Just in time for the Christmas season, Kiwis travelers can now use the first locally released app that is booking-enabled to book rooms on the go from their iPhone or iPad.
From the home screen, Apple-users have the option to browse New Zealand accommodation and activities. There is a separate hotlink for accommodation "Hot Deals" and a "My Jasons" option where users can set up a new account or connect via Facebook to keep track of saved accommodation, activities and previous bookings.
Browsing accommodation listings can be achieved by typing a destination name that uses predictive text or by using a current location option that will search for accommodation options nearby.
Individual accommodation listings within a region appear with the higher paid "Hot Deals" given priority. The user can view a property's full listing details by selecting from a list or from a map option that will pinpoint location.
The property's full listing detail includes the starting tariff, expanded description, photos, map location, reviews and Qualmark or self-rating. Users can also link to activities nearby.
The user can save the details to their My Jasons account for future viewing or even go old-school and phone the property direct. Pressing the "Book Now" button will take the user to the reservation page where rooms can be selected and booked from the app.
Overall the app is very nice and extremely intuitive. I like the look and feel of the no-frills clean design and smooth functionality. I particularly like the design of the easy to navigate booking pages.
The only criticism is that prospective bookers are unable to drill down specific accommodation results by arrival/departure dates and room type/number of persons until an individual property is selected. This may cause some users some angst while they wade through more listings than they need to, however the majority of users should hopefully find the app very usable.
It's now up to AA Travel to update their current informational app to see if they can go one better before the busy holiday season is upon us.
Go to the iTunes store to download the Jasons App: HERE
