Checking in for your flight via a mobile device is an old trick. But every airline's mobile site has its own web form, and typing in information on a small keyboard is a pain.
WorldMate, now owned by Carlson Wagonlit Travel, has come up with a solution to these two problems -- and its solution has the potential to become a best practice for the user experience (UX) designers of other day-of-travel apps like TripCase and TripIt.
An update to the WorldMate itinerary management app for iOS lets you move each of your trip details into the airlines' mobile web forms with the flick of a finger. No more re-typing for the more than nine million users claimed by WorldMate.
In other words, the app pulls out relevant information from your itinerary, which you've previously sent to it, and then makes those details easily available for dragging and dropping into the relevant fields of an airline's web form, to complete check in.
This appeal of this new functionality is best illustrated with this video from the company:
The feature is available in free and paid versions of the app for iOS devices, but not yet for its Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone versions.
Here's how the company describes it in a blog post:
To start with, we’ve added a new pop-up notification that reminds you when your flight’s check-in becomes available.
After you access the app, we will then send you directly to the airline’s check-in page, which will pre-fill important information such as your reservation, e-ticket, and frequent flyer membership numbers, and much more, all from directly within the app.
On top of all this, we also added a one-of-a-kind clipboard that stores all of your reservation and personal information, which can be included in your check-in form with a simple drag ‘n drop.
This means that, even if you have to go two or three pages deep during the process, all your details will remain immediately accessible.
It's been a year since WorldMate upgraded its app with hotel booking suggestions.