Technology
mobile applications for specifi c handsets, is the subject of some interesting internal debate,” admits Van Houweling. “In my view, our mobile website still needs to be top priority, because of the reach that it gives us. But we can’t afford to take our eye off the ball when it comes to native applications,” he says. Southwest’s iPhone app, launched in early 2010, has been one of the most popular travel-booking applications in Apple’s App Store this year, Van Houweling claims. It has the usual array of functions that a passenger might expect: fl ight booking, fl ight status, mobile check-in and loyalty account updates. But what sets the iPhone app apart from Southwest’s mobile website offerings
business travellers in mind) and Windows Mobile. “But as the mobile app landscape gets more diverse, the complexity of maintaining all those touchpoints and keeping them up-to-date will be a challenge,” he adds.
Likewise, by the end of the year, Malaysia Airlines plans to launch versions of its MHmobile app for iPad, BlackBerry and Android devices, says Khan. “A smartphone will deliver a richer browsing experience than a less capable feature phone,” he agrees, but at Malaysia Airlines all travel-planning and booking capabilities are available on both smartphones and less sophisticated feature phones.
Continental Airlines and Alaska Airlines. It’s a useful indicator of the way that other airlines are likely to proceed with their mobile apps strategies. According to the 2010 Airline IT Trends report from aviation technology specialist SITA, around 80% of airlines surveyed plan to offer online check-in via mobile by 2013, and over three-quarters (76%) plan to send electronic mobile passes to mobiles. So there’s no doubt that mobile apps are dramatically changing the travel habits of tech-savvy road warriors – and the trend looks set to continue. In fact, those airlines that are not already working on their mobile strategies may be in the minority. Indeed, several are working hard
I fi rmly believe that mobile will play an increasingly signifi cant role in how people travel
is the “usability, simplicity and speed that it offers, which is far better than browser-based functions,” he says. Thanks to the iPhone’s processing power and memory, the iPhone app is far richer too. One of its most popular features is its regular delivery of Ding! fare alerts – news of time-sensitive discounts on tickets – which was previously available only to users who downloaded software onto their desktop or laptop computers. “Customers tell us they’re looking for ‘quick and easy’, and native mobile apps are more successful against these criteria than a mobile website,” says Van Houweling. With that in mind, the next platforms that Southwest is considering as targets for native mobile apps are Android, BlackBerry (primarily with
44 Looking ahead
British Airways is perhaps further ahead than many competitors in terms of developing mobile apps functions. It launched its fi rst iPhone application over two years ago, to coincide with the UK launch of the device, and has since followed up with apps for the BlackBerry and Android phones. This summer, it became one of the
fi rst airlines to enable passengers to check in for fl ights with a boarding pass downloaded to and displayed on their iPhone screen. Presently this capability is only available to Executive Club members using iPhones for short-haul fl ights but will soon be offered to BlackBerry and Android users, too). Other airlines offering mobile boarding pass functions include
to get the word out to potential customers; both Delta and American Airlines recently ran competitions where passengers who downloaded the latest version of their mobile apps had the chance to win a prize of one million air miles. Clearly, the race is on. Or, as Van Houweling of Southwest puts it: “I fi rmly believe that mobile will play an increasingly signifi cant role in how people travel. In order for Southwest Airlines to be successful over the long-term, now is the right time to make sure that we’re playing proactively in this space. We’ve got to be delivering sophisticated apps today but, at the same time, plan for tomorrow’s functions and devices.”
RN
www.routes-news.com
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