Sydney Airport has released an Android app provide live updates on flights as well as finding your way around the airport.
As with the airport's near-identical iPhone app, the callout feature of the Android version is the ability to 'subscribe' to international and domestic flights to get handy pop-up alerts on when boarding opens, as well as changes to the flight's status.
However, this covers only flights to and from the International T1 and domestic T2 terminals – the airport advises that it doesn't have access to data from the dedicated Qantas T3 terminal.
This will include regional QantasLink flights which currently operate from T2 but later this year will shift to T3. Qantas has yet to release an Android app, but the airline says one is coming later this year.
As expected, the Android app also provides maps of the airport precinct and terminals, along with information on parking and transfers.
The Android app is also available in simplified Chinese.
“China is one of our largest and fastest growing markets so it makes sense to ensure Chinese speakers can also easily access airport information via their phone" said Sydney Airport Chief Executive Officer Kerrie Mather.
"Sydney Airport is working hard to ensure that we are 'China-ready' and is continually looking to enhance the experience of our Chinese-speaking travellers."
The official Sydney Airport app for Android is available now as a free download from the Google Play app store.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Melbourne Airport told Australian Business Traveller that "development of an Android version of our (iPhone) app is underway and we anticipate it being available in the coming months."
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
23 Dec 2011
Total posts 6
Brisbane Airport has a new iPhone app.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2012
Total posts 132
Brilliant!
Nice work Sydney Airport. Now perhaps you can lend your developers to Qantas to get them into the 21st century?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2012
Total posts 132
Ok, jumped the gun on the "brilliant".
As they seem to be financing this app dev via advertizing, the current ad banner is taking valuable real estate on the screen.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
30 Apr 2013
Total posts 17
I can't see the point of this new airport app.
They should have just created a new mobile website using HTML5 code, which would have given them everything they need.
Creating an app for this sort of thing makes no sense.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2012
Total posts 132
I agree. I can never understand native app dev for something so clearly database intensive as this.
Native apps are only beneficial when there is masses of data stored on the device or when a native app has an "offline" mode.
This would have been so much better as a cross platform web app.
I did in fact send feedback to the airport several months back that this is what they should have done when they released the iPhone app.
04 Nov 2010
Total posts 670
But pika and cdinoz, it's an app! You don't need to justify it any more than that. It's an app! "WE'VE GOT AN APP! WE'RE COOL!"
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2012
Total posts 132
Yup. We get to play in the big kids playground now.... ;-)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Jan 2013
Total posts 698
From recent experience, the Sydney Airport app doesn't seem to reflect what actually happens at the gate. It seems to work to set times for boarding, as I've had a few notifications that a flight is boarding when the Gate is not.
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