.
Epic 5: Gamified Exploration
Develop light-touch gamification elements to encourage passenger exploration without causing distraction. Implement destination and landmark discovery challenges designed for family and kids.
Introduce recognition features such as badges or loyalty-adjacent rewards to promote curiosity and engagement.
Epic 6: Continuation Beyond the Flight
Enable passengers to save destinations and experiences, providing a mobile handoff mechanism via QR codes for post-flight engagement.
Facilitate post-flight inspiration and future trip planning initiatives under "Where-We-Fly," helping passengers to continue engaging with Qatar Airways for future travel planning.
Proposed Roadmap
Roadmap Breakdown
Roadmap Timeline