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Apple Passbook: The first step towards the iTravel era?

June 12, 2012 | Online Travel

The new Passbook feature in Apple's iOS 6 software for the iPhone and iPad, which provides digital versions of boarding passes, movie tickets and membership cards, could prove to be the first step towards Apple's all-encompassing iTravel ecosystem.

The new Passbook app built into iOS 6, due for release towards year's end, also offers live updates to these e-passes, such as flight delays and changes to the airport boarding gate.

Mobile boarding passes are of course far from new, and we're also seeing some impressive apps from airlines – notably the Qantas app for Windows Phones – but there's no denying that Apple's move to provide inbuilt support for mobile boarding passes and live updates (presumably pulled from a source such as FlightAware) is going to take this to the next level in terms.

That doesn't only mean broader availability across airlines, it also lays down a path to the iTravel era which Apple hopes will do for the travel industry what Apple’s iTunes Store did for the music industry – and seek to enthrone the iPhone and iPad as the traveller's tech of choice.

Get the full story at the Australian Business Traveler

Read also "Apple demos Passbook, a one-stop shop for tickets and boarding passes" at Engadget

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