We’re just a few weeks away from the arrival of the Apple Watch, and it’s time to ask whether, and if so how, airlines will embrace Apple’s new product in service of their passenger experience.
But before we talk about the watch, let’s have a quick flashback on the history of the mobile. No one imagined 10 years ago that it would one day be possible to book, check in, and dematerialize the entire travel file using a telephone. Then came the iPhone, offering new possibilities that were quickly copied to the point of having imposed a new standard in terms of mobile experience.
Airlines don’t want to miss the Apple Watch train
The airlines have gradually released their applications which have become more sophisticated over the years. Even if a minority remains relatively basic and poor in experience compared to the market standards, the applications of the airlines have improved and enriched impressively over time. And for good reason: in less than 10 years, the cell phone has gone from being a complementary channel to an essential contact point with the customer. The gadget has become a strategic asset that is increasingly managed internally, whereas at the beginning the temptation to outsource it like any “simple” communication campaign was strong.
We are promised that the connected watch will be the logical extension of the cell phone and given the success of the latter, airlines cannot afford to miss the train. The announcements have followed one another since the presentation of the Apple Watch.
Air France announced last month at an event dedicated to the airport traveler experience that the airline would have an Apple Watch app as soon as it was released without, for the moment, specifying what features it would offer.
EasyJet has also announced the availability of its application. It will allow you to receive pre-boarding information, exchange rates and weather conditions at your destination, flight status and a countdown to the next flight (this last point being more of a gadget than anything else).
Same at Emirates
The Dubai-based airline will offer the following features: upcoming trips, real-time flight information, gate and baggage carousel change notifications, access to boarding passes.
One can also imagine localized services based on iBeacon technology. Already offered on iPhone by some airlines in some airports such as Virgin Atlantic in Heatrow and easyJet in several airports including Charles de Gaulle, the device allows you to receive more or less the same information as those mentioned above and – more interestingly – to be guided in the airport.
Apple Watch: missing the use case that goes “Wow”
We can see that it is essentially a matter of transferring information that was already available on the phone to a new screen. So even if I don’t dispute the “practical” side, I’m still looking for the unique use case that will cause the “Wow!” effect. And I can’t find it.
Maybe on the side of Apple Pay to pay for an extra service, a baggage allowance, a “plus” seat, at the last minute when we are loaded, in a hurry and taking out our wallet and bank card and paying is an obstacle course? Why not.
Anyway it will be interesting to keep an eye on the subject. Indeed, it is certain that the wearable market will bring a lot of opportunities to the travel industry to offer new services and new experiences. I am also sure that the Apple Watch will be a commercial success as the expectation and curiosity are strong, but to believe in the tsunami announced. At least not at first, not with this first version, not as long as you have to recharge your watch every two days.
But this will surely be the beginning of something that, if it takes longer to take off than mobile, is a medium-term groundswell.
What about you? What services and uses do you expect from an Apple Watch as part of your travel experience? Are you planning to be tempted as soon as it is released or do you prefer to wait a little longer?