If you travel through major US airports, United Airlines have unveiled a feature which makes their iphone app well worth downloading.
Under the “Travel Tools” section on their app, the airline has added interactive maps for their seven mainland U.S. hubs airports:
- Chicago O’Hare
- Denver
- Houston Bush Intercontinental
- Los Angeles
- Newark Liberty
- San Francisco
- Washington Dulles.
The maps include all parts of those airports, however, not just the terminals and spaces used by United. They include searchable information about retail stores and available service options at each airport. eg restrooms, restaurant, Burger King etc etc. I discovered for example, that there are four places I can get bagels at Chicago O’Hare’s Terminal 2. (These things are important).
The best part: If I have a United boarding pass stored in my app, the appropriate check in location and boarding gate will be automatically highlighted when I arrive (one does have to give United’s app permission to use your location). I can change my “pin” to any location in the airport. e.g. the nearest bagel store! The app will guide a customers with estimated walk times which should make flight connections a little easier.
At Newark’s Liberty International airport, the maps have a more advanced version. Bluetooth beacons though the airport will track users who opt in, through the airport. Newark customers be able to see themselves as a dot moving through the terminal maps! That feature will no doubt come to the other six maps soon. Android availability is reportedly “coming soon.”
United are aiming to add more airports by the end of the year. This has almost made me like United again (I still miss Continental!). I have flown United/Continental about 100 times in my life to 63 destinations on four continents. I rate them 68% compared to American (48%), Delta (84%) and Emirates (98%).
Isaac Asimov in the 1950s predicted a feature that would allow customers to navigate their way through a space port. It looks we are here now.
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