Technology is proving to be an able ally for travellers. A user shares information just once and technology does the rest. A prime example is Apple’s Passbook-enabled apps. These apps have emerged as an efficient way for travellers to handle boarding passes, tickets and so on. EyeforTravel’s Ritesh Gupta finds out more

Travel companies have been focusing on servicing their customers better via their mobile portfolio. The aim has been to work on functionalities that make it easier for guests or passengers to manage their travel more easily.

So it doesn’t come as a surprise to see them enabling travellers to add passes to Passbook in several ways. More and more travel companies are expected to make use of Passbook and similar options, as for most of these companies mobile first stands for customer service. New developments may well include being able to track flight status, adding bags post booking your flight, storing booking details and of course, booking flights and even making other reservations as well.

Keeping it simple

Online travel agency Cleartrip recently started supporting Passbook. “Our customers love it. Passbook simplifies the travel experience hugely by eliminating the need to carry around plastic or paper. Passes pop up automatically when you need them and disappear when you don’t,” says Hrush Bhatt, founder and director, at Cleartrip.

Hotel reservation portal HRS has been quite proactive in this arena. “As a mobile pioneer in the travel industry, we have had early links with the Passbook application and user feedback has been extremely positive,” says Jon West, managing director HRS UK & Ireland.

With HRS integrated into Apple Passbook, hotel reservations are displayed onscreen as the traveller approaches their booked hotel. “We are constantly looking ahead to develop our technology to improve the personal service for our customers at every point of their stay, as this has long-term benefits for HRS in terms of return custom and brand loyalty,” says West. “We can integrate further functions to alert guests when their room is ready, or to provide them with the opening times of hotel services.”

 It is even possible to imagine HRS customers checking in via mobile applications, before having room key information transmitted directly to their smartphone in order to open their hotel room – the possibilities are endless.

On the record

Bill Bernahl, vice president e-commerce, Hyatt thinks that Apple’s Passbook has two important strengths:

·         First, it is an up-to-date record of a transaction or account – for example, a hotel reservation or loyalty account and point balance. By centralising these records in a single, easy-to-access location, users gain quick access to this information.

·         Secondly, since Passbook supports push notification and pass updates, you can send guests timely status updates, such as when their room is available if they arrive early and are waiting for an early check in. With Passbook, rather than these messages taking different forms, Apple has provided a simple approach for these alerts and one that can also update a Passbook pass to create a record of the information.

Real-time functionality

Some passes include location-based information. Some are useful when the exact time of use arises. Accordingly, passes appear on their own at the appropriate time or location. For instance, a traveller reaches the airport and the boarding pass will surface. A user just needs to access the phone and the pass can be scanned in few seconds.

“Passbook has great promise for extending offers and coupons to customers dynamically in real time based on their location,” says Bhatt.

HRS’ West says these type of applications have great potential in terms of real-time functionality, particularly in terms of managing digital reservations and tickets through a central app. “These new functions will eliminate all unnecessary hassles for the traveller with just one application – all travel documents will be centrally stored in Passbook and can be retrieved easily at any time whilst on the go,” he says.

Bernahl says real-time services have particular value in the hotel world.

“Travellers can be alerted when their dinner table is ready, they can find out how long before their room-service order arrives, and can book a conference room for use either immediately or several hours later,” he says. Bernahl sees more companies offering real-time status updates and push messaging to alert guests to changes over the next 18 months. Passbook-enabled apps and other similar offerings are expected to feature prominently in such plans.

As well as Passbook, Apple’s iTravel patent and the introduction of Near Field Communication could together turn smartphones into an airline ticket, hotel room-key, remote for entertainment console on flight or in hotel room and a traveller’s map guide and itinerary.