40 APP MOMENTS IN TRAVEL TO MARK APPLE’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY

“It was forty years ago today, that Sgt. Pepper…”

Image source: http://apple2history.org/history/ah02/

A slight twist on the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band lyrics there, but Apple and the Beatles are so linked in history that it seems very apt to use that song in the context of marking the 40th birthday of Apple today.

Yes, that’s right, it was 40 years ago today (nerd fans: technically the Apple 1 was built in 1975) that ‘Apple’ as a company was set up, April 1st 1976.

And anyone that watched last week’s Apple event (if not then read our own key takeaways here) will have seen their ’40 years in 40 seconds’ tribute to four decades of ideas, innovation and culture.

Image source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtY0K2fiFOA

So whilst Apple celebrates being 40 years old today and the 40 key moments that shaped its history, at MTT we thought we’d do something similar. In the spirit of Apple’s Anniversary, we have taken a look at 40 key ‘mobile travel app moments’ that MTT has enjoyed since the App Store was first launched in 2008:

1. 2011: MTT Launches its First iOS App

For the leading European airline easyJet.

2. 2012: 1 Million Downloads

MTT celebrates the first of many customer apps to reach 1 million downloads.

3. 2012: Record Mobile Bookings

Record day for one of MTT’s airline customers with $10k mobile bookings in a single day. Today, record days of mobile bookings of over $1M have been recorded.

4. 2012: Apple Maps

Apple Maps is incorporated into MTT’s customer apps.

5. 2013: MTT Engage is Launched

MTT’s mobile push messaging engine, Engage, is integrated with Apple Push Notification Service (APNS) and launched on the market.

6. 2013: Transavia.com Launches iOS App

Transavia.com of the Air France KLM Group launches iOS app with MTT.

7. 2013: iOS 7 Introduces Flat Design

MTT’s apps transition from skeuomorphism to flattened visual design.

8. 2013: Passbook Integration

easyJet launches mobile boarding passes and is the first airline in the UK to launch with Passbook.

9. 2013: MTT Launches New App for BCD Travel

TripSource®, a sophisticated new itinerary app for BCD Travel is launched, incorporating a user-friendly design concept of a trip envelope full of ‘cards’ related to different trip segments.

10. 2014: MTT Launches Apps for LATAM Airlines

LATAM Airlines launch new, multi-language, dual-branded apps for LAN and TAM Airlines on iOS.

easyJet mobile boarding pass with Passbook integration | The TripSource® app with user-friendly ‘card’ design concept

11. 2014: LAN App Ranks No 1

Immediately after launch, the LAN Airlines app goes straight to no. 1 in the Chilean Apple App Store and to no. 2 in both Peru and Argentina.

12. 2014: TripSource® Implements Engage

MTT implements Engage to add mobile push messaging within BCD Travel’s TripSource® app.

13. 2014: easyJet Trials iBeacons

easyJet trials iBeacons at airports in effort to improve the travel experience.

14. 2014: In-app Alert Messaging for 2014 World Cup

LAN and TAM Airlines leverage their MTT apps to send multi-language alert messages during the 2014 Summer World Cup.

15. 2014: Passport Scanning

easyJet is the first airline in Europe to launch mobile passport scanning.

16. 2014: BCD Wins App Design Award

BCD Travel’s TripSource® app is announced as Gold Winner in the US App Design Awards.

17. 2014: MTT Named Best Technology Provider

MTT’s wins ‘Best Technology Provider’ at the Travolution Awards for its Moblie App Platform and Product Set.

18. 2015: TripSource® Enterprise Launches

BCD Travel launches TripSource® Enterprise.

19. 2015: Arabic iOS App For Saudia

MTT launches its first Arabic app for Saudia, the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, with right to left navigation, integration of the Islamic Hijri calendar and the local Saudi Arabian payment system, SADAD. On release, the app is ranked as the number 1 overall free app in the App Store in Saudi Arabia.

20. 2015: Capita Travel and Events’ App Launch

MTT launches iOS app for Capita Travel and Events leveraging MTT’s corporate travel product, Concierge Itinerary.

Saudia app in Arabic | TripSource® push messaging via MTT Engage

21. 2015: Integrated Rail Itineraries

MTT’s first rail integration goes live with Capita Travel and Events’ iOS app, including rail booking, itineraries, timetables and real-time service alerts such as delays as well as station and platform information.

22. 2015: easyJet Launches Apple Watch App

easyJet is among the first airlines worldwide to launch an Apple Watch app. The Watch app is subsequently featured on Apple.com.

23. 2015: Credit Card Scanning

Credit card scanning is implemented into the Saudia app for a seamless booking flow. easyJet’s app also integrates this feature in early 2016.

24. 2015: Singapore Airlines App Launch

Singapore Airlines launches all-new mobile apps for iOS and Android. The iOS app is ranked as the number 1 travel app by Apple in 14 countries at launch.

25. 2015: ‘Day of Travel’ Assistant Launch with the easyJet Mobile Host

easyJet launches it’s ‘Mobile Host’ in the iOS app leveraging MTT’s ‘day of travel’ product, Concierge Live.

26. 2015: TripSource® Expands Functionality

Additional features are added to BCD Travel’s TripSource® app including ‘Outside of TMC Booking’ cards, automatic trip following (including flight change alerts) and calendar syncing.

27. 2015: Singapore Airlines Launch on Apple Watch

MTT launches an Apple Watch app for Singapore Airlines and it features on the Apple.com homepage.

28. 2015: Touch ID Integration

Touch ID fingerprint technology is incorporated into the easyJet app to enable travellers to auto-fill forms and seamlessly retrieve their APIS.

29. 2015: TripSource® Uptake Soars

BCD Travel’s TripSource® app is now used by more than 500 companies in more than 100 countries.

30. 2015: Revamped easyJet App

MTT releases a revamped iOS app for easyJet with new customer-centric features.

Singapore Airlines and easyJet Apple Watch apps |Capita Travel and Events’ app leveraging MTT Concierge Intinerary

31. 2015: TripSource® Comes Full Circle — From Native Apps to Responsive Web

MTT launches responsive website for TripSource®.

32. 2015: easyJet’s Mobile Host Wins at the Future Travel Experience Awards

easyJet’s Mobile Host and MTT’s Concierge Live win at the Future Travel Experience awards for their impact on improving the passenger experience.

33. 2015: Flex Pricer Integration

MTT enables Saudia to integrate the Flex Pricer feature into its iOS app, one of the first airlines worldwide to do so.

34. 2015: IATA Award Win

MTT’s Concierge Live is runner up at IATA’s Passenger Innovation Awards for the improvements it enables in the ‘day of travel’ experience.

35. 2015: easyJet Reports Continued Growth of App Downloads

easyJet app downloads reach 14.5 million as more and more of the airline’s customers manage their trips via mobile.

36. 2015: Extending to Tablet

MTT launches new tablet app for Singapore Airlines that brings the comprehensive functionality and user-friendly focus of the airline’s smartphone apps to tablet devices.

37. easyJet Wins UX Award

The easyJet app wins in the Best Information Experience category at the UXUK Awards.

38. 2015: Flightradar Integration

MTT implements flightradar24 into the easyJet app for live flight tracking. easyJet is the first airline in the world to do so.

39. 2016: eDreams Odigeo Integrates MTT Engage

eDreams Odigeo implements MTT Engage into its existing apps for real-time, mobile push messaging.

40. 2016: First IFE Integration with Panasonic SDK

MTT launches a slick tablet In-Flight Entertainment ‘companion app’ for Singapore Airlines, the first to integrate with the Panasonic SDK.

Singapore Airlines’ tablet app with IFE integration | Push messaging for eDreams Odigeo via MTT Engage

These 40 ‘mobile travel app moments’ from MTT are just a selection of our work with airlines and travel companies over the last number of years as we adapt and evolve their app strategies in line with the constant innovation of the iOS platform. Just as Apple is, MTT celebrates the ideas, innovation and culture that brings great advances to how travel companies can interact with their travellers and deliver new, superior travel experiences. Here’s to the next 40! Happy Birthday Apple!