Mobile Phone Apps Targeting at Delayed Flights

　　With flight delays in China on the rise, more and more mobile phone applications specializing in-flight information updates are emerging.

 

　　CRI's Liu Min has more.

 

　　Travel and Flight applications give brand new frequent flyers special experiences compared with starring at the big screen in the airport to get information.

 

　　These apps can provide you with a map locating the flight and as well a prediction about whether your flight will be on time.

 

　　In addition, some applications have also become linked to social media. Flyers on the same flight can make comments and complain to each other about the delayed flight.

 

　　Some enable the travelers to choose their seat in advance. Digital boarding cards, hotel reservations, and luggage claim services have also been included on some flight related applications.

 

　　Xu Hongtao is a vice¹ president of Flight Manager Digital Company.

 

　　"For example, if your friend has arrived in Beijing, but you don't have time to pick him up, then you could use our app to send him some flowers to welcome him. Or you could book a taxi to pick him up through our service. We are trying to be innovative² to seek for potential growth in this area."

 

　　According to statistics, the total number of passengers taking civil flights in the year 2012 exceeded 320 million, and 40 to 50 million are frequent air travelers.

 

　　Bo Manhui, manager of umetrip.com, the first aviation travel service application in China, says the application has to be very strong in information collection and analysis to win over more users.

 

　　"We process more than 60 million pieces of data or information every day. And I believe the number will continue to climb as we improve the system."

 

　　China Merchants Bank promoted a special service, and it's called Pei Ni Deng in Chinese, meaning the bank will accompany you in waiting for delayed flights.

 

　　Zheng Hongfeng, CEO of veryzhun.com says the application produced by his company has helped users to get timely compensation in cooperation with China Merchants Bank.

 

　　"The bank used our database to help passengers get compensation on delayed flight occasions. In the past, passengers who bought this kind of flight delaying insurance needed to collect evidence by themselves before they could receive compensation, but now passengers can receive the money right away when the flight becomes delayed."

 

　　Currently, many applications are free. These digital companies have spent money on technology development, database maintenance, and labor³, but most haven't made a penny yet.

 

　　Since a wide variety of apps that make life on the go seem a little less chaotic⁴ already exist, many passengers say they'd rather see less delayed flights and make comments on these apps about their positive flight experiences instead.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Liu Min.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。