Configure Display Behavior

Configure Display Behavior

Display behavior determines how your Flight Display operates and updates. This article explains all available configuration options.

Refresh Interval

What is the Refresh Interval?

Definition: How often the display fetches new flight data from the API

Refresh rates are based on your subscription plan:

Setting the Refresh Interval

- Log in to the portal

- Click on "Settings"

- Scroll to "Refresh Interval"

- Choose from dropdown

- 5 min / 30 min / 60 min

- Click "Save Settings"

- New interval is activated immediately

Recommendations

5 Minutes (Premium):

5 Minutes (Recommended):

10 Minutes:

Best Practice: Start with 5 minutes. Only adjust if there's a specific need.

Tab Switching

Automatic Tab Switching

Function: Display automatically switches between Departures and Arrivals

Default: Enabled, every 30 seconds

Behavior:

00:00 - 00:30: Departures displayed
00:30 - 01:00: Arrivals displayed
01:00 - 01:30: Departures displayed
... and so on

Configuration:

Why Automatic?:

Manual Tab Switching (Not Recommended)

For Testing/Demo:

Info: In Kiosk Mode (Android Display), manual switching is not possible.

Content Rotation (Pro & Premium)

Info Slides Rotation

Feature: Switching between Flight Display and hotel information

Availability:

Example Rotation:

00:00 - 02:00: Flight Display (Departures/Arrivals)
02:00 - 02:30: Hotel Info Slide 1 (Shuttle Times)
02:30 - 03:00: Hotel Info Slide 2 (Restaurant Hours)
03:00 - 03:30: Hotel Info Slide 3 (Spa Services)
03:30 - 05:30: Flight Display (Departures/Arrivals)
... Cycle repeats

Configuring Rotation

- Navigate to "Settings"

- Find "Rotation Enabled"

- Toggle to "ON"

- "Flight Display Duration": How long flights are displayed

- Recommended: 120 seconds (2 minutes)

- Range: 60-300 seconds

- "Rotation Interval": How long each info slide is displayed

- Recommended: 30 seconds

- Range: 10-60 seconds

- Navigate to "Content" in the portal

- Create info slides

- Set order

- Save all settings

- Display starts rotation automatically

Rotation Best Practices

Timing:

Flight Display: 2 minutes (enough time for guests)
Info Slides: 30 seconds (readable, not too long)
Number of Slides: 3-5 (not too many, otherwise cycle takes too long)

Content:

✅ Shuttle times to airport
✅ Restaurant/Bar hours
✅ Spa/Wellness offerings
✅ Check-in/Check-out times
✅ Hotel highlights
❌ Too much text (nobody reads long texts)
❌ Unimportant information

Testing:

1. Create slides in the Content section
2. Enable rotation
3. Open display preview
4. Watch a complete cycle
5. Adjust timing if needed

Multi-Airport Rotation (Premium)

Rotating Between Airports

Feature: Display switches between multiple airports

Availability: Premium Plan (unlimited airports)

Example:

Hotel chain shows flights from 4 airports:
1. VIE - Vienna (2 minutes)
2. MUC - Munich (2 minutes)
3. PRG - Prague (2 minutes)
4. ZRH - Zurich (2 minutes)
... Cycle repeats

Configuration:

Why Useful?:

Display Modes

Standard Mode (All Plans)

Layout:

Features:

Rotation Mode (Pro & Premium)

Layout:

Features:

Offline Behavior

Automatic Offline Mode

What Happens When Connection is Lost?:

1. Display loses internet connection
   ↓
2. Display shows last cached flight data
   ↓
3. Warning appears: "Offline Mode - Showing cached data"
   ↓
4. Refresh interval pauses
   ↓
5. On reconnection: Automatic update

Cache Duration:

Visual Indicators:

No Action Required: Display automatically switches between Online/Offline.

Performance Optimization

Caching Strategy

Flight Data:

- API call: Every 5 minutes (or your refresh interval)
- Redis Cache: 5 minutes TTL
- Browser Cache: For offline mode
- Multiple hotels share cache (same airport)

Static Assets:

- Logo: 24 hours browser cache
- Colors: Cached in config
- Info slides: Permanently stored locally

Why Important?:

Network Requirements

Minimum Bandwidth:

Recommended:

Why Ethernet?:

Technical Details

API Calls Per Day

Calculation:

Refresh interval: 5 minutes
24 hours = 1440 minutes
1440 / 5 = 288 API calls per day

At 30 minutes (Pro): 48 API calls per day
At 60 minutes (Basic): 24 API calls per day

Cache Sharing Effect:

10 hotels with VIE airport:
Without cache: 10 × 288 = 2,880 API calls
With cache: 288 API calls (97% reduction!)

Free for You: We optimize API usage in the backend.

Browser Compatibility

Tested With:

Kiosk Mode:

Features Require:

Advanced Configuration

Query Parameters (For Testing)

Override Refresh Interval:

https://lobbyflight.com/display/[hotel-id]?refresh=60
(Refreshes every 60 seconds instead of saved interval)

Lock Tab:

https://lobbyflight.com/display/[hotel-id]?tab=departures
(Shows only Departures, no auto-switching)

Disable Rotation:

https://lobbyflight.com/display/[hotel-id]?rotation=off
(Temporarily disables info slides)

Warning: Query parameters are for testing/debugging. Use the Settings portal for permanent configuration.

Troubleshooting

Display Not Refreshing

Problem: Flight data doesn't change

Solution:

Rotation Not Working

Problem: Info slides don't appear

Solution:

Tab Switching Too Fast/Slow

Problem: 30 seconds isn't ideal

Currently: Not configurable (fixed at 30 seconds)

Workaround: If critical, contact support for a custom solution

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my refresh interval?

The refresh interval is determined by your subscription plan. Upgrade to Premium for the fastest 5-minute updates.

Does a shorter interval use more data?

Yes, but minimal. One refresh = ~50 KB. The difference between plans is negligible.

Can I activate rotation only at certain times?

Not currently. Rotation is always active when enabled.

What happens during an API outage?

Display shows cached data with offline warning. Automatic reconnection.

Can I have multiple displays with different intervals?

No, one hotel = one configuration for all displays.

Next Steps

After configuring display behavior:

Support

Questions about display behavior?