Nutty Mobiles

We take a look at the Windows Phone 7 version of the British Airways app to see whether we should expect a smooth landing or a spot of turbulence

Paper was doomed from the start. It’s served us well but the combination of cutting down dear old trees, a reliance on computing and the push towards condensing as much technlogy into one device has meant its use is in decline.

Yet another nail in the coffin is the British Airways application. Already available on iOS, this Windows Phone 7 version brings quick, easy and paperless checking-in to a new audience of users.

There isn’t a great deal of difference between it and its iPhone brethren, but that isn’t a negative.

British Airways has purposefully limited the amount of on-screen information to make it clear and informative without being misleading.

Loading up the app reveals the Windows Phone 7 styling of the app. Scrolling to the right between pages takes you through My Flights, Flight info, Your details, More and then back to the start.

Anyone who has used Windows Phone 7 will instantly know how to navigate around the app, and those who haven’t will soon pick it up.

You do need to be an Executive Member to use the app to its fullest, but signing up is easy and free, not to mention you can start accumulating miles.

Once logged in, details of any booked flight will appear with the nearest at the top.

Perhaps oddly, there is no landing time and this is apparently because of user feedback. It seems odd but it’s quite refreshing to not be bombared by times, and as the main focus of the app is to get you on the plane it’s quite forgivable.

There’s also the matter of factoring in time differences, so we can understand the reasoning. Still, some users may notice its absence.

The boarding pass itself is one click away, and it works perfectly. During our press trip to test the app out we handed over our phone, and voila, a quick scan of the page was all we needed to do.

Besides looking like James Bond, it saves finding a printer and using paper. Of course, you could lose your phone or run out of battery but nothing is infallible.

Windows Phone 7 users do get a unique feature – the ability to view airport maps. With a larger number of airports included, you can quickly see where you need to be, even if you have never been to the airport or not.

It’s not an essential feature but certainly a nice touch, particularly for those who like to know every detail.

Microsoft showed off the ability to pick your preferred seat in a cool 3D viewer, and check out details of the plane you are flying on to keep you sane when standing in a queue, both of which are nice touches for an app that makes those painful airport moments a little easier to bear.

Overall, we were impressed. From what we have seen, if you ever fly with BA and dislike printing out paper tickets, this application looks like a great solution.

The British Airways app is set to arrive on June 1. Features like the 3D plane viewer will arrive when the impressive Mango update does in the Autumn.