Smart Spending

Do You Use an Airline App?

Airline travel has become quite the drag.  I remember when as a kid flying was exciting.  The whole process of going through the metal detectors, watching the planes come in, being served an actual meal, and staring out the windows as the ground passed below.  Now it seems as though you just get packed on like cattle, the flight attendant won’t even leave you with the can of coke after pouring 6 ounces into a tiny plastic cup, and they herd you off before you can even check to make sure you have everything.  It has become a means to an end instead of an adventure in itself.  With that in mind, why not make traveling a little easier?

We all have our favorite airlines.  We use them because they are the cheapest, or have the best service, or simply because they are the ones that service our airport.  With the advent of the smarthphone, we have the choice to carry around a paper boarding pass, or we can use an electronic ticket.  Using an airline’s mobile app will allow you to ease your travel burden by handily storing your ticket in digital format.

There are services offered through an airline app other than just a mobile boarding pass.  While these obviously vary by airline, many of the major companies are similar.  With a mobile app you can buy your tickets, watch for deals, and get notice of upcoming sales.  Once you have bought your ticket you can check in to your flight, change your reservation if needed, upgrade your ticket and access VIP lounges in the airport, view your seat and make a change if available, check your flight status and manage your airline miles.  And that is just the start of the list.  There are many more things that you can do through an airline app.

The biggest driving force behind using an airline app is the fact that the app is free.  There is no reason you can’t download one before your flight, and delete it as soon as you are done traveling.  It is handy to have everything all in one place, and instead of going online to search for the information you just launch an app.  The information is safe, and even if someone steals your phone most apps require you to log in before making any changes.

Airline travel is a hassle.  But it can be easier with using an airline mobile app to relieve some of the stress.  The app can be used for everything that you would otherwise do online, but in a version that is catered to a mobile device.  Naturally everything won’t run perfectly smooth, so if you do have problems you can just call the customer service line (something that any good company will have prominently listed on their mobile app).  Do you use an airline app?  Does it work well for your travel needs?