Airline apps review: the best, the worst, and the one that makes you feel good

There’s actually no reason whatsoever for anybody in this day and age to walk around with paper boarding passes. When airport companies came up with the bright idea of introducing self check-in kiosks it didn’t make the experience any easier either. Meanwhile most of those travelling by air are carrying smartphones these days. So why not invest in an app?

It’s mostly been American airlines which have commissioned some incredible apps these last few years. Surprisingly it doesn’t seem to be much of a priority for European or Gulf airlines. Instead of trying to save on leg room, they could be saving a small forest by phasing out paper boarding passes.

After accumulating frequent flyer miles on a variety of airlines this last year (which doesn’t amount to much), Memeburn decided to hand out some awards for the innovation (or lack thereof) we’ve seen in airline apps.

The Worst Mobile Experience Award: Emirates 

There is one airline that has always blown my mind in terms of comfort and service: Emirates Airlines. It thus came as a complete surprise that up until last year it didn’t have any proper app. To make matters worse: when searching for Emirates in the Google Play store you’ll find an app for a London’s River Thames cable-car, sponsored by Emirates. But that’s unfortunately not very clear and judging by the reviews people still try endlessly to book a flight on the app. Emirates has had an iPad app for some time now but it was aimed more at the A380’s onboard lounges than helping you find a flight. Luckily its February update has provided new functionality. Its Android app on the other hand is basically just a shell for its mobile website.

The Just So-So Award: It’s a tie! SAA and KLM

In South Africa we actually have some pretty good options when it comes to using your smartphone to check-in. South African Airways has both an iOS and Android app. Sure it’s not the greatest thing, but it works in that you can select a seat, check-in and use it as a boarding pass. SAA’s Mango Airlines also has its own app which functions somewhat better than its competitor Kulula’s mobi site.

KLM’s app is very similar to that of SAA which is surprising considering how great Dutch are at design. The iOS and Android apps have the bare basics as it often redirects you to a mobile browser inside the app. KLM should however be congratulated on its strategic airline game called Aviation Empire. The iPhone and iPad game allows you to design airports and fly through hurricanes. Super cool.

The Feel Good Award: Virgin

You’d expect Virgin to be at the top of a list of apps considering the geek value of all things Richard Branson. Unfortunately both Virgin Atlantic and Virgin America disappoint. Atlantic has a very standard app that at least looks nice. The best part about the app is its welcome screen that pops up every time you open it and says: “Hello gorgeous!” As for Virgin America an app is still in the works, something that keeps Quora users up at night. So if you want to fly with an airline that makes you feel better about yourself, I’d suggest you go with Virgin Atlantic.

 

The Absolute Best Award: United

Two years ago, the American airline United decided to invest heavily in a stand-alone app for both iOS and Android users. The result was an incredibly intuitive and beautifully designed app. From customers to flight attendants and even pilots — almost everyone who interacts with the airline — is able to find what they need through the app. During your flight you can see a map of where you’re going, what type of plane you’re flying on and — the best part — stream movie and TV shows through the app while in flight.

These are however the only airlines I’ve flown with recently. If there’s any other apps we should take note of, let us know in the comment section below.