A an actual useful use for Passbook (iOS app)

[simongr]

Hi all

Caveat one - I am a hugely biased apple fan having four iMacs (one dead and one inbound), two iPads, multiple iPods and heaps of other apple stuf.

So with that in mind it is probably surprising that I was very much "meh" when Apple launched their passbook app. For those not in the know the idea of passbook is that it can store you vouchers and coupons, cinema tickets and boarding passes. The reason for me to be "meh" at the launch was there wasn't much AUS content/availability and for boarding passes I use my QF card.

So having used it not very much it was consigned to the same folder as the stocks app.

Then yesterday as I was rummaging in my bag for various cards someone suggested there should be an app for that...

Then I had the realization - why don't the airlines and hotels and others allow you to store your current membership card in passbook? It would save you carrying the cards around and their currency or not would be maintained in the app. I am sure people could hack the app and fake cards but people use other people's cards and in any case when checking in your status is updated anyway.

Any thoughts?

Not sure how suggestions like this get to the airlines...

 

[Febs]

Then I had the realization - why don't the airlines and hotels and others allow you to store your current membership card in passbook?

Starwood do, though in my opinion it's too new to be useful. I showed it on check-in at Westin Melbourne recently and got a confused look, followed by "I'll just look you up...name?"

 

[simongr]

How did you get your card into passbook?

 

[markis10]

Then I had the realization - why don't the airlines and hotels and others allow you to store your current membership card in passbook? It would save you carrying the cards around and their currency or not would be maintained in the app. I am sure people could hack the app and fake cards but people use other people's cards and in any case when checking in your status is updated anyway.

Any thoughts?

Not sure how suggestions like this get to the airlines...

The hospitality industry are on to this already, for instance Starwood already do it, problem being if your not an Apple fanboi and you only have an iPAD, its totally useless as Apple decided that iPAD users were not worthy and gave them a clock instead in iOS 6, for which I am truly grateful for!

 

[simongr]

My guess for why passbook wasn't put into the iPad is that it would seem impractical to have people scanning iPads at a boarding gate for example.

 

[markis10]

My guess for why passbook wasn't put into the iPad is that it would seem impractical to have people scanning iPads at a boarding gate for example.

Pity its apple making that assumption rather than giving users a choice

 

[DeKa]

Then I had the realization - why don't the airlines and hotels and others allow you to store your current membership card in passbook? It would save you carrying the cards around and their currency or not would be maintained in the app. I am sure people could hack the app and fake cards but people use other people's cards and in any case when checking in your status is updated anyway.

The biggest problem is older barcode scanners cannot scan from phone/iPad screens.
There is an app for supermarket loyalty cards called Pointpal - but most of the time it doesn't work. I'd also tried scanning my loyalty cards and putting them into an easily accessible Dropbox folder - same problem - most shops cannot scan the cards on the screen.

 

[NM]

Pity its apple making that assumption rather than giving users a choice

Some may even choose to pull out their 17" MacBook at the boarding gate! Then again, some find it easier to pull out a piece of paper/cardboard from their pocket

 

[simongr]

Yeah - maybe they need to think of way that it can work rather than not implementing it because it can't work. One option would be for the scannable item to default to the bottom left corner of the iPad.

 

[Ewing]

The biggest problem is older barcode scanners cannot scan from phone/iPad screens.
There is an app for supermarket loyalty cards called Pointpal - but most of the time it doesn't work. I'd also tried scanning my loyalty cards and putting them into an easily accessible Dropbox folder - same problem - most shops cannot scan the cards on the screen.

Only optical / CCD scanners can read from the screen.

If it's a laser scanner it will not work.

 

[Febs]

How did you get your card into passbook?

Can't remember sorry, but with the latest SPG app (which is required) I do remember it was pretty straight-forward. Might have been an option under "My Account" in the app.