Fasspos

Boosting cabin crew efficiency with Fasspos' new tablet-powered in-flight service platform

Fasspos is Southeast Asia’s leading in-flight service platform, enabling cabin crew to efficiently manage passenger orders, in-seat sales, and inventory tracking during flights. Designed to optimize operational workflows, Fasspos empowers crew members to serve passengers faster, more accurately, and with greater confidence. In this project, we aimed to build a scalable MVP for pre-book order fulfillment and real-time service tracking within a short timeline, achieving transformative results.

Overview:
Fasspos aimed to digitize the in-flight service process, allowing cabin crew to manage pre-booked meals, special service requests (SSRs), and merchandise orders via tablets, thereby enhancing service efficiency and accuracy during flights."

Project type:
Crew-Facing In-Flight Service & Order Management Platform

Platform:
Zebra Tablet ET45 (Android)

Timeline:
8 weeks

Tools:
Figma, Jitters, Lottie Files

Team:
Collaborated with Business Analysts, Product Owners, Product Managers, Developers

My role:
Lead UX/UI Designer for Fasspos App

My Role

I led the end-to-end UX/UI design for the Fasspos project, covering user flow mapping, wireframing, interface design, and developer handoff. Collaborating closely with Business Analyst Ima from ideation through testing and development, I also worked alongside a team of 10 developers during the build phase.

/01

Problem

Cabin crews were relying on printed order sheets and manual tracking to fulfill pre-booked passenger orders during flights. This outdated process led to inventory mismanagement, slow service, and even revenue losses for the airline. Key pain points included:

Frequent inventory loss

Meals and products were often misplaced or wasted due to paper tracking errors.

High crew workload and stress

Crew faced increased cognitive load in a high-pressure environment, trying to cross-check long printouts.

Poor visibility of progress

It was difficult to know which orders were done versus pending at any given moment.

Inconsistent tracking

There was no real-time visibility into stock levels or order status, leading to reporting gaps.

"How might we help cabin crew easily view, track, and fulfill pre-booked passenger orders during flights, so they can deliver faster, more accurate service while reducing operational errors and inventory loss?

/02

Goals

→ Digitize & simplify

Develop a real-time pre-book management dashboard that replaces paper lists and reduces manual errors.

→ Improve efficiency

Enhance service speed and accuracy even under hectic flight conditions.

→ Built for scalability

Establish a scalable foundation for future features (e.g. seat map integration and device-to-device sync between crew tablets).

/03

Early Ideation

At the outset, I worked closely with our PM and Business Analyst (Ima) to define the problem space and understand user needs. We mapped the current in-flight service journey based on crew observations and feedback. Through quick whiteboarding sessions, we pinpointed several major pain points (e.g. difficulty scanning lengthy printouts, lack of real-time order status, no way to track mid-flight inventory changes, etc.).

Armed with these insights, we sketched multiple early concepts for the crew dashboard on both mobile and tablet. We focused on a few core ideas:

• A tabbed interface separating the pre-book order list from other in-seat sales, to declutter the view.
• A fast “tap-to-serve” interaction model to mark orders as done with minimal steps.
• Clear visual status indicators (e.g. icons or badges for served, pending, etc.) for each item.

We went through hundreds of iterations, conducting informal tests and collaborating with operations, development, and business stakeholders to refine these concepts. This extensive process was incredibly insightful. We then translated the best ideas into early high-fidelity designs, experimenting with different layouts, color schemes, and content organization on the tablet. The initial high-fidelity designs lacked cohesion, which prompted further refinement.

Through continuous iteration and feedback sessions with internal stakeholders, we improved the design and validated our approach before moving into a structured wireframing and final design phase. After many rounds of tweaking, we settled on a design direction that — while not final — was solid enough to put in front of users for feedback. (We’re big believers in “fail fast, learn faster.”)

After countless rounds of iteration, we arrived at a design that, while not final, was solid enough to launch initial user testing. Our goal was to gather real feedback early by putting the design in front of users. We believe in failing fast to learn faster.

/04

User Testing

To validate our design decisions, we conducted usability testing with actual cabin crew members. These sessions provided valuable insight into how the app would perform in a real in-flight scenario and helped us catch issues early.

Objectives

• Assess how intuitive the pre-book dashboard interface is for first-time users (cabin crew).
• Evaluate the efficiency of the new order fulfillment workflow compared to the old paper process.
• Identify any usability pain points or areas of confusion.

Methodology

• Hands-on simulations: Crew members used the app on Zebra tablets in a simulated in-flight environment (with carts, dim lighting, background noise, etc.).
• Performance measurements: We timed how long it took crews to find and serve orders using the app versus using the traditional paper sheets.
• Feedback gathering: After tasks, participants shared feedback on navigation flow, button sizes, readability under cabin lighting, and switching between categories (Meals, Special Services, Duty-Free).

Key Findings

• Navigation clarity: Crew found the navigation between sections (Meals vs. Special Services, etc.) straightforward. They spent much less time hunting for specific orders than before.
• Faster order fulfillment: Being able to quickly mark items as “Served” or “Declined” with one tap significantly streamlined service. Crew completed their rounds faster and with fewer errors.
• Useful feedback mechanism: Participants loved the option to add a note when something couldn’t be served and had to become a Service Recovery Order (SRO). This provided context for why an item was replaced and helped communicate with ground staff later.

Based on this feedback, we implemented several immediate improvements:

• Enhanced filtering: We added granular filters (by order status, category, seat number) so crew can quickly sort and find specific orders.
• Clear status indicators: We introduced color-coded badges for each status (Pending, Served, Declined, etc.) to make order states obvious at a glance.
• Offline support: Recognizing spotty connectivity during flights, we ensured the app worked offline for critical tasks and would sync data when back online.

In-Flight Testing

Next, we took the refined prototype on actual flights to see it perform in the real world. During these live in-flight tests, cabin crew used the tablet during their service rounds with real passengers.

We closely observed how the interface held up under genuine conditions — walking the aisle, multitasking, turbulence, you name it. We gathered feedback on overall usability, layout clarity, interaction speed, and how naturally the tablet fit into their existing service flow.

Key Observations

• Real-world UX details: The live trials highlighted some small but critical details to tweak (for example, increasing certain button tap areas and fine-tuning scroll sensitivity for bumpy air). We addressed these refinements in the next design update.
  
• Handling high-pressure moments: Watching crew during peak meal service helped us optimize the information hierarchy and quick-action buttons. We made sure the most important information (like seat and order status) was immediately visible and that error states were clear and actionable.
• Seamless workflow integration: Importantly, the tablet interface blended well into the crew’s routine. It didn’t slow them down or require complex steps — a sign that our design was fitting naturally into the service workflow without adding cognitive load.

Seeing our product operate in real flight conditions really bridged the gap between theory and practice. It confirmed that the Pre-book feature was truly ready for real-world airline operations and gave us confidence to move forward with a full rollout.

/05

Solution Highlights

With multiple rounds of iteration and testing behind us, we finalized the core features of the Fasspos Pre-book Management system. The final solution was a tablet application that enabled cabin crew to manage pre-booked orders in real time. Key features included:

Solution #01

Immediate Fulfillment Overview

Highlights total meals and special service requests at a glance. Reduces crew workload and speeds up service preparation.

Fast Filtering and Quick Access

One-tap filters by category (Meals, Special Services) or status (Pending, Served, Declined, SRO, No-Show). Streamlines order management and minimizes scrolling time.

Real-Time Passenger Order Tracking

Displays passenger seat, name, and order status clearly. One-tap updates for faster tracking and better stock control.

Solution #02

Scan Flight Ticket

Cabin crew can scan a passenger’s ticket to instantly retrieve their pre-booked orders, saving time and reducing manual search.

Fulfill Prebook Meals

Crew can quickly view and fulfill Pre-Booked Meals, Special Service items during service rounds with greater accuracy.

Served list

Crew can mark orders as "Served" with one tap, enabling real-time tracking and better visibility of completed tasks.

Solution #03: Decline Prebook Item

Quick Decline Marking

Cabin crew can easily select individual pre-booked items or the entire order to mark them as "Declined" when passengers reject their meals or products.

Real-time Inventory Reallocation

Once an item is marked as declined, it is instantly returned to the available inventory pool, making it eligible for in-flight sales or alternative passenger purchases.

Full Order Status Update

Declining pre-booked items automatically updates the passenger's order status in the system, ensuring clear tracking of served, pending, and declined items for reporting and operational visibility.

Solution #04: Service Recovery Order (SRO)

Replace Pre-booked Items Instantly

Cabin crew can quickly select individual or all pre-booked items when a passenger requests a replacement, allowing a smooth switch to available in-flight inventory without disrupting service flow.

Mark Items with SRO Status

When an item is replaced, crew can mark it as a Service Recovery Order (SRO) to accurately track changes between pre-booked and served meals, keeping operational and inventory records updated in real time.

Add Notes for SRO

Crew can leave a note explaining the reason for the replacement — such as quality issues, missing items, or passenger preference — ensuring transparency for post-flight audits and service quality improvement.

Solution #05

Improve Cabin Crew Efficiency

By marking no-show passengers, cabin crew can instantly remove unneeded service tasks, allowing them to focus only on passengers who are present, saving time and reducing confusion during service rounds.

Optimize In-flight Inventory

Pre-booked meals, beverages, and services from no-show passengers are automatically returned to available inventory, enabling cabin crew to maximize sales opportunities during the flight.

Enhance Service Accuracy

The no-show feature ensures that the order fulfillment list stays clean and up-to-date, preventing service errors like preparing or delivering meals for absent passengers.

UI Design

We designed the UI to be flexible, scalable, and optimized for a fast-paced environment. In Figma, I built a component-based design system (leveraging Auto Layout, Variables, and Variants) so that updates would be efficient and the interface could adapt to different flight scenarios or future features.

To support quick decision-making by crew, we introduced clear status badges and color coding for each order state: Pending (yellow), Served (green), Declined (red), SRO (orange), No-Show (gray), etc. These visual cues allow crew to recognize an order’s status instantly without needing to read through text, which is crucial when you have seconds to make a decision.

We also established reusable UI patterns across all service categories. The initial release focused on Meals and Special Services, but we ensured the design could extend to other categories like Drinks or Duty-Free items in later phases. This consistency means crew don’t have to learn a new interface for each category—the layout and interactions remain familiar, creating a cohesive experience throughout the app.

Additionally, we added helpful feedback elements such as success messages and error alerts. For example, if the tablet goes offline mid-flight, the app shows an “Offline Mode” banner and cues the data to sync once connection returns. These little details maintain trust and clarity for the crew during live operations, so they always know what’s happening with the system.

Additional elements like success and error state messages were added to provide immediate feedback for data sync and server responses, maintaining trust and clarity for the crew during live operations.

/06

Development & Implementation

Given that airlines were still using pen-and-paper for pre-book tracking, there was an urgent need to get this digital solution up and running quickly. I worked hand-in-hand with the development team throughout the 8-week build to ensure the design was implemented smoothly and met real-world performance needs.

I collaborated closely with PM, Product Owners, Business Analyst (Ima) and a team of ten developers who built the tablet app on Zebra ET45 devices (Android). We maintained a tight feedback loop: I provided comprehensive Figma handoffs (complete with component specs and responsive behaviors) and detailed documentation of the service logic — covering how orders move through statuses (Pending → Served → Declined, etc.), how offline data is handled, and so on. We held regular review sessions to fine-tune the UI together, making sure the app behavior matched the intended user experience across all scenarios.

Key implementation details

We structured the app to mirror the crew’s workflow. Orders were segmented by type (Meals, Special Services, Duty-Free) so that crew could filter or view one category at a time, aligning with how they serve in stages during a flight. We also built in real-time update logic: if a passenger’s order changed mid-flight (say they decline a meal), the crew’s tablet reflects that immediately—returning the item to inventory and removing it from that passenger’s list without any manual steps or paperwork.

Integration with airline backend systems was another crucial aspect.

We worked with airline’s third party booking API and inventory management platform so that the pre-book data on the crew’s tablet can be in sync with the latest passenger bookings and stock counts. Even in cases of intermittent connectivity, the system cached updates or manual click on Refresh button to synced once the connection was reestablished. This ensured the data was accurate and up-to-date throughout the flight.

/07

Outcome & Impact

The introduction of the Fasspos Pre-book system led to significant improvements in the in-flight service process:

Operational Efficiency

Service workflows were fully digitized, eliminating the need for printed order manifests. Crew could deliver orders faster and with far less hassle.

Lowered Crew Stress

Crew reported reduced confusion and stress during busy meal service, since they no longer had to juggle paper lists and could trust the app to guide them.

Reduced Inventory Loss

Real-time tracking of declines and no-shows meant far fewer items “disappeared” or got lost in the shuffle. Everything was accounted for, minimizing revenue leakage from unused items.

Scalability

 The MVP established a strong foundation for future enhancements like seat-map based service management and device-to-device syncing between crew tablets. The system is ready to grow with new features without needing a redesign.

While we are still gathering quantitative data, initial feedback from cabin crews and managers has been overwhelmingly positive. The airline is already looking to expand the system’s usage across more flights and integrate additional functionalities in upcoming phases.

Publication image courtesy of Fintech News Malaysia.

/08

Learnings

→ Designing for High-Stress, High-Speed Environments Requires Ruthless Prioritization

Real in-flight service is fast, noisy, and unpredictable. Through testing in those conditions, I learned that our UX must prioritize speed of action, clarity of information, and reduced cognitive load above all else — even over visual polish. In other words, making critical actions obvious and immediate was far more important than adding extra decorative elements.

→ Early stakeholder alignment saves time

Working closely with cabin crew leads, business analysts, and operations folks from the beginning was invaluable. By aligning our ideas with real operational constraints (limited serving time, inventory constraints, crew stress factors) early on, we avoided major surprises later. This collaboration ensured the design was realistic and grounded, which in turn minimized rework during development.

→ Small UX details can have massive impact

I was reminded that seemingly minor features — like a one-tap “Mark as Served” button, offline functionality, or quick filters — can dramatically improve workflow and user trust. In a high-pressure environment like aviation, these small UX improvements compound to make a huge difference in efficiency and crew confidence in the tool.