Passbook and Virgin Australia

[futaris]

Rumors point to more airlines supporting Apple passbook - SlashGear
Two more major airlines to set to roll out Passbook support, report says

A recent report indicated that Virgin Australia has also implemented Passbook compatibility after a report of a passenger on the airline being able to use a digital pass stored in Passbook to board a flight.

Looks like Passbook is working on iPhones on Virgin Australia.

 

[drewbles]

Rumors point to more airlines supporting Apple passbook - SlashGear
Two more major airlines to set to roll out Passbook support, report says



Looks like Passbook is working on iPhones on Virgin Australia.

I can confirm it is not the case (At least, not any longer).

I attempted to check in for someone on the w/end on my iOS 6 device, and the 'It appears that you have Pass installed on your mobile device' message popped up. I tapped 'Add' and got:



So it's likely they just pulled the support when it made it to the news. A premature release it would seem.

 

[markis10]

It is coming, but not yet:

Virgin Australia is planning to release mobile compatible technology allowing guests to store boarding passes using Apple’s new Passbook application,” Thomson said. “We believe that we are the first Australian airline to offer this service to our guests. Boarding passes stored in Passbook will be automatically displayed on guests iPhone screen at time of boarding

http://www.marketingmag.com.au/news...book-app-will-land-in-aus-18783/#.UE7p5WthiSM

 

[here2go]

Without NFC, Passbook will be a passing phase. Will airlines and the the Telcos support Wallethub, which can also replace credit and debit cards? NFC will expedite checking, at least as the gate, with less positioning and scanning.
Microsoft adds NFC to Windows Phone 8 with Wallet Hub, Tap + Send | The Verge
iPhone 5: Apple drops the ball on NFC - News - BIT Mobile Edition

 

[dandandan]

Apple at this stage is working on using Bluetooth 4.0 instead of NFC. Passbook will store all loyalty cards, coupons, boarding passes with airlines etc. Apple has largest credit card database in the world so to say payment technology is not coming or will not work with passport and bluetooth 4 is premature.

Without NFC, Passbook will be a passing phase. Will airlines and the the Telcos support Wallethub, which can also replace credit and debit cards? NFC will expedite checking, at least as the gate, with less positioning and scanning.
Microsoft adds NFC to Windows Phone 8 with Wallet Hub, Tap + Send | The Verge
iPhone 5: Apple drops the ball on NFC - News - BIT Mobile Edition

 

[Bundy Bear]

Without NFC, Passbook will be a passing phase. Will airlines and the the Telcos support Wallethub, which can also replace credit and debit cards? NFC will expedite checking, at least as the gate, with less positioning and scanning.
Microsoft adds NFC to Windows Phone 8 with Wallet Hub, Tap + Send | The Verge
iPhone 5: Apple drops the ball on NFC - News - BIT Mobile Edition

And for anyone like me who wondered what NFC stood for, Near Field Communications

From wiki.

Near field communication (NFC) is a set of standards for smartphones and similar devices to establish radio communication with each other by touching them together or bringing them into close proximity, usually no more than a few centimetres. Present and anticipated applications include contactless transactions, data exchange, and simplified setup of more complex communications such as Wi-Fi.[SUP][1][/SUP] Communication is also possible between an NFC device and an unpowered NFC chip, called a "tag".[SUP][2][/SUP]

The mobile phone is one thing I don't leave home without.

 

[here2go]

Apple at this stage is working on using Bluetooth 4.0 instead of NFC. Passbook will store all loyalty cards, coupons, boarding passes with airlines etc. Apple has largest credit card database in the world so to say payment technology is not coming or will not work with passport and bluetooth 4 is premature.

This is all about Apple trying to control the payment space. Whereas Microsoft is opening up their equipment to a standard, and letting anybody in, and Google doing something not dissimilar, Apple wants to control the process. As Turner suggests, this is a case of traditional banks (and I'll add Telcos) telling Apple where to go. Apple will probably lose this fight regardless of what happens with Bluetooth 4, and will probably start losing customers in the meantime.

I daresay the age of the app being king will soon be dead, long live information!

 

[dandandan]

Off course Apple wants to control the payment space and so does Google, Microsoft and Banks all individually not collectively. Apple may or may not use NFC but NFC just enables communication between devices.

In respect, Apple losing customers is deluded along with apps comment.

This is all about Apple trying to control the payment space. Whereas Microsoft is opening up their equipment to a standard, and letting anybody in, and Google doing something not dissimilar, Apple wants to control the process. As Turner suggests, this is a case of traditional banks (and I'll add Telcos) telling Apple where to go. Apple will probably lose this fight regardless of what happens with Bluetooth 4, and will probably start losing customers in the meantime.

I daresay the age of the app being king will soon be dead, long live information!

 

[here2go]

In respect, Apple losing customers is deluded along with apps comment.

I think this article from the Guardian has an interesting insight: How Microsoft is looking beyond an app-centric world | Technology | The Observer

The iPhone is an excellent piece of kit with a brilliant ecosystem executed at just the right time. However, the architectural principle of control and a piece of every pie, which worked for entertainment space, I can't see working in the transactional banking sector. There is too much to loose for everybody else.
However, when you take an architects view of the customer's needs, which MS have done, they've realised it is not the technology that matters (ie the applications), but the business process and the way information is accessed and managed. Apps come last. These are harder to measure, which is why there is this chest-beating mentality re the number of apps out there for each platform. I still remember the buzz everybody got out of the lightsabre app and pretend beer app when the iPhone first came out. That buzz is gone now. Information is at the core of what we want, the apps are secondary, and iOS6 hasn't addressed this. For this reason, the iThings go to the kids, and I'm moving most of my electronic life to Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8.

Getting back to the Frequent Flyer experience, 80% of the top 50 airlines plan to have NFC experiences for their customers. NFC could change airport check in forever NFC could change airport check in forever - Mozo If they're not quick Apple won't be part of this.

Posted from my Mac - and Macuser since 2003 (I'm not an Apple hater)

 

[markis10]

Can we try and keep it on topic, world domination of the payments industry is probably playground material at worse given the hypotheticals at play, at best it probably belongs in the technology section as a separate thread.

 

[simongr]

Hmm - I am not that bothered/interested in this. If QF could have a decent OLCI function on a mobile device I would be very happy to then couple that with my Q card which I think is one of the best innovations QF have implemented.

 

[markis10]

Virgin have now launched their Passbook support

iPhone 5 is here, and is set to make Mobile Check-in and boarding even easier. « Virgin Australia Blog

 

[pythonisman]

Virgin have now launched their Passbook support

iPhone 5 is here, and is set to make Mobile Check-in and boarding even easier. « Virgin Australia Blog

Great. I'm flying tomorrow night and plan on updating to iOS 6 tomorrow morning, hope to give it a go and report back on if it works.
Out of interest, have Virgin removed the (it seemed) arbitrary "You can't use mobile check in for flights going to or from OOL" rule? I don't see it on the mobile check in page any more.

 

[futaris]

Has anyone with Android, tried this with PassWallet?

 

[carpenteria]

Was going to give it a try next week, I assume this shouldn't confuse things when trying to get into the lounge?

 

[pythonisman]

My mobile check in attempt failed this morning (a generic error telling me I had to check in at the airport). I'm on a points upgrade flight, but I'm guessing the problem was more likely that my flight is to OOL, which I know you couldn't use mobile check in for last time I tried. (Though then, the error specifically called out flights to OOL as not working).

I'll give it a go on Wed for my SYD-PER instead..!

Edit: I tweeted at them, they told me that OOL mobile check in was now available, so unsure why my mobile check in doesn't / didn't work. I'm on a points upgrade to business if that makes any difference.

No biggie, but I did want to see if the new toy worked!

 

[notzac]

Has anyone with Android, tried this with PassWallet?

Seeing as no one has replied to this .. no, it doesn't work. It's a fairly simple problem on the VA webserver (it only offers the pass file if it detects an iDevice); the actual file that gets generated works fine with PassWallet (though the barcode is fairly small). I've sent VA an e-mail about it just now .. hopefully someone will forward it to the correct department.

 

[pythonisman]

I should have added, I used passbook a couple of times a few weeks ago. Experience is/was a bit meh. It's better than the standard 'mobile' check in, but having to scan your phone at the gate and wait for the little ticket just seems a bit special. Prefer the paper boarding pass, unfortunately.

Passbook is pretty cute though. Would be good if more places started using it in AU

 

[ROTR]

Have just used passbook, on iphone, for a recent MEL-SYD return. Can't say I can really see the point, yes, check-in from my phone was easy, as was adding the BP into passbook, however what's the point of all this when as your phone is swiped at the gate, they print off a BP for you, isn't the point of this to be paperless????

 

[simongr]

I think it is a legal requirement for you to have a physical boarding pass.

What this does is avoid the need for a check in agent or a self check in machine.