Build a Flight or Bus Ticket Booking System

Tables: routes (origin, destination, operator, distance_km), departures (route_id, departs_at, vehicle_type, total_seats, available_seats, base_price), bookings (departure_id, passenger_name, passenger_email, passenger_phone, seat_number, amount_paid, status, paystack_ref, ticket_code).

async function searchRoutes(origin, destination, date) {
  return db.query(
    `SELECT d.*, r.origin, r.destination, r.operator
     FROM departures d
     JOIN routes r ON d.route_id = r.id
     WHERE r.origin = $1 AND r.destination = $2
     AND DATE(d.departs_at) = $3
     AND d.available_seats > 0
     ORDER BY d.departs_at`,
    [origin, destination, date]
  );
}

async function initiateBooking(departureId, passenger, seats) {
  var departure = await db.departures.findById(departureId);
  if (departure.available_seats < seats) throw new Error('Not enough seats');

  var amount = departure.base_price * seats;
  var ticketCode = 'TKT-' + Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 10).toUpperCase();
  var reference = 'BUS-' + Date.now();

  var booking = await db.bookings.create({
    departure_id: departureId,
    passenger_name: passenger.name,
    passenger_email: passenger.email,
    passenger_phone: passenger.phone,
    seats_count: seats,
    amount_paid: amount,
    status: 'pending',
    paystack_ref: reference,
    ticket_code: ticketCode,
  });

  // Temporarily hold seats
  await db.departures.decrement(departureId, 'available_seats', seats);

  var res = await fetch('https://api.paystack.co/transaction/initialize', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { Authorization: 'Bearer ' + process.env.PAYSTACK_SECRET_KEY, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      email: passenger.email,
      amount,
      currency: 'NGN',
      reference,
      metadata: { booking_id: booking.id, route: departure.route_id, departs_at: departure.departs_at },
    }),
  });
  return (await res.json()).data.authorization_url;
}

Seats are decremented immediately on booking initiation (temporary hold). If payment does not complete within 15 minutes, a cron job restores the seats and cancels the pending booking.

if (event.event === 'charge.success') {
  var bookingId = event.data.metadata.booking_id;
  var booking = await db.bookings.findById(bookingId);
  if (booking.status !== 'pending') return res.sendStatus(200);

  await db.bookings.update(bookingId, { status: 'confirmed', paystack_txn_id: event.data.id });
  await sendEticketEmail(booking); // PDF attachment with ticket code + QR
}

// Cancellation and refund
async function cancelBooking(bookingId, reason) {
  var booking = await db.bookings.findById(bookingId);
  var departure = await db.departures.findById(booking.departure_id);
  var hoursUntilDeparture = (new Date(departure.departs_at) - new Date()) / 3600000;

  var refundAmount = 0;
  if (hoursUntilDeparture > 48) refundAmount = booking.amount_paid;
  else if (hoursUntilDeparture > 24) refundAmount = Math.floor(booking.amount_paid * 0.5);

  if (refundAmount > 0) {
    await fetch('https://api.paystack.co/refund', {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: { Authorization: 'Bearer ' + process.env.PAYSTACK_SECRET_KEY, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
      body: JSON.stringify({ transaction: booking.paystack_ref, amount: refundAmount }),
    });
  }

  await db.bookings.update(bookingId, { status: 'cancelled', cancel_reason: reason });
  await db.departures.increment(booking.departure_id, 'available_seats', booking.seats_count);
}

See build a cinema ticketing system for the same seat-locking and e-ticket pattern in a different context.

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