Black-owned startup ‘Airfordable’ lets you pay for flights on layaway

Airfordable, a Chicago-based, black-owned startup, is making it easier to afford flights so that you can go on a trip without having to pay a huge lump sum.

The startup allows you to pay for your trip in more affordable installments by submitted a picture of your itinerary and travel plans, and after an initial deposit, you can make payments up to your departure date.

Cofounder and CEO Ama Marfo, a Ghana native, said that she was inspired to create the startup while she was attending Drexel University in Philadelphia.

“I wanted to see my family in Ghana during school breaks, but couldn’t afford the $2,000 ticket,” she recalled. “I stayed in the dorm alone or with other international students who couldn’t go home. Because of this personal frustration, I set out to determine how to make travel more accessible.”

She then joined forces with COO Craig Henry and Emmanuel Buah, the company’s chief technical officer to create Airfordable, and they have already seen college students in similar situations to Marfo using the startup, not to mention others.

“We have a lot of students using Airfordable to travel home or for study abroad programs. While other users are planning travel based around life milestones such as destination weddings and family vacations. We are covering just about any travel need you can think of,” Marfo said.