Lufthansa Navigator: To the right gate using the right app – Passengers put iPhone navigation application to the test at Frankfurt Airport
East Meadow, NY, February, 2010 — How do I get to the check-in counter, to the baggage claim, to the lounge and then to the right gate? With the Lufthansa Navigator – a new application that runs on iPhone – finding one’s way around the airport is a breeze. This innovative application is structured like a navigation system and is designed to guide users easily from their current position to their desired destination at the airport. It is available in both German and English and can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple AppStore.
Once Lufthansa Navigator starts passengers are prompted to choose from various options such as going to check-in, finding a lounge or going directly to the gate. A list of all current Lufthansa flights with the respective gate numbers is then displayed. As soon as the destination has been entered, the route from the user’s current location is calculated and displayed on an on-screen map. To aid orientation, photos of the surroundings are integrated in the map at significant points along the way, and an arrow indicates which direction to take. Passengers can also check out the route ahead of time at home using the simulation mode. Once the starting point and the destination have been entered the application calculates the virtual route and displays it on the iPhone.
But the Lufthansa Navigator is not just a navigation system. The iPhone app (version OS 3.0 or higher) enables passengers to receive information about individual flights, such as scheduled and expected departure times, as well as allowing travelers to book flights or check in online via www.lufthansa.com. “With the Lufthansa Navigator our passengers – whether they are frequent or infrequent travelers or whether they are using the application at the airport or at home – are ideally equipped for their journey,” says Dr. Karl-Rudolf Rupprecht, pointing out the special customer benefits of the application. As Lufthansa’s Head of Hub Management at Frankfurt, he is responsible for ground products and processes.
The test phase for the new application will last several months and will include a user survey. After testing the application, passengers will be asked to evaluate issues such as to what extent the application helped them find their destination, whether the visual display was adequate and which additional navigation points they would like to see.
February 5, 2010
Posted in: Airlines & Railways