United Airlines today announced the carrier will equip its flight attendants with Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus, putting important safety and service information at flight attendants’ fingertips while enhancing their ability to meet customers’ needs.
The airline will begin distribution to its more than 23,000 mainline flight attendants during the second quarter of 2015. Upon introduction, the devices will have the ability to handle most onboard retail transactions and will enable access to company email, united.com and the company’s Intranet as well as policies and procedures manuals.
Future enhancements include replacing the flight attendants’ printed safety manual with an electronic version on their iPhones and providing real-time reporting and improved follow-up on aircraft cabin issues and repairs. Additionally, United plans to develop a number of customer-focused tools for the device.
United also renewed the iPad program it started for pilots in 2011 with the iPad Air 2. Great moves from United.
This is just perfect. An airline has a mobile, younger, tech-native work force. I think the iPhones are more effective than an iPad in this environment.
If only United ran a better airline. I stopped flying with them about 3000 miles short of Platinum last August. Just couldn’t take it anymore.
It might have something to do with this:
http://9to5mac.com/2014/12/10/apple-ibm-enterprise-ios-apps/
Many apps are for Airline tasks.
Anyone flown Delta lately? Back in 2013 there was lots of coverage of Microsoft and Nokia outfitting Delta steward…uh, flight attendants with Windows Phones to do the same things. I don’t fly Delta anymore, so I’ve never seen them in action. Did they work well? Are they still in use?