The Flybook

Name: The Flybook
Brand: The Flybook
Rating: 4.6 (65 reviews)

The most advanced booking software for the tour and activity industry.

Est 2006

LinkedIn 1K|Website|Web traffic 299K|FTEs 22|HQ Bend, Oregon, US

Published Jul 15, 2026

01Common complaints

1. **If transparent, flat-rate pricing without a percentage fee is a hard requirement.** The vendor’s standard model includes percentage-based options, which can be less predictable for high-volume operations. 2. **If minimal learning curve and minimal staff training are required.** Public reviews include comments about a learning curve and reporting usability that may require staff time for training and configuration. 3. **If maximum long-term flexibility in payment gateways and processors is required.** Public help articles document fees for maintaining certain external gateways and note functional dependencies on the vendor’s payments partner for some features, which may affect long-term processing options. 4. **If publicly posted, ungated security audit reports (e.g., SOC 2/ISO) are required prior to vendor engagement.** The vendor’s trust materials do not expose downloadable audit reports in publicly accessible pages; these items may require a gated request.

Deal disqualifiers

Organizations with simple booking needs where a lightweight scheduler is sufficient.
Businesses that strictly require flat-rate pricing and wish to avoid revenue-share fee models.
Organizations that require publicly available, ungated enterprise audit reports (e.g., SOC 2) without a vendor engagement process.

Known limitations implied by sources

- **Reporting discoverability/complexity:** Users report challenges in report naming and selection; vendor documentation includes guidance material to assist report selection. - **Front-end UX and historical workflow issues:** Some reviews describe a lack of auto-save prior to payment in historical versions of the product; the vendor has indicated front-end modernization efforts that may address legacy behaviors. - **Support-channel variability:** Public reviews show mixed experiences with phone support availability while noting responsive email support in some cases. - **Payments coupling and fees:** Documented gateway fees and feature dependencies tied to the vendor payments partner can reduce optionality for payment processing.

Roadmap / modernization signals

The vendor has published beta and release-note materials describing updates to foundational code and the front-end, indicating ongoing modernization activity.

API / integration constraints

Public, detailed API documentation and a comprehensive integration directory were not surfaced in this research pass; buyers should request an integration list and API documentation during procurement.

02Why they buy

Unique selling points supported by customer/vendor evidence (with caveats)

- **Operational depth for activities:** The product emphasizes integrated support for guides, equipment/resource calendars, rentals/tours logic, and POS/item sales in vendor materials and help documentation. - **Advisory-style support:** The vendor publishes support SLAs and positions a consultative onboarding model; some reviewers report responsive email support. - **Customization and configuration flexibility:** Customers and vendor materials cite the ability to support diverse offerings and configurations.

Areas where competitors likely have advantages

Distribution and integration ecosystems: Some competitors have broader mainstream presence and larger integration ecosystems in specific regions or verticals.
Public review distribution: Differences in review volume across platforms can affect buyer perception and comparative research.

Why customers chose Flybook (themes)

Recurring themes in reviews and vendor-provided materials include:

Customization and flexibility for diverse offerings (packages, start times, multiple locations, staff assignments).
Centralized operations that combine equipment, staff calendars, and online booking.
An advisory-style support model with vendor-led onboarding and assistance reported by some users.

03Field reports

Review platform coverage snapshot

- **Capterra:** The product shows a generally positive rating on the vendor listing, with many reviews registered on that platform. Aggregated sentiment metrics can mask individual negative experiences, so reading individual reviews is recommended. - **G2:** Only a limited number of reviews were accessible in this research run; small sample sizes reduce confidence in extrapolating platform-wide sentiment. - **Other analyst platforms:** No widely accessible Gartner Peer Insights listing was found in this research run; access limitations may apply.

Positive feedback (examples with quotes)

From public review sites:

A reviewer on Capterra stated: "Overall, I LOVE the Flybook reservation system." The review cites versatility, staff adoption after initial setup, and responsiveness to feedback.
Vendor-published testimonials emphasize flexibility for varied tour options, analytics, and support availability; these are curated by the vendor and should be treated as selected examples rather than representative samples.

Negative/critical feedback (examples with quotes)

From public reviews and review-platform excerpts:

A G2 reviewer summarized usability concerns: "Does the job, but difficult to learn" and described reporting as tedious and confusingly named.
Some Capterra reviews describe workflow friction (excessive clicks), front-end UX issues for customers, and support-channel frustrations (e.g., inconsistent phone pickup reported by one or more reviewers).

Why some customers leave / churn signals (inferred)

Learning curve and reporting usability issues.
Front-end UX concerns that can increase administrative work.
Payment-processing coupling and fee structures that may reduce flexibility or increase ongoing costs.

Vendor-published case-style claims

Vendor marketing pages include qualitative testimonials and statements about improved outcomes (for example, references to increased online conversions). These items are vendor-provided, frequently lack baselines or methodologies, and should be validated in procurement conversations.

Product update / conversion claims

- Vendor announcements reference a new online booking tool and state that some beta customers reported improved online conversions and reduced phone inquiries. These are vendor-reported observations and are not accompanied by third-party validation in accessible materials. - The vendor notes migration from an older front end to a new booking experience; the transition implies migration work for customers and potential implementation overhead for clients during upgrade periods.

Critical evaluation

Evidence gap: No third-party audited ROI studies or independently verified case-study metrics were located in the accessible sources used for this report.
Selection bias: Vendor-published case studies and testimonials are inherently curated and should be supplemented with references and live demos for procurement decisions.

04Best fit

Company sizes

Likely best fit: small-to-mid-market operators with substantive operational complexity (seasonal staffing is common), typically ranging from small teams to mid-sized organizations depending on multi-location needs.

Industries / verticals

Outdoor tours and rentals (rafting, fishing guides, ATV, bike/boat rentals)
Adventure parks / attractions (zipline, ropes courses)
Outfitters and lodges with assignment-style scheduling

Roles/personas

Owners / General Managers
Operations managers
Front-desk / reservations staff
Guides / staff schedulers
Accounting / finance personnel responsible for reconciliation and payouts

Strong fit qualification criteria

Requires integrated resource/equipment and staff scheduling beyond simple appointment booking.
Willing to invest in configuration and training to obtain value from a flexible platform.
Prefers vendor-guided onboarding and advisory-style support.

05The pitch

What the product does (core value proposition)

The Flybook is a reservation and business management platform for activity-industry operators—tours, rentals, adventure parks/attractions, lodging-style assignments, and related outdoor recreation businesses. The product is positioned to handle operational complexity (resources/equipment, guides/staff scheduling, waivers, POS/item sales, reporting) together with online booking and marketing/communications in a single system. Key functional areas cited by the vendor include dashboards/reporting, guide/staff management, equipment/resource management, online booking, marketing tools, and payment processing (via Flybook Pay / Fullsteam). (Official vendor site and product overview pages)

Target market and positioning

Primary target: Outdoor recreation and activities businesses with complex inventory/resources and scheduling (e.g., guided trips, multi-time-slot tours, equipment rentals, adventure parks).
Positioning theme: The vendor describes the product as "Purpose-built activity software" and emphasizes flexibility/customization for non-standard offerings and an advisory-style support offering. (vendor positioning language)

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