South African air travellers with iPhones will be able to use them from next month to book flights on both local and international British Airways flights.
They will also be able to use the Apple phone, that will start selling in SA on 22 August, to access arrival and departure information real-time and view BA timetables.
British Airways is the first airline worldwide to introduce such a service and the move follows an announcement by Apple CEO Steve Jobs in May that he would allow developers to build applications for the device.
BA CIO Paul Coby says two airline IT experts saw an opportunity and developed a prototype application.
"When it was demonstrated to the BA Innovations team, it was immediately taken onboard for full commercial development," Coby says.
"This application is bespoke to the iPhone 3G, so together they work perfectly in tune," Coby adds.
"We're excited that BA customers will be the first to get the benefit from an application of this kind. The iPhone is revolutionising mobile communications and allows us to provide instant access to arrivals and departures information which will enhance the experience of travelling with BA."
The move forms part of a global drive by airlines to use ICT to save costs in the face of dramatically more expensive fuel and to cut back the inconvenience of flying, personified by endless queues at the check-in counter, by offering self-service instead.
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