More on United's approach to Apple Watch
Apr 24, 2015, 2:52 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: DL DM, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Lifetime Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 570
And making sure the new United.com launching with a release as stable as possible. Not sure how much investment UA is making, but I would hope the development efforts for apple watch isn't distracting them from fixing existing systems and environments.
Apr 24, 2015, 2:57 pm
#17
Senior Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: UA Plat/2MM [23-yr. 1K, now emeritus] clawing way back to WN-A List; MR LT Titanium; HY Whateverist.
Posts: 12,396
Yes, if it's installed in the aircraft, it works, and it's either gate-to-gate or we're above 10,000' Flight "map" displays, if installed and working, could also help provide info for the flight we're on, but not for connections.
Apr 24, 2015, 3:14 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA Plat 2MM. DL Plat, AS MVP
Posts: 12,751
This is exactly what I was thinking when I read the post.
Here's an example. Recent flight DEN SFO.
- Flight was delayed due to delay on incoming from FLL.
- Delay was known for a long time because plane was en-route. It should have been easy to calculate arrival time at DEN after plane was airborne.
- Delay was noted but they said it would board at 09:55pm and in fact it didn't board until well after 11:00pm.
- Couldn't find the gate, because the gate for DEN SFO was marked with a flight flying DEN DFW incorrectly.
- There were no notifications of revised departure time, we all just had to sit at the gate and wait. This, despite the fact, that the aircraft had been in the air for hours flying from FLL to DEN and again, arrival should have been known. There was no WX on this day/time making arrival unpredictable.
- On the morning of the day after my arrival (about 7 hours after landing SFO), my iPhone went crazy with notifications from the UA application about flight delays and status changes for the flight that I'd deplaned from 7 hours earlier. It was so bad that I had to completely power down my iPhone to get it to stop.
The overall experience on this trip was horrible, and I was thinking about a new thread just for that. Here, I'm focusing on aspects of this flight that were awful as a direct result of pathetic and incompetent IT systems providing no or incorrect information within the scope of the "use cases" being discussed for the watch.
This reminds me of the trip before this trip, flying SFO SEA, when the inbound was delayed for hours from EWR. The IT systems said that it was departing on time, and the gate agent and customer service desk insisted it was departing on time, even though the radar tracking showed the flight had not even approached the NV border. As a result, again, we all had to sit at the gate for hours.
A fancy watch that has a new application that tells me a flight is departing at the incorrect time is of no use whatsoever.
So, building a cute app in the Apple Watch on top of a pathetic and dysfunctional IT system is a total waste of time and money.
Better to cut the project, save the money, bump up the margin calculations that drive Jeff's multi-million dollar annual bonus, and let Jeff take the money home in the form of a bigger bonus. At least then it doesn't feel so pointless.
Here's an example. Recent flight DEN SFO.
- Flight was delayed due to delay on incoming from FLL.
- Delay was known for a long time because plane was en-route. It should have been easy to calculate arrival time at DEN after plane was airborne.
- Delay was noted but they said it would board at 09:55pm and in fact it didn't board until well after 11:00pm.
- Couldn't find the gate, because the gate for DEN SFO was marked with a flight flying DEN DFW incorrectly.
- There were no notifications of revised departure time, we all just had to sit at the gate and wait. This, despite the fact, that the aircraft had been in the air for hours flying from FLL to DEN and again, arrival should have been known. There was no WX on this day/time making arrival unpredictable.
- On the morning of the day after my arrival (about 7 hours after landing SFO), my iPhone went crazy with notifications from the UA application about flight delays and status changes for the flight that I'd deplaned from 7 hours earlier. It was so bad that I had to completely power down my iPhone to get it to stop.
The overall experience on this trip was horrible, and I was thinking about a new thread just for that. Here, I'm focusing on aspects of this flight that were awful as a direct result of pathetic and incompetent IT systems providing no or incorrect information within the scope of the "use cases" being discussed for the watch.
This reminds me of the trip before this trip, flying SFO SEA, when the inbound was delayed for hours from EWR. The IT systems said that it was departing on time, and the gate agent and customer service desk insisted it was departing on time, even though the radar tracking showed the flight had not even approached the NV border. As a result, again, we all had to sit at the gate for hours.
A fancy watch that has a new application that tells me a flight is departing at the incorrect time is of no use whatsoever.
So, building a cute app in the Apple Watch on top of a pathetic and dysfunctional IT system is a total waste of time and money.
Better to cut the project, save the money, bump up the margin calculations that drive Jeff's multi-million dollar annual bonus, and let Jeff take the money home in the form of a bigger bonus. At least then it doesn't feel so pointless.
I can see it now. united decides not to have apple watch support. AA and DL, on the other hand, invest in it.
The UA forum will then have a thread, "DL and AA have apple watch support. Will UA follow?"
Apr 24, 2015, 3:30 pm
#19
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,645
I find these priorities grossly misplaced when the fundamentals of running an airline are not in place.
Apr 24, 2015, 3:37 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SEA or BGR, Lower Earth Orbit
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 17,217
I would love to see Android Wear or Pebble compatibility. A watch face for either would be a great start. I could envision being able to load my flights into Android wear and it updates much like weather, or on Pebble it works as a companion app (think the Dominos tracker.)
Apr 24, 2015, 4:01 pm
#21
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, GlobalEntry, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat, Hertz Presidents Circle, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 111
Yes, Android Wear please! Would be so easy to have the barcode for a boarding pass be displayed there! I believe Delta does this already?
Apr 24, 2015, 4:08 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, SPG Platinum
Posts: 211
You can do this now with Android wear. It's not through the UA app, but rather through Google Now. When you check-in, have the boarding pass sent to your Gmail and it should appear on your watch when you swipe left on the flight info. I don't ever use it since I prefer to use a paper boarding pass anyway.
Apr 24, 2015, 5:03 pm
#24
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: YVR
Programs: UA-1K (3MM); AA-Gold (1MM); Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,145
I have the United App and it does not have up-to-date information when it comes to gates and flight times.
I use the app to get have my boarding pass on it in addition to my paper boarding passes.
When it comes to gate information I go to to the full united.com website on my phone. Glad I did it on Wednesday night. My flight from SFO to ORD was showing gate 98 on my app (boarding pass and flight status). It was showing 94 on United.com. I checked the app again. Still showing gate 98. We left from gate 94.
I agree with Fly World and channa. Fix SHARES first.
Happy Travels.
I use the app to get have my boarding pass on it in addition to my paper boarding passes.
When it comes to gate information I go to to the full united.com website on my phone. Glad I did it on Wednesday night. My flight from SFO to ORD was showing gate 98 on my app (boarding pass and flight status). It was showing 94 on United.com. I checked the app again. Still showing gate 98. We left from gate 94.
I agree with Fly World and channa. Fix SHARES first.
Happy Travels.
Apr 24, 2015, 5:28 pm
#25
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Charlotte
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum Elite, AA Platinum Pro, Hertz Presidents
Posts: 1,214
THIS THREAD IS ABOUT THE APPLE WATCH !!!
The fact that you'd like SHARES, or FCM, or whatever else is typically whined about ad nauseum, addressed has no bearing on this thread.
I know I shouldn't be surprised, but c'mon!!
The fact that you'd like SHARES, or FCM, or whatever else is typically whined about ad nauseum, addressed has no bearing on this thread.
I know I shouldn't be surprised, but c'mon!!
Apr 24, 2015, 5:36 pm
#26
Join Date: May 2014
Location: DMV
Posts: 2,092
I highly doubt that the development of an Apple Watch app has anything to do with the internal reservations software they use or that the same groups would be involved with these. I'm not going to defend SHARES but I don't think it has much to do with this.
Apr 24, 2015, 6:01 pm
#27
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,878
TOPIC CHECK ALERT
This thread is about United and the Apple Watch and not about SHARES and/or any other SHARES and non-Apple Watch related issues
goalie
UA forum Co-Moderator
This thread is about United and the Apple Watch and not about SHARES and/or any other SHARES and non-Apple Watch related issues
goalie
UA forum Co-Moderator
Apr 24, 2015, 7:18 pm
#28
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Anaheim, CA US
Posts: 251
This is great news. I would love an alert if I clear standby/ upgrade list/ waitlist. Also while at the airport, if I am on a list for my next flight, it would be great to see a summary, e.g. "You are # of # on the (upgrade/standby) list. Currently # seats available."
Apr 24, 2015, 8:34 pm
#29
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
I should be receiving my Apple watch soon (not the $17K version), and am excited to give this functionality a try. As others have said, UA has a best in class iPhone app, and with the way they are approaching development of the iwatch app, it should be a nice complement to the phone app.
Boarding pass, timely notifications, and gate information for connecting flights (as soon as I hit the ground and turn off airplane mode) will be an excellent start.
As the OP stated: with the watch, too much information will be a turn off, not a benefit.
Boarding pass, timely notifications, and gate information for connecting flights (as soon as I hit the ground and turn off airplane mode) will be an excellent start.
As the OP stated: with the watch, too much information will be a turn off, not a benefit.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 24, 2015 at 10:08 pm Reason: Let's stay on the issues, not the posters
Apr 24, 2015, 9:27 pm
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,067
I have no priorities for United Continental's development of an Apple Watch app. Once I am able to reliably utilize and trust United Continental's baseline technology, I might consider using their Apple Watch technology. Until that happens, I have no interest in anything they may choose to build on a less-than-solid foundation.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 24, 2015 at 10:09 pm Reason: stay on the issues, not the posters