Trip Builder

Trip Builder is a web service focused on practical itinerary building for a single passenger with a strong backend-first architecture. The project was initially created as a PHP backend assessment and evolved into a complete working product with a public interface, search engine logic, and REST API endpoints that simulate integrations with external travel services.

From a product perspective, the core value is speed and clarity in flight discovery: users can define route points, travel dates, cabin class, and passenger details, then refine results by meaningful criteria without losing context. The production version is available at trip-builder.tarasov.ca, and the source code is maintained in the public GitHub repository.

#One-Way and Round-Trip Search Logic

The platform supports one-way trips from point A to point B and round-trip flows composed of two one-way segments (A to B, then B back to A). Result ranking is built around booking-relevant priorities, including ticket price, total travel time, departure windows, and arrival windows.

Home page flight search form for one-way and round-trip planning

The same search model remains accessible on the results page so users can quickly adjust route inputs without returning to the home screen.

Search results page query parameters bar for quick edits

#Search Form UX: Dates and Airport Autocomplete

Date selection uses a calendar picker tailored for one-way and return scenarios, reducing mistakes in departure and arrival combinations.

Departure and return date picker calendar in flight form

Airport input includes autocomplete assistance so users can find airports by code and city faster, especially for less common destinations.

Airport autocomplete suggestions dropdown in search form

#Results Page and Flight Cards

Search output is presented as city-pair result cards, making comparison easier when multiple route combinations are available for the same request.

Flight results city pairs cards layout for route comparison

The card-level presentation highlights the most actionable values first so travelers can make fast decisions.

Flight offer card comparison view with key travel metrics

A compact top summary keeps route context visible while users review a long list of options.

Results page top navigation summary bar with route context

#Advanced Filters for Better Match Quality

Filtering is designed to progressively narrow search output without rebuilding the full request. This is especially helpful when users need to optimize for comfort, timing, or airline preference.

Combined filters overview with sorting time comfort baggage and airline controls

Because filters are modular, additional custom filters can be introduced when business rules or user expectations expand.

#Automated Flight Generation with Noah CLI

A dedicated CLI tool (noah) powers dataset generation and operational scripts. The flights:add command can seed realistic records with departure/arrival airports, dates, distances (Vincenty-based calculation), duration, rating, and cost derived from route characteristics.

For default generation:

php noah flights:add

Noah CLI generate flights default command output

For high-volume generation:

php noah flights:add 10000

Noah CLI generate flights custom volume command output

Additional operational commands from the project documentation include php noah list, php noah help flights:add, php noah db:clear, and php noah flights:cleaning.

#Backend Architecture, Setup, and Operational Data

The server application is implemented in PHP and split into two cooperating layers: a web software engine and a REST API used to emulate external service interactions. Project setup is streamlined through the CLI installer (php noah install) documented in the README.

Core flight lookup quality depends on reliable reference datasets, including airports and airlines management modules:

Airports dataset management interface for route source data

Airlines dataset management interface for carrier mapping

The booking flow is also covered end-to-end in the UI layer, connecting search output with order intent.

Booking flow passenger order summary interface

#Delivery, Hosting, and Static Asset Optimization

The product is both version-controlled and publicly hosted: source at GitHub and working deployment at trip-builder.tarasov.ca. Static media delivery was optimized through Amazon S3, improving storage flexibility and content delivery speed for non-dynamic assets.

The project also includes a dedicated error fallback page for invalid routes to preserve navigation continuity.

Custom 404 fallback page for broken or unknown routes

#Bottom Line

Trip Builder demonstrates how a PHP backend-focused project can deliver real product value when search logic, data generation, and UI filtering are designed as one coherent system. By combining timezone-aware trip planning, automation-ready CLI tooling, and production hosting practices, the platform provides a scalable base for travel-search scenarios where result relevance and operational maintainability matter equally.