BA App Official

Update: the beta test is now full, so we can't accept any more requests. Thanks to all who have signed up to help.

Hi all,

We’re adding a new feature to the iPhone app which will display gate status messages for flights departing from Heathrow Terminal 5.

We had some really useful feedback from the beta test you helped us with earlier this year. We’d appreciate your help again to beta test the gate messages.

To take part in the beta test you need to:

- be an Executive Club member.
- be using an iPhone with either iOS 7 or iOS 8.
- have at least one flight departing from Heathrow Terminal 5 between 29 September and 17 October.

If you’d like to join the beta please send me a Private Message with:

- a note of your email address (you must have access to this email address from your iPhone).
- your Executive Club number

We only have a limited number of spaces available. So if you’d like to help please send me a Private Message as soon as possible.

Thanks for your support.

Warm regards

Nick

81romeo

Private message sent :-)

techie

And now starts the avalanche

Tobias-UK

This is truly a welcome (and real) enhancement ^^^

KevinTheB

I'm open to offers to test the Windows Phone version of the app, just let me know.

layz

Last time I looked at the Windows Phone app (a few months ago) it still contained mentions of BA Miles. Wasn't it as long as 2011 since it was called Avios?

Most companies prioritise iOS and Android due to the marketshare (although iOS is below Android it's still a significant percentage). BlackBerry has been forgotten about by many (although apparently new versions can run many Android apps).

It's now uphill for Microsoft. It was no secret that Google had purchased a company called Android in 2005 that was working on a mobile OS, Steve Ballmer laughed at the iPhone when released in 2007. He believed that phones should have a mini desktop complete with stylus and start menu. The first redesigned OS was Windows Phone 7 in 2010 and by that time Android had gained most of the market. I always believed that iOS was going to be a strong second in the market and that is where they lie today.

We'll see how things end up, but I can understand how WP8 is not a big hurry for them.

81romeo

FYI

LH does already offer this service on their iPhone App and gate status messages including gate changes for flights departing from FRA and MUC get highlighted on the locked screen.

I personally find this very helpful.

layz

I've sent you a PM earlier but there's one thing I forgot to say.

I have an iPhone 6, but if you need someone to test on the larger iPhone 6 plus let me know. They don't (I think) read FlyerTalk, but are likely to be flying from T5 during this time period and they're familiar with software testing.

Thought I'd mention this here in case you're bogged down with PMs and this got lost among the other ones.

Paralytic

^ Good one

Tallwills

Like KevintheB, I'm surprised that British Airways have neglected their Windows Phone app. Since this summer's update of the os to Windows Phone 8.1, many of the app's core functions no longer work. Although Windows Phone percentage share of the UK market is only ~10% of smartphone users compared with ~30% who use Apple iOS, I'd have thought that correcting faults experienced by ~3 million potential and actual customers in the UK would have a higher priority than "a new Windows Phone app is being worked on, but we've no planned release date for it."

windowontheAside

Are there plans to do something similar for Android?

LTN Phobia

Does iPhone app on iPad qualify for this trial?

psollitt

Yes please ! ( as long as its on an ipad as ios7 and 8 are staying well away from my phone ! )

layz

Are you sure it's a 10% share and not just 10?

weero

That is a great opportunity to fix the wireless in the South Lounges for those of us who have no roaming contract for the UK ...