ZeppoX

There is <this thread> which discusses mobile apps, and one post says rewards network planned to roll one out in February 2009, and a subsequent post says the app is available, but not being promoted on at least some of the airline-specific versions of rewards network. A link is provided (actually, the link at the bottom on this post is better -- it goes to the Blackberry app, and at the bottom of the page is a link to the iPhone app.)

I used to be able to use the web site on my PDA, but there have been changes to the web site and now it no longer is functional via my PDA. A couple of CS reps have said that was an unexpected problem and they're working on a fix ... but it's been a year since they said that.

Here is the mobile app I use: 1–866–638–6906 (9 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET, M-F)

Edited to highlight this link, which also is in the thread mentioned above:
http://www.rnmobiledining.com/?rnhpb

And better yet: http://www.reachdiners.com/mobilesolutions.html

Used to be you could download something to your PDA, but that seems to be gone.

jabrams72

Hi Elizabeth from RN! Welcome to FT and thanks for joining.

I'm wondering, as we're now into 4Q2009, what the status of AADining is with regards to the iPhone app?

salut0

Hi Elizabeth,

Thanks for joining us here. I'm sure I speak for many people when I say that the RNDining iPhone app is useful, but needs a lot of improvement, specifically with regard to user interface design and speed. Here are some requests. Perhaps others could add their thoughts:

1) I'll second jabrams72's question. What's going on with AA?

2) The app is very very very slow. The most annoying thing is the time it takes to display the menu/photos, and the fact that the app insists on reloading your previous search when you reopen it, instead of just letting you start again easily.

3) The interface is non-standard and needs a lot of improvement. Reviews should not display in a pop-up dialog box, restaurant phone numbers are clickable but has no visible link, etc etc.

4) It's really important to let people sign up for bonus miles promotions from their mobile phone. Can you add that functionality, please?

Please see my February 2nd post on this thread for much more detailed comments. I won't duplicate them here, to keep things together.

<redacted now recurving link>

And, most importantly, for an example of a really excellent iPhone app, take a look at Amazon's app. RNDining's iPhone app interface needs to be much more text based, with fewer graphics that take a long time to load, and much faster.

I hope my comments don't come across as too critical. I like the program, but if I (as one of your most enthusiastic diners) is finding the app as frustrating as I do, I hate to imagine what your casual users think of it.

Many thanks,
salut0

ZeppoX

To add to the mobile app to-do list:

One for windows mobile would enable people with many other PDAs.
And I suppose one for the Palm OS is on the back burner, too.

atxtraveler

In the process of downloading the Rewards Network Blackberry app as we speak... I will report back in a week or so after some extensive testing.

Initially though, I want to say THANK YOU to whoever in the RN organization actually listened to customer feedback.

atxtraveler

First Glance (Blackberry):

Pros
Clean, easy interface
Appears to be quick
Instantly gives you the address, to limit number of clicks.

Cons
No AA support at this time (major)
"Add to Favorites" errors (minor)
Still no "My location" support (major)

More on My Location - When I am at a customer's office or hotel and I decide to go to eat, I consult iDine to find the closests couple options to where I am at the time. When you are in a city like Chicago, a location may pop up as less than a mile away, but when you look it up on a map, you could be closer to 10 miles away. If integrated with google maps or something like that, you could easily find out that something in a different zipcode might be one block away, but shows as 10 miles on the application.

morerainplease

I was in Portland, OR recently and found that restaurants listed on the RN website didn't always show up via the iPhone app. I was surprised to check my iPhone and not find some of my old standbys. But when I checked online, there they were. Odd.

atxtraveler

OK.... On the road testing.

I am using HHonors login for Blackberry app. They still need AA access.

Con - Does not keep me logged in. I constantly have to re-enter my login credentials every time I click on the icon.
Con - Does not have an easy close button, which means the application is using my precious battery even when I am not using the application.
Con - Would love to have integration into existing GPS functionality such as Google Maps, where I could see the closest restaurant to my current location, rather than by city.

Pro - Search is extremely quick.
Pro - Relevant point information is accessible.
Pro - Pictures, restaurant information, and all the goodies on the normal site seem to have translated well.

RewardsNetwork

Thank you to everyone who has been testing the apps! We really appreciate your feedback. I'm passing your comments on to the folks who worked on the apps...I'll be back on the forum with an update on whether there's a future release date set and also on the status of AA integration into the apps.

I do hope that the apps are helping you discover some great dining on the go--we hope we can make that even easier for you in the future.

Best regards,
Elizabeth

RewardsNetwork

Quick update on our mobile apps: We're planning an updated release by the end of this year, so you can expect to see some improvements and enhancements--more on that soon.

We're also in communication with American Airlines regarding their participation in Rewards Network mobile apps--they're currently reviewing their policy and may come on board with mobile by the end of the year as well.

Keep your comments and feedback coming! I'll be checking this thread regularly and making sure your input is being routed to and seen by the appropriate parties within Rewards Network.

In the mean time, I hope the apps are helping you discover great dining on the go! If you don't have the apps yet, download them today at http://mygpsdine.com/ for iPhone and http://mygpsdine.com/index.php/blackberry for BlackBerry.

Thanks again for your feedback!

Best regards,
Elizabeth

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jabrams72

Is this just with regard to their being included in the Mobile App, or is this about participation in general?
Thanks!

MichaelColey

I would love to see more sorting and filtering options.

Also, if you're in more than one program, it would be nice to be able to see all of the locations that are valid for ANY of those programs, with indicators showing WHICH programs they're valid for. I know that some restaurants are only available with some programs.

nickfromct

Just downloaded this app. Looks like it will be quite helpful. Much easier to use to check to see which restaurants are part of the RN program.

RewardsNetwork

Our management has been in touch with AA about thier participation in the mobile apps we offer. Hopefully I'll have more news soon!

oldpenny16

I really need the AA app for IPhone as I no longer travel with a computer. I would use the app to make restaurant decisions. Thanks Elizabeth for your help.