You could apply this to tickets in general, not just airlines. GroupOn makes money selling bulk services at a discount. A group ticketing service would have a group discount when x people buy the tickets. If and only if the number of tickets are purchased then the discount would be applied.
For flights you would agree with the airline to buy 10,000 tickets on their carrier at a discount. Their risk is reduced and you have an incentive to switch people from other carriers to this carrier. This seems like a win win for the carrier.
The most important aspect of a web product business is to actually build it. (build, test/feedback, ducktape) As the business-oriented guy you have to do whatever it takes to get this idea into v1.0, whatever it takes!
You need to be sprinting at this idea with all the passion and energy you have, focusing on implementing it. Spend time to learn how to hack, learn to read code, even if you never contribute a line to the project. You will learn a lot in the first 50-100 hours or so. GIJOE - "trying is half the battle", which is what attracts hackers. "the other half is actually doing it"... where they come in.
With the idea that implementing v1.0 of the idea as fast as possible and getting it out into the marketplace, you need to get the best programmer you can in your environment. This person does not need to be a founder, but it should be someone you can sit down with face-to-face or over facetime/skype if need be. A rockstar hacker will not join your team right off the bat (unless you are really lucky or went to elementary school with her). After getting v1.0 out the door you can market the shit out of it using your business knowhow, this is very important. If you are a marketing/business rockstar you will attract good hackers because you can pull your weight getting people to use the fucking product.
A great way to find great hackers is to be in an area where programming is only one part of their life. You don't have to be in SV to start a startup. Attract people that also like rock climbing (in my case) and make a connection on that level. Use local talent, most of the rockstar hackers come from towns from across the US and world and end up in SV.
I was in your position and I just kept marketing myself and the business idea. Last year one of my ideas was voted the TOP 10 MOST POPULAR in the GE Ecomagination challenge out of over 5,000 worldwide (top 0.02%). This is marketing my marketing. The hackers I work with are great at hacking and their ears perk up when I can demonstrate I can market the fuck out of something and get users.
$50k for the idea with the most votes
$100k for top 5 best ideas, voted on by judges
$200m venture fund for most promising ideas
Partnership potential with GE.