Apple's iOS 6 has arrived with its September 19 release date. The upgrade comes with a lot of new, neat features. One of the most useful features is Passbook. Hotels, airlines, and even theme parks are all supporting this new iPhone feature.
Passbook is a tool that could make the wallet irrelevant. Passbook allows users to store boarding passes, store coupons, movie tickets and loyalty cards all in one place.
Airlines such as American Airlines, Delta, United and Virgin are all supporting Passbook. This means that users can simply scan their iPhone at the gate of an airport to board a plane instead of having to print and carry around a paper boarding pass.
The app has geolocation capabilities and sends notifications to a user depending on their location. So when a traveler gets to their airport, their boarding pass notification will be sent right to the lock screen of their iPhone. If there is a gate or flight change, the feature will send you a notification to let you know. It will even tell you if you're in the wrong terminal.
"One of the really cool things about Passbook is it integrates with the lock screen. So if I have my phone locked and in my pocket and I get to the airport, my boarding pass already appears on the lock screen, I slide across, it brings up my boarding pass, I scan it and get on the plane. It's that simple," iOS chief Scott Forstall said.
Once you've booked your flight, you can plan your hotel stay. Hotels are already starting to support Passbook. W hotels and Starwood's Sheraton hotels will support the app.
If you're looking for something fun to do during your trip, you can use Passbook to gain admission to several theme parks and even a zoo. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Dorney Park and 10 other Cedar Fair theme parks will all accept admission tickets from the Passbook app.
If you're looking to travel by train, Amtrak will also accept tickets from the Passbook feature.
Some other companies that support Passbook are Ticketmaster, Sephora and Starbucks, so you can get your concert tickets, get your makeup done and grab a coffee all from your iPhone. Target and Fandango also support the feature.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
