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Comment by vanviegen

2 days ago

> No way should an airline website even be allowed to ask to send push notifications.

Your flight is delayed/now boarding/etc?

13 comments

vanviegen

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evilduck  2 days ago

The native apps for my phone aren't really reliable enough at letting me know about delays or gate changes, I don't expect a web push notification to be any better at something that's already untrustworthy, especially on a system that lacks a cellular modem to stay online all the time. Even if they did work perfectly and could be trusted to serve that purpose, no company would only send status updates about your flight in the long term, they're unable to restrain themselves and will view it as an advertising avenue just like they do with phone apps.

  • vanviegen  2 days ago

    My guess is it would be just as (un)reliable as an app.

    Many airlines now more or less force you to install their bespoke apps, which could have just as well been websites, just to board their planes. I'm less than happy to install them.

dmonitor  2 days ago

I'm rarely at a computer in the airport without my phone

  • graemep  2 days ago

    I would prefer to know about a delayed flight before I get to the airport.

    Your phone needs a web browser or an app. An app for every airline you ever use? You already have a web browser.

    They could SMS but its more expensive to send, often even more so for customers on roaming to receive.

    Nothing else is universal.

    I think there are much better possible solutions. An open notification standard or reasonable pricing of bulk sending SMS would do it.

    • codingminds  2 days ago

      We still have eMail in place. If they don't want to spend money on an SMS they can send an eMail.

      If browser notification permissions would have a TTL, I'd might considering it. But until this happens I won't allow anyone to send me browser notifications. And even then I'd be very picky.

      2 replies →

    • Sophira  2 days ago

      > I would prefer to know about a delayed flight before I get to the airport.

      Generally, the recommendation is that you get to the airport at least two hours before your flight departs. Ideally, you shouldn't be rushing to try to get your plane.

      Granted, the world has changed since that was first a recommendation, but even in today's connected world, it's still a good idea to get there two hours before departure, in my experience.

      1 reply →

    • zeta0134  2 days ago

      What do you mean nothing else is universal? I can't book a flight without a phone number and an email address, and they usually send emails. My phone is set to do notifications when I get one of those. Why is this solution bad? Any network situation that causes both SMS and email to fail certainly isn't going to magically deliver a push notification from a browser.

    • notpushkin  2 days ago

      > An app for every airline you ever use? You already have a web browser.

      And yet I’m sure airlines will push you towards the app every time!