10 ms·

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 j

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.
- rebootthesystem 10y ago
  Well, I travel all over the place inside and outside the US and I have yet to run into an issue that caused me to pull out my iPhone and download an app. Not saying it isn't real. It just puzzles me that people might need a dozen apps when I just print a couple of pieces of paper (or refer to my email itinerary notices) and all is well. Just to clarify, I am not being critical of anyone at all. I'm just puzzled, that's all.
  - nickonline 10y ago
    You being puzzled confuses me, you might as well ask ... doing your taxes is as simple as filling out a form - why would you ever need an online system if I can just grab the form from the newsagent and fill it out? I've personally never had any problems ... we used to get just fine between locations using boats, why did anyone bother to invent planes? I personally have plenty of time to sit on a boat
    - rebootthesystem 10y ago
      That's a grotesque exaggeration. The difference between travelling with and without apps is nowhere near the differences in the scenarios you are painting. Airline travel was designed pre-app era. Which means that, by definition, nobody needs smartphones with apps to travel. Airports are probably the most efficient buildings in the world.
kaishiro 10y ago
I actually understand what you're saying, and for the most part agree. I travel a lot (have spent only 30-60 days on my home soil per year for the past several years) and always print the stages of my trip out in a folder (flights, hotel bookings, etc.). We may do it for different reasons though - I hate trying to find a specific email attachment or download on my phone at a counter with people waiting behind me in line - gives me anxiety. That being said, as a developer I don't see any reason to be anything other than excited about this. I think you've been pretty lucky to have never run into an issue while traveling. I've had my fair share of run-ins with last minute gate changes, too-tight layovers, incorrect signage at overcrowded airports, etc. If I could build my own little Twilio integration that alerted me the second a gate change occurred, that'd be awesome (and super fun to build). Then again, we're living in the golden age of integrations right now and I get overly excited about all of this shit : )
- rebootthesystem 10y ago
  I do exactly the same thing. I open a Word document and enter all of the details of my trip, usually copy and pasting from many email confirmations. Dates, times, addresses, phone numbers, frequent flyer info, confirmation numbers, hotel, rental car, and other contact info. I also do all the math to understand at what time I should leave home or the hotel to be at the airport on time. If I have to rent a car I'll map the route from airport to hotel and print a Google map with directions. I do the same for any meeting, visit or location during my stay wherever I am going. I'll usually send that document to my wife if travelling alone or, if it is a family trip I'll send it to a family member so they have all our trip info handy (you never know). I'll print one copy for each person travelling. That goes in your bag, wallet, pocket, whatever. And that's it. As I said in a prior comment, I have yet to be at the airport and thought "I should find an app for my iPhone". Our travelling is usually very relaxed because all the information we need is in one place. And it does not require power. Maybe that's the key. As a long time sailor I learn the hard way that anything electronic can and will fail exactly when you need it. It can also be stolen or damaged. I don't want to find myself in a situation where all of my information lives behind a small screen that I just lost or can't power-up. Paper still works wonders...you can even write notes on it.
nurettin 10y ago
It's just like taking a bus, so how will an app help? Well, when the world isn't perfect, an app that readily answers questions such as "how long is the plane going to be delayed for?" or "when will they send us the baby carriage? We are tired of holding him." or "does that guy have a license for that submachine gun he's holding?" is appreciated. And you can get those answers without getting up from your coffee table or calling the authorities.
lb1lf 10y ago
I do print my itinerary on paper, too (The failure modes of paper being few and well known) - my colleagues tend to chuckle and call me a dinosaur - until they get that panicked look as we near the last leg of our journey - looking for a power outlet... However, things happen. The good airport apps can tell you stuff like "You just got out at Arrivals C/2. Next flight departs from B42, to your right, four minutes. Estimated delay 25 minutes, but boarding still closes in 11 minutes. Granted, you can get the same info from signage and info screens, but when you've been on your way for a day, tired out of your mind, your incoming flight was delayed and you may not catch the last leg home, having to spend (yet another) night in a hotel with as much character as a helping of yesterday's mashed potatoes, getting the information you need on a small screen in front of you rather than having to go looking is gold. Pure, brilliant gold. And I really should only need one, which is where this API comes in - if other airports could fall in line and agree on a common API, maybe we could get an app or two which aggregates data from the airports on your journey and presents it in a tidy way.
- rebootthesystem 10y ago
  I'm a developer myself so I love software. I am simply puzzled by the statement someone made about needing a dozen apps to fly. Here's my reality when I fly with my small children. I make it a game. I give them the printouts and have them navigate the family around the airport, etc. Airports are designed very well. They are designed for someone who doesn't speak the local language to find their way around. And so, the way I look at it is: If a couple of kids, 9 and 10 years old, don't have a problem then I think for the most part these are solutions looking for problems. A piece of paper does just fine for probably 99% of travel scenarios. Had the comment poster said something like "There's this one app that helps me get around and this is how it works" I think I would have reacted positively to that statement. The exact quote was: "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..." Which triggered the question: Why does someone have to go through all of this pain and aggravation when millions of people have been travelling around the world for decades with nothing more than a few pieces of paper? Most of what I read about this is unnecessary. Airports were designed way before smartphones every existed. Ergo, they work very well without them. In fact, they work very well with nothing more than a few pieces of paper in your hand.
acchow 10y ago
I don't have a printer at home. I don't know anyone under the age of 40 who has a printer at home.
- rebootthesystem 10y ago
  That's actually funny. So, the only people who own printers are over 40?
  - sleepychu 10y ago
    I think that's a fair comment. Most of my parents' friends have printers, my parents have a printer but I don't have a printer and none of my friends do. I've considered owning a printer but my access to printers at work/school has always made them seem like more bother than they're worth. Particularly since other than boarding passes the only use I have for printing documents is work/school.
    - rebootthesystem 10y ago
      I can't remember a time without a printer at home. As an entrepreneur they are an absolute necessity. Work doesn't end when I leave the office. Once you have kids printers are almost required. Mine are constantly printing homework assignments, coloring pages, etc.
blauditore 10y ago
I don't have a printer at home, so having my boarding pass on a phone makes things a lot easier.
MrQuincle 10y ago
In the Netherlands many people who take a bus or train have an app (9292 or NS). It's one of the most useful apps on my phone. + It tells me when my stop is coming up and I have to press the button to get out of the bus. + It reminds me to checkout. + It tells me where to find the bus when I arrive at a train station I don't know. + It helps me plan my travel so I can leave on time. + It helps me to know when the latest train goes home. + It helps me to find the shortest route. + It tells me if there are still public bikes available at the station of my destination. Of course, flying is quite different. Nevertheless I regretfully "did have issues" with flying. + I have to buy and print ESTA forms every two years. + I have to print boarding passes. + I have to print how to go to my hotel after arriving at an airport. + I have to look at dumb displays to find my gate. + I have to have this paper document called a passport that can be lost and gets you on Interpol if you're unlucky, but that's another story. + I almost never get a vegetarian meal because these booking agents are terrible. + Try to do the paperwork if you travel with something fancy, e.g. robots. "That doesn't look like a laptop, Sir!" + Even making a picture of a carry-on to check if it's the right size might be helpful, because that's the current attack on the passenger. + If you travel so often, can you take a bottle of coke with you? No, you're a terrorist. There are many issues with air travel.
- rebootthesystem 10y ago
  Not convinced. If your phone is dead or stole you can still move around just fine all over Europe. I have spent a pretty decent amount of time in the Netherlands in particular over the last fifteen years. I understand having information conveniently available at your fingertips. That's great. My confusion had more to do with someone saying they need over a dozen apps to be able to travel. Sorry, travelling --by any medium-- predates apps and, for the most part, you don't need much more than a few pieces of paper. I would not dare get on a flight while fully depending on data inside a phone. If anything happens to that phone you are screwed.
  - arianvanp 10y ago
    I'm not convinced about phone calls, because if your phone is stolen you can always go to a pay phone! Sarcasm aside. The real answer is: Convenience. There are apps that make my life a lot more convenient. Dutch citizens live on public transport; I have never touched a car in my life. A bus stops at my station every 50 seconds. It is great to be able to quickly plan, get information about delays, allow yourself to take a nap and get woken up by a buzzer etc... It's just convenience. Yes you'll get along fine if you do your daily commute with same train, same bus, same boat. But as soon as you need to do something more exotic, it's nice for an app to have your back
kwhitefoot 10y ago
What do you need the boarding pass for? I fly from Norway to Poland with just the credit card that I used to make the booking. Same for the train to Oslo airport.

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.

rebootthesystem 10y ago
Well, I travel all over the place inside and outside the US and I have yet to run into an issue that caused me to pull out my iPhone and download an app. Not saying it isn't real. It just puzzles me that people might need a dozen apps when I just print a couple of pieces of paper (or refer to my email itinerary notices) and all is well. Just to clarify, I am not being critical of anyone at all. I'm just puzzled, that's all.
- nickonline 10y ago
  You being puzzled confuses me, you might as well ask ... doing your taxes is as simple as filling out a form - why would you ever need an online system if I can just grab the form from the newsagent and fill it out? I've personally never had any problems ... we used to get just fine between locations using boats, why did anyone bother to invent planes? I personally have plenty of time to sit on a boat
  - rebootthesystem 10y ago
    That's a grotesque exaggeration. The difference between travelling with and without apps is nowhere near the differences in the scenarios you are painting. Airline travel was designed pre-app era. Which means that, by definition, nobody needs smartphones with apps to travel. Airports are probably the most efficient buildings in the world.

kaishiro 10y ago

I actually understand what you're saying, and for the most part agree. I travel a lot (have spent only 30-60 days on my home soil per year for the past several years) and always print the stages of my trip out in a folder (flights, hotel bookings, etc.). We may do it for different reasons though - I hate trying to find a specific email attachment or download on my phone at a counter with people waiting behind me in line - gives me anxiety. That being said, as a developer I don't see any reason to be anything other than excited about this. I think you've been pretty lucky to have never run into an issue while traveling. I've had my fair share of run-ins with last minute gate changes, too-tight layovers, incorrect signage at overcrowded airports, etc. If I could build my own little Twilio integration that alerted me the second a gate change occurred, that'd be awesome (and super fun to build). Then again, we're living in the golden age of integrations right now and I get overly excited about all of this shit : )

rebootthesystem 10y ago
I do exactly the same thing. I open a Word document and enter all of the details of my trip, usually copy and pasting from many email confirmations. Dates, times, addresses, phone numbers, frequent flyer info, confirmation numbers, hotel, rental car, and other contact info. I also do all the math to understand at what time I should leave home or the hotel to be at the airport on time. If I have to rent a car I'll map the route from airport to hotel and print a Google map with directions. I do the same for any meeting, visit or location during my stay wherever I am going. I'll usually send that document to my wife if travelling alone or, if it is a family trip I'll send it to a family member so they have all our trip info handy (you never know). I'll print one copy for each person travelling. That goes in your bag, wallet, pocket, whatever. And that's it. As I said in a prior comment, I have yet to be at the airport and thought "I should find an app for my iPhone". Our travelling is usually very relaxed because all the information we need is in one place. And it does not require power. Maybe that's the key. As a long time sailor I learn the hard way that anything electronic can and will fail exactly when you need it. It can also be stolen or damaged. I don't want to find myself in a situation where all of my information lives behind a small screen that I just lost or can't power-up. Paper still works wonders...you can even write notes on it.

nurettin 10y ago

It's just like taking a bus, so how will an app help? Well, when the world isn't perfect, an app that readily answers questions such as "how long is the plane going to be delayed for?" or "when will they send us the baby carriage? We are tired of holding him." or "does that guy have a license for that submachine gun he's holding?" is appreciated. And you can get those answers without getting up from your coffee table or calling the authorities.

lb1lf 10y ago

I do print my itinerary on paper, too (The failure modes of paper being few and well known) - my colleagues tend to chuckle and call me a dinosaur - until they get that panicked look as we near the last leg of our journey - looking for a power outlet... However, things happen. The good airport apps can tell you stuff like "You just got out at Arrivals C/2. Next flight departs from B42, to your right, four minutes. Estimated delay 25 minutes, but boarding still closes in 11 minutes. Granted, you can get the same info from signage and info screens, but when you've been on your way for a day, tired out of your mind, your incoming flight was delayed and you may not catch the last leg home, having to spend (yet another) night in a hotel with as much character as a helping of yesterday's mashed potatoes, getting the information you need on a small screen in front of you rather than having to go looking is gold. Pure, brilliant gold. And I really should only need one, which is where this API comes in - if other airports could fall in line and agree on a common API, maybe we could get an app or two which aggregates data from the airports on your journey and presents it in a tidy way.

rebootthesystem 10y ago
I'm a developer myself so I love software. I am simply puzzled by the statement someone made about needing a dozen apps to fly. Here's my reality when I fly with my small children. I make it a game. I give them the printouts and have them navigate the family around the airport, etc. Airports are designed very well. They are designed for someone who doesn't speak the local language to find their way around. And so, the way I look at it is: If a couple of kids, 9 and 10 years old, don't have a problem then I think for the most part these are solutions looking for problems. A piece of paper does just fine for probably 99% of travel scenarios. Had the comment poster said something like "There's this one app that helps me get around and this is how it works" I think I would have reacted positively to that statement. The exact quote was: "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..." Which triggered the question: Why does someone have to go through all of this pain and aggravation when millions of people have been travelling around the world for decades with nothing more than a few pieces of paper? Most of what I read about this is unnecessary. Airports were designed way before smartphones every existed. Ergo, they work very well without them. In fact, they work very well with nothing more than a few pieces of paper in your hand.

acchow 10y ago

I don't have a printer at home. I don't know anyone under the age of 40 who has a printer at home.

rebootthesystem 10y ago
That's actually funny. So, the only people who own printers are over 40?
- sleepychu 10y ago
  I think that's a fair comment. Most of my parents' friends have printers, my parents have a printer but I don't have a printer and none of my friends do. I've considered owning a printer but my access to printers at work/school has always made them seem like more bother than they're worth. Particularly since other than boarding passes the only use I have for printing documents is work/school.
  - rebootthesystem 10y ago
    I can't remember a time without a printer at home. As an entrepreneur they are an absolute necessity. Work doesn't end when I leave the office. Once you have kids printers are almost required. Mine are constantly printing homework assignments, coloring pages, etc.

blauditore 10y ago

I don't have a printer at home, so having my boarding pass on a phone makes things a lot easier.

MrQuincle 10y ago

In the Netherlands many people who take a bus or train have an app (9292 or NS). It's one of the most useful apps on my phone. + It tells me when my stop is coming up and I have to press the button to get out of the bus. + It reminds me to checkout. + It tells me where to find the bus when I arrive at a train station I don't know. + It helps me plan my travel so I can leave on time. + It helps me to know when the latest train goes home. + It helps me to find the shortest route. + It tells me if there are still public bikes available at the station of my destination. Of course, flying is quite different. Nevertheless I regretfully "did have issues" with flying. + I have to buy and print ESTA forms every two years. + I have to print boarding passes. + I have to print how to go to my hotel after arriving at an airport. + I have to look at dumb displays to find my gate. + I have to have this paper document called a passport that can be lost and gets you on Interpol if you're unlucky, but that's another story. + I almost never get a vegetarian meal because these booking agents are terrible. + Try to do the paperwork if you travel with something fancy, e.g. robots. "That doesn't look like a laptop, Sir!" + Even making a picture of a carry-on to check if it's the right size might be helpful, because that's the current attack on the passenger. + If you travel so often, can you take a bottle of coke with you? No, you're a terrorist. There are many issues with air travel.

rebootthesystem 10y ago
Not convinced. If your phone is dead or stole you can still move around just fine all over Europe. I have spent a pretty decent amount of time in the Netherlands in particular over the last fifteen years. I understand having information conveniently available at your fingertips. That's great. My confusion had more to do with someone saying they need over a dozen apps to be able to travel. Sorry, travelling --by any medium-- predates apps and, for the most part, you don't need much more than a few pieces of paper. I would not dare get on a flight while fully depending on data inside a phone. If anything happens to that phone you are screwed.
- arianvanp 10y ago
  I'm not convinced about phone calls, because if your phone is stolen you can always go to a pay phone! Sarcasm aside. The real answer is: Convenience. There are apps that make my life a lot more convenient. Dutch citizens live on public transport; I have never touched a car in my life. A bus stops at my station every 50 seconds. It is great to be able to quickly plan, get information about delays, allow yourself to take a nap and get woken up by a buzzer etc... It's just convenience. Yes you'll get along fine if you do your daily commute with same train, same bus, same boat. But as soon as you need to do something more exotic, it's nice for an app to have your back

kwhitefoot 10y ago

What do you need the boarding pass for? I fly from Norway to Poland with just the credit card that I used to make the booking. Same for the train to Oslo airport.