United Airlines triumphs in the Battle of the Apps 2023

The World Aviation Festival concluded with the thrilling Battle of the Apps final and this year’s competition went right down to the wire. Encapsulating the event’s focus on passenger-centric, digital innovation, the judges considered each app’s user experience, booking management features, ancillary options, disruption management, and passenger information. The chosen representatives for each airline were also marked on story telling, presentation quality, timekeeping skills, responses to judges questions, and the illusive ‘X-factor.’

Chaired by Oisin Lunny, the competition had the six finalists – Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Lufthansa Group, Air France-KLM, United Airlines, and Qatar Airways – present their apps to a panel of expert judges, including Henry Harteveldt, Ben Mutzabaugh, Ann Cederhall, and Seth Miller. With only standing room left in the audience and a stage filled with VIP judges, United Airlines was crowned the 2023 winner.

Each airline presented standout features of their respective apps and showcased their different approaches to enhancing the overall travel experience for passengers. Turkish Airlines emphasised user experience, flexibility, and scalability. Emirates demonstrated their feature-rich app with a “take me there” search, 360 cabin view, and seamless upgrade options. Lufthansa Group positioned their app as an emotional connection with passengers, focusing on customer analytics and using AI to enrich their feedback model. Air France-KLM highlighted their ability to personalise, noting their efficient booking flows and ancillaries selection. Qatar impressed with the wide range of services their app offers from automatic refunds to instant rewards seeking to push the app experience to the next level.

However, it was United that secured victory with their convenience and efficiency focused app. In his presentation, Grant Milstead, VP Digital Technology, explained “the United app is not important, it is not critical, it is essential to our customers’ experience.” Key features included an inbuilt trip planner accessible for all the family, advanced bag tagging technology, directions and timings to assist with connecting flights, and extreme agility – launching a new feature on stage.

As this year’s victors, United set a new standard for passenger-centric digital innovation, reaffirming their commitment to enhancing the travel experience for their customers.

Watch the full session below.