Mobile and Technology

American Airlines has launched its new iPhone application, offering its customers a new way to stay connected with the airline while they are travelling.

Published: 29 Jul 2010

American Airlines has launched its new iPhone application, offering its customers a new way to stay connected with the airline while they are travelling.

The new iPhone application’s intelligent data display allows American to provide the most relevant day-of-travel information.

According to the airline, this means the application knows and displays who the customer is and where they are going – from where they are departing and what gate, to where they will sit, and where they are on the standby list, once they are logged in.

With the new applications, customers are able to:

• Enter log in and password only once – allowing the application to push upcoming flight details to the home screen automatically;
• Set a parking reminder;
• Monitor the standby list;
• Track elite status progress;
• View personal flight details – receive gate, seat and flight status information at a glance;
• Access Mobile Boarding Pass – the application saves it for you, so it's always easy to find;
• Use GPS to locate the nearest airport served by American;
• View terminal maps;
• Play Sudoku.

The app also provides access to a variety of other tools such as book and check-in for flights, create flight status notifications, check flight status and schedules, access FFP account information and also enroll in it, and access contact information.

The app was designed using customer and employee input. During its development, American conducted usability sessions to gain valuable feedback from AAdvantage members, which helped determine what they valued most. Members with varying ranges of AAdvantage status were able to “test drive” the application during these sessions and voice opinions about the features they liked and found useful during day of travel, and the ones they could do without.

Launch

The new iPhone application will be introduced in several phases as the airline continues to develop the capabilities of the tool, including an iPad-specific version in the coming weeks.

Future versions will further utilise the iPhone’s global positioning features, enable push notifications, International Flight Check-In, request and view the Upgrade List, along with other functions that take advantage of the “app experience”.