Airlines Fly The Mobile Net Sky

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December 09, 1999 (12:00 AM EST)

By David Jastrow,

The airline industry is quietly emerging as the first major market testing mobile Internet solutions.

Delta Air Lines is working with IBM and Modem Media Poppe Tyson, a Norwalk, Conn.-based Internet services company, to develop and test a wireless travel service.

The service would give Delta's customers wireless access to up-to-date flight arrival/departure information, same-day gate information, and worldwide flight schedules via handheld PDAs and cell phones.

Some of Delta's U.S. customers are already testing the service, making Delta one of the first North American airlines to begin offering this type of service. It will roll out nationwide early next year, Delta said. The company also plans to expand the service next year to let travelers buy tickets and change flight schedules using the service.

Delta is using IBM software and services to transmit data from its website to a variety of "smart devices," including mobile phones and the Palm VII handheld organizer.

"Travel information is dynamic, and our customers don't always have access to a PC to log on to our website and get the information they need," said Patrice Miles, Delta's vice president of distribution planning.

New York-based Razorfish has also developed mobile Internet solutions for an airline in Europe. The integrator, which has a mobile solutions laboratory in Finland, has helped Finnair, the sixth oldest airline in the world, develop a similar mobile solution for its frequent fliers.

"We built the ability for [Finnair's] Platinum-level frequent fliers to pick their seats over the phone, to upgrade to first class, to check flight schedules, to see what terminal flights are coming out of, those sorts of things," said Craig Kanarick, co-founder and chief technologist at Razorfish. "So at this point, it's really informational services and small transactions like upgrading seats."

Finnair also plans to launch the MultiFLYe electronic ticket series service, which will make it possible to confirm or change airline reservations using a phone system powered by WAP.

Other industries are also testing the mobile Internet waters. GearWorks.com, a Northfield, Minn.-based Web integrator, has a mobile solution for trucking, courier, and messaging companies.

Online book retailer barnesandnoble.com launched "bn.com On the Go," a companywide wireless strategy designed to enable customers to shop at barnesandnoble.com from wireless devices.