Apple Watch Brings Flight and Airline Apps to Your Wrist

Monday April 20, 2015 1:25 PM PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple Watch will make the flying experience more convenient for both casual and frequent flyers, with a number of airlines updating their apps for the Apple Watch in recent weeks, or announcing support coming soon, including American Airlines, Delta, United Airlines, JetBlue, British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair, Qantas Airways, Air Canada, WestJet, Emirates and Japan Airlines.

Apple Watch Flight Apps
Notable airlines that have not announced or planned Apple Watch support include Southwest Airlines and Virgin Airlines in the United States, and Cologne-based Lufthansa, the largest airline in Europe. As more airlines begin updating their apps for the Apple Watch, however, it is likely that others will follow in an effort to keep up with their competitors around the world.

The roundup below provides a closer look at Apple Watch apps for several airlines across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, France, Ireland, United Arab Emirates and Japan. A handful of other general flight-related apps are also listed that provide general flight statuses, notifications, real-time departure and delay information and more for an easier traveling experience.

United States


American Airlines

American Airlines Watch
American Airlines for Apple Watch provides comprehensive flight information on your wrist, including gate change announcements, an in-flight map with estimated travel time remaining until arrival, and baggage claim and connection details. You can also receive a notification when it's time to leave for the airport and check in to your fight directly from your Apple Watch. American Airlines is free on the App Store.

Delta

Delta Air Lines will also be joining the mix of airline apps for Apple Watch in a future update to its current Fly Delta app for iPhone and iPad. Delta for Apple Watch will deliver notifications about flights to users ahead of their boarding times, and it will give them access to the boarding pass stored on their iPhones directly on the wrist.

deltaapplewatch
Delta for Apple Watch will offer flight numbers, gate numbers, flight times, and other info. If a flight gets changed, for example, users will get a notification on their Apple Watch. There will also be a notification when a flight is approaching a destination city, with information about luggage pickup. Fly Delta is free on the App Store.

United Airlines

United Airlines has not released screenshots or in-depth details about its Apple Watch plans, but it has confirmed that support for the wrist-worn device is in the works. United's app will offer at-a-glance information on upcoming flights, including gate numbers and status, and let users view their flight reservations. It will also pull a traveler's boarding pass from the Passbook app, and it's able to alert users if flight times or gate numbers change. United Airlines is free on the App Store.

JetBlue

JetBlue has updated its app with Apple Watch support, enabling users to purchase onboard premium offerings from their wrists. The new Apple Watch app provides flyers with a Glance flight status, travel countdown and smart mobile boarding pass from the Apple Watch. JetBlue is free on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

Canada


Air Canada

Air Canada Apple Watch
Air Canada, the largest airline in Canada, recently updated their app with Apple Watch support for viewing the status of your flights departing within 24 hours, seeing your countdown to boarding time from your Glances, getting notifications for checking in and boarding your flight, using Handoff from your Apple Watch to complete your check-in and viewing boarding passes from Passbook. Air Canada is free on the App Store.

WestJet

WestJet, the second-largest Canadian airline behind Air Canada, recently updated its app for the Apple Watch to allow users to keep track of saved flight statuses and details in Glances, or view a countdown of time remaining until your next WestJet flight. WestJet boarding passes saved to Passbook will also be available on Apple Watch. WestJet is free on the App Store.

United Kingdom


British Airways

British Airways Apple Watch
Keep up to date with the latest flight information using British Airways for Apple Watch. At a glance, the app allows you to view the status of your next flight, access both scheduled and estimated departure times, and view the latest weather at your destination. The app also provides up-to-date information about the flight's gate status and provides notifications on your wrist when your gate status changes at Heathrow Terminals 3 and 5. British Airways is free on the App Store.

EasyJet

Apple Watch EasyJet
EasyJet, a low-cost airline in the United Kingdom, has also updated their app with Apple Watch support recently, providing personalized flight information and real-time views of travel information checked most frequently by passengers. Apple Watch users can also tweet and post to Facebook at various stages of their trip directly from the watch face. EasyJet is free on the App Store.

Australia


Qantas Airways

Qantas Airways Apple Watch
Qantas for Apple Watch is designed to eliminate the stress that can be associated with the flying experience. The app will provide a range of up-to-the-minute travel information and notifications on your Apple Watch including: departure time and gate information, in-air departure and arrival time-zone information, transit time information, lounge access eligibility, frequent Flyer login access, baggage carousel information (at selected destinations), boarding pass access (via Passbook) and delay or cancellation notifications. Qantas Airways is free on the App Store.

France


Air France

Air France Apple Watch
Air France for Apple Watch will deliver much of the same functionality as the airline's iPhone app, access upcoming reservations, including the ability to check if your flight is on time or confirm that you are checked in. You can also view all of your essential trip information via Glances, including your gate or departure terminal, your seat and the time remaining before boarding, and obtain your boarding pass through Passbook. Air France is free on the App Store.

Ireland


Ryanair

Ryanair has pledged support for the Apple Watch when the wrist-worn device becomes available in Ireland.

United Arab Emirates


Emirates

Emirates Apple Watch
While the Apple Watch is not available in United Arab Emirates until later in 2015, the airline Emirates recently updated their app with Apple Watch support for a hands-free travel experience. Emirates will be the first airline in the Middle East and African region to offer an Apple Watch app, with similar functionality as others: review your list of upcoming trips, access real-time flight information, receive notifications and access your boarding pass through Passbook. Emirates is free on the App Store.

Japan


Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines Apple Watch
Japan Airlines has developed an Apple Watch app that it will be available when the device launches on April 24. The app will offer similar functionality as the other airlines listed above. JAL is free on the App Store.

General Apps


40 comments


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TXCherokee
45 months ago
I don't fly much (1-2 times a year) but I can say that the American Airlines App and Passbook have made for a pretty good experience. If that experience transfers over well to the Apple Watch I am patiently awaiting then I will definitely be....

....on board. :cool:
Rating: 4 Votes
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postpc
45 months ago
messing with two dozen different apps is exactly what you want to simplify your life /s
Rating: 2 Votes
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friedmud
45 months ago

Maybe it's me, but I don't see the need when all this is already on our iPhone's and you need an iPhone to make full use of the watch. Isn't this the opposite of "it just works"? Simplicity. I'll wait until the 3rd gen+ when another device isn't required to fully use another device. ;)


I see. Because you often fly without your phone?
Rating: 2 Votes
Avatar
Rigby
45 months ago

Personally, I feel most of the potential roadblocks to the usefulness of apps like these is the TSA. That said, I have high hopes that such tech will streamline our travel ... and not just be a novelty.

Mobile check-in and electronic boarding passes are really useful. I've used them extensively in the last couple of years and it has saved me a lot of time and waiting in line. What I find questionable is the benefit of moving some part of this functionality to a watch. I wouldn't strap a paper boarding pass around my wrist either. ;)
Rating: 2 Votes
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kdarling
45 months ago

Personally, I feel most of the potential roadblocks to the usefulness of apps like these is the TSA. That said, I have high hopes that such tech will streamline our travel ... and not just be a novelty.


While I like to use neat things like this, I always also get a paper version... just in case. Technology can break. Could be your watch itself. Could be something else.

A good example was my step-son using his iPhone for his boarding pass coming back from Hawaii on a large airliner.

Just before boarding, the gate reps announced that the barcode reader was broken... and that anyone without a paper pass needed to go to a service area, half the concourse away, to get one.

As it turned out, there were dozens of people who needed to get one, and he had to stand in line for almost an hour to get his. The plane was delayed and no one was happy with the electronic users. After that experience, he's never gone without a paper backup.

It's like that old Reagan quote, "Trust, but verify." :)
Rating: 1 Votes
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3282869
45 months ago

I see. Because you often fly without your phone?


That's precisely my point. I always fly with my phone. A watch that requires my phone for full functionality isn't simplifying my life, it's redundant. Until technology advances enough to create an independent watch that has wireless, bluetooth LE, and in the distant future cellular, there's little need for this device. When it "replaces" my iPhone (bluetooth piece would be required), you'll have my attention.

Good luck traveling, especially internationally. Add another charging cable/mechanism to your arsenal along with international adapters and if you have an iPad and a notebook you'll need a case just for your cables and chargers.

It's an impressive piece and with time I'm certain it will open more doors, but I don't want to add more "things", most would rather simplify. :)
Rating: 1 Votes
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Rigby
45 months ago

Here's my set of actions if I use my iPhone as a boarding pass:

Get the pass ready on my phone and try to keep it awake until I get up to the gate so I'm not fumbling to get back to the screen and holding up the line

You'll probably have to fumble to get it back on the watch screen as well. Besides, if you have a phone with Touch ID there is no need to keep the screen awake since it just takes single button press to turn it on and unlock it.

Place it on the reader

With the watch: Twist your arm and perform some gymnastics to bring it in position. :D

While pulling my carryon and going down the ramp, I try to put the phone back in my purse because it's too hard to put my bag in the overhead with my phone in my hand. Since I'm moving and only have one hand free, this is difficult.

Well, I always have it in my pants pocket. But if you don't have that, fair enough.

A watch with the pass would make this process MUCH simpler. Since when are people against hands-free functionalities?

But it will probably not be handsfree. On the watch you'll have to swipe and/or hit the tiny app icon to bring up the boarding pass, unless they have figured out some magical way for the watch to read your mind and know automatically when you want the boarding pass as opposed to checking the time.
Rating: 1 Votes
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Rigby
45 months ago

And that's your choice

Never said it wasn't. You asked why not choose this over a dumb watch (or no watch), and I gave you a reason. That is all.
Rating: 1 Votes
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Rigby
45 months ago

Never heard of a flight that never lands within 18hrs.

Of course. But including stopovers a transatlantic or transpac trip takes easily more than 18 hours. And finding an unoccupied power outlet can be challenging at airports, even in many lounges. I'd rather not manage yet another battery besides the ones in my laptop/iPad and phone.
Rating: 1 Votes
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Rigby
45 months ago

It's not that hard to put a watch face on a table. Kind of depends what side the scanner is on. And I think I can manage tapping the passbook app on my watch while I wait for my turn.

Let's hope they have found a convenient way to bring it up and keep it awake.

The pain with the phone is trying to put it away after I scan it and walking to the plane.

Hm, can't say I've ever had that problem.

It's an addon to make things a little easier. I already wear a dumb watch. Why not have a watch that does so much more?

Well, the trade-off is that it's yet another device to keep charged and yet another charging cable to remember to bring along. Do the benefits outweigh the inconvenience? I don't know yet. But so far the use cases don't seem very compelling to me.

BTW, when I travel internationally my travel times are often longer than 18 hours of battery life ...
Rating: 1 Votes
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