Why are you participating for Based India?

The travel landscape is evolving, and so are the needs of modern, community-driven ecosystems like Crash. Traditional airline loyalty programs often fall short in addressing the unique requirements of web3 communities, where travel is not just about reaching a destination, but about fostering connections, attending events, and driving innovation.
As an active member of the Crash community and a frequent traveler, I've recognized the potential to transform conventional airmiles into a dynamic, community-centric reward system. HighMiles is born from this vision – a decentralized travel incentive program that aligns with the Crash community's ethos and enhances the overall experience of our members.

What challenges are you focusing on?

1. Limited utility and efficient utilisation of traditional loyalty programs within the web3 ecosystem
2. Lack of community engagement in current travel reward systems
3. Absence of social elements in travel planning and rewards
4. High barrier to entry for non-web3 users in blockchain-based solutions

How does your submission address this challenge?

HighMiles transforms the concept of travel rewards to better serve the Crash community and beyond:

1. Ecosystem Integration: Convert traditional airmiles into onchain attributes, accesable across the web3 ecosystem.
2. Community-Driven Rewards: Implement a system where engagement with the Crash community enhances travel benefits.
3. Event Access: Facilitate the use of HighMiles for conference tickets, hackathon entries, and hacker house discounts.
4. Social Travel Planning: Enable community members to coordinate travel, share costs, and earn bonuses for group activities.
5. Flexible Redemption: Expand the utility of travel points beyond just flights and hotels.

Challenges I ran into

During the development of HighMiles, we encountered several significant technical and practical challenges. Overcoming these hurdles has been crucial in creating a robust, secure, and user-friendly platform. Here are some of the key challenges we faced:

1. Finding API to Get Proper Ticket Data:

• Integrating with airline systems to access real-time, accurate ticket data proved to be complex.
  Many existing APIs were either limited in scope or lacked the comprehensive data we needed.
  We had to negotiate with multiple airlines and aggregators to secure reliable data sources.
  Solution: We developed a custom API integration layer that combines data from multiple sources, ensuring comprehensive and up-to-date ticket information.

2. Calculating Airmiles:

• Different airlines use varied formulas to calculate airmiles, making standardization difficult.
  Factors like fare class, route, and promotional offers added complexity to the calculations.
  Ensuring fair conversion of traditional airmiles to HighMiles tokens required careful consideration.
  Solution: We implemented a dynamic calculation engine that takes into account multiple factors and uses machine learning to adjust and improve conversion rates over time.

3.Building Smart Contracts with Privacy-Preserving Verification:

• Creating a system that verifies individuals while keeping their personal information secret was a significant challenge.
  Implementing zero-knowledge proofs (ZK) in smart contracts required advanced cryptographic knowledge.
  Balancing privacy with the need for transparency in a blockchain-based system was complex.
  Solution: We developed a custom ZK-SNARK implementation that allows for user verification without exposing personal data on-chain. This ensures user privacy while maintaining the integrity of the HighMiles ecosystem.

Additional Features

1. Flexible Accommodation Booking: Use HighMiles to book various types of stays, from traditional hotels to community-hosted spaces.
2. Quest System: Engage members with community challenges that earn bonus miles and special statuses, accessible to all users regardless of their web3 experience.
3. Sustainability Initiative: Option to allocate miles towards carbon offset projects, promoting responsible travel.