Why the Alaska Airlines app is worth having

Alaska Airlines app for Android

Over the past weekend, I took a one night trip to Las Vegas.  I left Friday afternoon and returned Saturday at about the same time.  I didn't get a hotel room or even bring luggage.  I simply brought my fully charged Droid Razr Maxx, my wallet, and the clothes that I was wearing and set off from Seattle to Las Vegas aboard an Alaska Airlines 737-900.  This (short) trip gave me a great opportunity to try out the Alaska Airlines mobile application - which is simple, effective, and has all of the features that you need when traveling.


Background
The Alaska Airlines app is available for iPhone and Android devices only.  For Windows phones and Blackberry devices, users can visit the Alaska Airlines mobile website.  The application works by having users create an account with the alaskaair.com website (which also creates a mileage plan that you can track on the application).  The application is divided into three simple sections - Flights, Your Account, and Contact, giving users the ability to quickly navigate where they need to be.

Features

Flight itinerary on the AS app

Under the "Flights" tab, users can check in or monitor existing reservations. It gives you the ability to see what seat you are in (and even choose a different one from their visual display).  You can check into flights up to 24 hours in advance and see special alerts regarding the flight. The Notes section also gives you the chance to make little memos about information that you should remember for the flight.  From that window, you can also quickly swipe back and forth to see all existing flight reservations.  When you have a booked flight, you can click on your boarding pas and it brings up a QR code that can be scanned quickly before entering security.

If you are not sure what flight you are going to be boarding (or just want to see what availability is out there), you can see schedules and track flights (and see what is offered on the flights) from all of the airports that the Alaska network serves.

The Account Information tab on the application quickly displays options for syncing your trips to your mileage plan, seeing how many miles you have accumulated, and seeing how far away you are from elite earnings and mileage bonuses.  Finally, the Contact tab has options to go to the website, give feedback, find terms of use, and quickly call any of the departments you may need to reach when planning your next flight.

My thoughts
Overall, this application made my trip to Las Vegas extremely easy. I booked my flight using the Alaska Airlines website, then was able to check in using the app. I just showed up to security, flashed my boarding pass and identification, and was on my way through.  As a whole, I think this application is a must-have for anyone that flies regularly and has been with Alaska Airlines (or is planning on using them). If you have any other feedback about the application, let me know what you think!