7 ms·

If this (eventually) leads to the possibility of one -1- properly designed and implemented airport app rather than me having a couple dozen different apps insta

by lb1lf 10y ago

If this (eventually) leads to the possibility of one -1- properly designed and implemented airport app rather than me having a couple dozen different apps installed, all buggy and crash prone and with hardly any common UI features at all - then I'm all for it...

mind_heist 10y ago
Hey, Can I ask - What are some of the airport/flight app you currently have on your phone ?
- ElijahLynn 10y ago
  Not OP but I have 0. I travel maybe 1-3 times a year and I usually install it for the trip then delete it. Airports/flight/airlines are PRIME candidates for Progressive Web Apps.
- austinl 10y ago
  I've found Kayak's app to be pretty useful + up to date for tracking flights. You can input a flight number, or search for flights based on departure and arrival airport. I haven't found any other app that reacts to delays or gate changes as quickly. I believe they get their data by aggregating a lot of individual sources (https://www.quora.com/How-does-Kayak-get-all-information-from-all-those-travel-sites https://www.quora.com/How-does-Kayak-get-all-information-fro...) https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kayak-flights-hotels-cars/id305204535 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kayak-flights-hotels-cars/id...
- lb1lf 10y ago
  Here's the ones I use most often: Avinor (Norwegian airport authority), Schiphol (Closest hub), Kastrup/Copenhagen (#2 hub (of sorts)) and Frankfurt. Then there's all sorts of second tier airports which have their own apps of sorts - say, even Dyce (Aberdeen) has one, though I am not sure it is an official product. Add to that that any airline worth its salt has got at least one app, and it soon adds up...
rebootthesystem 10y ago
Random thought: Millions of people used to fly all over the world just fine before apps and smart phones. To this day, I print my boarding passes at home and just go. I have never used an app of any kind to assist in air travel nationally or internationally. Never missed a flight or had any issues transacting changes or any of the commonly encountered issues while travelling. And I do have an iPhone in my pocket at all times. Same with taking a bus, train, subway, checking into a hotel, etc. I'm curious. What has changed that someone might need a couple dozen different apps? How many of these are solutions chasing problems? Or "just 'cause we can"?
- tyingq 10y ago
  Last minute gate changes or departure time changes can be challenging. Many airports have terminals that are miles apart. That doesn't necessarily mean you need a fancy app, but things like SMS notices for that sort of thing are very handy. Google does a fairly good job at aggregating the info so you can search for flight status, but you have to actively poll for it. For that reason, many people have lots of individual airline apps, or lots of individual sign ups for notices. Similar for keeping your air, car, and hotel reservation details somewhat "together".
  - ccozan 10y ago
    Lufthansa sends SMSes, which are faster than the notification from their own app. As speed, the sms came ca 1sec after the change has been displayed at the original gate.
- nowarninglabel 10y ago
  Not quite answering the question posed, but I do want to posit that air passenger traffic has continued to grow steadily nearly every year since it began: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IS.AIR.PSGR http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IS.AIR.PSGR There are a lot more people flying and/or flying more and that could increase the complexity of travel. Also, increased security can lead to more variable wait time and thus another variable to consider more now when deciding on what time to leave for a flight. Perhaps the increase in flight apps allows more efficient travel planning and thus saves people a lot of time? Just a thought.
techstrategist 10y ago
Schiphol already has a decent app for tracking flights and finding gates, luggage, and shopping, but I don't see how this will dissuade the providers of those other apps.
- lb1lf 10y ago
  The Schiphol app is one of the better ones, but then there are all the other airports... Also, this issue is not limited to airports - there's lots and lots of integration to be done. Say, if I want to take a bus in Bergen (Norway's #2 town, or, if you ask the locals, #1) - you need one app to find out which bus(es) to take, then another to buy a ticket. If you want to buy a ticket for the airport coach? Oh, you'll need another app for that. Actually, you'll need two, as there are two coach companies. And, getting to Oslo, (#1, or, if you ask the people in Bergen - #2) you'll need another app if you want to take the shuttle train into town, then yet another for getting tickets once you transit to trams/buses in the city centre. &c. If public transport companies could agree on a way of sharing payments, the market is more than ripe for unified apps for route planning and ticketing, at least on a national level. (Expecting standardization to cross borders is probably a bit of a stretch - and, unless you happen to live in, say, Liechtenstein with half a dozen countries within walking distance (yes, I exaggerate), not much of a concern, really.
  - david-given 10y ago
    Switzerland mostly does this. I can buy a time-limited ticket from any ticket vending machine which is valid within a certain area, for a certain amount of time, and I can then use that ticket on any bus, train or tram, regardless of company or how many changes I need to make. It's also valid for most cablecars and boats. It's completely changed the way I use public transport. (You can actually use the ticket vending machine by the bus stop near my house to buy a ticket which can be used to go by bus from my house to Zürich station, then by express train from there to a station in the mountains, and then by bus up to a ski resort car park, and then by cable car from there to the resort proper, and then by chairlift from there to the top of the mountain, and then it's your ski pass for a day's skiing, and then it takes you home again. One ticket.)
  - 10y ago
skilled 10y ago
I don't understand.. who cares if you're not?

by lb1lf 10y ago

mind_heist 10y ago

Hey, Can I ask - What are some of the airport/flight app you currently have on your phone ?

ElijahLynn 10y ago
Not OP but I have 0. I travel maybe 1-3 times a year and I usually install it for the trip then delete it. Airports/flight/airlines are PRIME candidates for Progressive Web Apps.
austinl 10y ago
I've found Kayak's app to be pretty useful + up to date for tracking flights. You can input a flight number, or search for flights based on departure and arrival airport. I haven't found any other app that reacts to delays or gate changes as quickly. I believe they get their data by aggregating a lot of individual sources (https://www.quora.com/How-does-Kayak-get-all-information-from-all-those-travel-sites https://www.quora.com/How-does-Kayak-get-all-information-fro...) https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kayak-flights-hotels-cars/id305204535 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kayak-flights-hotels-cars/id...
lb1lf 10y ago
Here's the ones I use most often: Avinor (Norwegian airport authority), Schiphol (Closest hub), Kastrup/Copenhagen (#2 hub (of sorts)) and Frankfurt. Then there's all sorts of second tier airports which have their own apps of sorts - say, even Dyce (Aberdeen) has one, though I am not sure it is an official product. Add to that that any airline worth its salt has got at least one app, and it soon adds up...

rebootthesystem 10y ago

Random thought: Millions of people used to fly all over the world just fine before apps and smart phones. To this day, I print my boarding passes at home and just go. I have never used an app of any kind to assist in air travel nationally or internationally. Never missed a flight or had any issues transacting changes or any of the commonly encountered issues while travelling. And I do have an iPhone in my pocket at all times. Same with taking a bus, train, subway, checking into a hotel, etc. I'm curious. What has changed that someone might need a couple dozen different apps? How many of these are solutions chasing problems? Or "just 'cause we can"?

tyingq 10y ago
Last minute gate changes or departure time changes can be challenging. Many airports have terminals that are miles apart. That doesn't necessarily mean you need a fancy app, but things like SMS notices for that sort of thing are very handy. Google does a fairly good job at aggregating the info so you can search for flight status, but you have to actively poll for it. For that reason, many people have lots of individual airline apps, or lots of individual sign ups for notices. Similar for keeping your air, car, and hotel reservation details somewhat "together".
- ccozan 10y ago
  Lufthansa sends SMSes, which are faster than the notification from their own app. As speed, the sms came ca 1sec after the change has been displayed at the original gate.
nowarninglabel 10y ago
Not quite answering the question posed, but I do want to posit that air passenger traffic has continued to grow steadily nearly every year since it began: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IS.AIR.PSGR http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IS.AIR.PSGR There are a lot more people flying and/or flying more and that could increase the complexity of travel. Also, increased security can lead to more variable wait time and thus another variable to consider more now when deciding on what time to leave for a flight. Perhaps the increase in flight apps allows more efficient travel planning and thus saves people a lot of time? Just a thought.

techstrategist 10y ago

Schiphol already has a decent app for tracking flights and finding gates, luggage, and shopping, but I don't see how this will dissuade the providers of those other apps.

lb1lf 10y ago
The Schiphol app is one of the better ones, but then there are all the other airports... Also, this issue is not limited to airports - there's lots and lots of integration to be done. Say, if I want to take a bus in Bergen (Norway's #2 town, or, if you ask the locals, #1) - you need one app to find out which bus(es) to take, then another to buy a ticket. If you want to buy a ticket for the airport coach? Oh, you'll need another app for that. Actually, you'll need two, as there are two coach companies. And, getting to Oslo, (#1, or, if you ask the people in Bergen - #2) you'll need another app if you want to take the shuttle train into town, then yet another for getting tickets once you transit to trams/buses in the city centre. &c. If public transport companies could agree on a way of sharing payments, the market is more than ripe for unified apps for route planning and ticketing, at least on a national level. (Expecting standardization to cross borders is probably a bit of a stretch - and, unless you happen to live in, say, Liechtenstein with half a dozen countries within walking distance (yes, I exaggerate), not much of a concern, really.
- david-given 10y ago
  Switzerland mostly does this. I can buy a time-limited ticket from any ticket vending machine which is valid within a certain area, for a certain amount of time, and I can then use that ticket on any bus, train or tram, regardless of company or how many changes I need to make. It's also valid for most cablecars and boats. It's completely changed the way I use public transport. (You can actually use the ticket vending machine by the bus stop near my house to buy a ticket which can be used to go by bus from my house to Zürich station, then by express train from there to a station in the mountains, and then by bus up to a ski resort car park, and then by cable car from there to the resort proper, and then by chairlift from there to the top of the mountain, and then it's your ski pass for a day's skiing, and then it takes you home again. One ticket.)
- 10y ago

skilled 10y ago

I don't understand.. who cares if you're not?