American Airlines offers timetables for handhelds

FORT WORTH, Texas -- As printed airline timetables become less efficient for travelers, American's Web site, AA.com, is making flight schedules more accessible by providing a free electronic download resource that fits a wide variety of user formats, including the latest addition for Pocket PC users.

"When we redesigned the Web site, we did so with the goal to make the experience on AA.com more rewarding," said Scott Hyden, managing director of interactive marketing for American. "This is a tool that supports our mission to make customer lives easier."

Timetables for American, American Eagle and codeshare partner flights are available on AA.com, including the first full electronic timetable for all oneworld carriers in PC format. American and American Eagle timetables are compatible in formats that include Palm OS, Palm VII, PocketPC, WAP phones, and Windows-based laptops and home computers that have the ability to store PDF documents.

"We're providing access to the worldwide timetable for all oneworld carriers, and allowing customers a way to build connections, create itineraries and print their own customized timetables that meet their needs," Hyden said. "And we're able to offer them in the formats that today's mobile customers want to use, thus making the travel experience more rewarding."

Customized timetables

Once a timetable is downloaded, the format allows travelers to print customized timetables between cities that fit their interests. It also helps travelers weigh their options when considering non-stop service or a flight plan that includes multiple stops. Customers may also sign-up to receive monthly e-mail reminders that include options for downloading the latest electronic timetable.

"Our customers naturally are a mobile group of people, and having the timetable available to them in the Pocket PC format will provide a valuable source of information they can access on the run," said Hyden. "This is good for our customers because they can get the most up-to-date version of our timetable. At the same time, having electronic timetables available is good business because it saves the cost of printing -- not to mention the environmental benefits."

The AA.com Web site also provides a variety of wireless applications that the airline claims will make air travel more convenient, including real-time wireless flight information for American Airlines and American Eagle along with information on Admirals Club locations and AAdvantage program information. Travelers can sign up on the site for Flight Status Notification service to have flight departure and arrival information, as well as gate updates delivered to cell phones, e-mail addresses, pagers or PDAs.

Electronic timetables are available through the Timetables and Wireless Applications page on AA.com, or at the direct URL www.aa.com/timetables.

Self-Service Check-In

Last August, American Airlines announced that Self-Service Check-In had been installed at Phoenix (Arizona) Sky Harbor Airport, bring the total to 30 US domestic airports with the service. The machines allow passengers flying domestically with an electronic ticket to check in for their flight, select a seat, check their luggage and obtain a boarding pass.

Customers may use curbside service to check bags and receive a boarding pass, then go through security and straight to the gate. American has also introduced Roving Agent, a wireless hand-held device, allowing American agents to approach passengers traveling without checked baggage and complete their check-in transaction. Available in 10 domestic airports, American’s wireless Roving Agent product also provides dynamic flight information to assist employees in answering customers’ questions. 

In addition to Phoenix, American also offers more than 200 Self-Service Check-In machines in: Albuquerque, N.M.; Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Boston; Chicago (O'Hare); Cleveland; Dallas/Fort Worth; Denver; Detroit; Hartford, Conn.; Houston (Bush International); Kansas City; Long Beach, Calif.; Los Angeles; Miami; Minneapolis; Nashville, Tenn.; New York (LaGuardia and JFK); Newark; Orlando, Fla.; Philadelphia; Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; San Antonio, Texas; Seattle; San Jose, Calif.; St. Louis; Tulsa, Okla.; and Washington, D.C. (Reagan National). Bright yellow arrows direct customers to Self-Service Check-In at each of these airports.

The award-winning American Airlines Web site is recognized as one of the largest e-commerce sites on the Internet, according to Media Metrix. The AA.com site was recently named one of Yahoo! Internet Life's "10 Most Popular Travel Sites," and received an "Outstanding Web site" WebAward from the Web Marketing Association.