I still don’t like most web-sites. Most of them seem to forget usability in lieu of eye-candy.
As a traveller I often notice travel web-sites more than most. There are some serious offenders from good design rules.
Why is it more difficult to get a flight status on Air Canada’s website than search for a new flight?
But I digress from my “It Just Works!” post.
As iPhones and other mobile web-browsers become more numerous, I’m seeing a delightful trend. The trend is for web-sites that are designed to load quickly in a small amount of real-estate and contain the information most likely to be desired.
Perfect example: http://pda.continental.com
Even on my laptop with super duper internet speeds, I use it instead of their ‘full’ web-sites.
It loads extremely quickly and the information listed is the frequent traveler’s top information request.
It gets better. When looking up a flight you can choose, in advance, the information you are looking for. This saves a click and a page refresh. Smart.
For the airline enthusiast and the frequent traveller, Continentals web site goes one further. It tells you which FIN # is assigned to any flight and tells you where the plane is coming from:
The result is information that without a doubt will tell you when your flight is going to be on-time.
Continental’s mobile web-site is an example of “It Just Works!” The user’s experience is maintained as the #1 priority. All that talk of “Less is more” is true in this case.
There are numerous other companies that have mobile web-sites which in my opinion are as good as if not better than their standard websites if you just want to do something quickly:
- eBay (http://m.ebay.com)
- CBC (http://iphone.cbc.ca/) (This one has been recently updated)
- Weather Underground (http://i.wund.com)
And some other air travel related web-sites:
- FlightStats (http://mobile.flightstats.com)
- Northwest Airlines (http://mobile.nwa.com)
- Delta Airlines (https://mobile.delta.com)
- United Airlines (http://ua.flightlookup.com/) (Old but still solid)
- American Airlines (http://mobile.aa.com)
I wish my list was longer.
