Another airline has discovered Google Maps and has integrated it into their website. Air New Zealand makes Google Maps available to prospective kiwi customers planning their flight from New Zealand to destinations around the world (I haven't confirmed if other global Air NZ websites have this functionality yet). To see it in action search for a flight from Auckland to any location on a date sometime in the future. On the following screen click on any of the flight numbers under the "Flight Details" column and info for that flight is displayed along with a "View Map". Click that link and a window opens up with the route plotted on a Google Map for you. It helps you visually display the route that flight will take. It won't show you all legs of a longer journey together though.. You need to choose each flight separately.This is the second instance of a major airline using Google Maps. In September British Airways made use Google Maps and Google Earth to display hotel locations and special promotional fares (View my post about it here). The BA promotion ended making Air New Zealand the only airline currently using Google Maps on its website. Now.. if only an airline would provide an in-flight version of Google Earth on every plane with a personal viewing screen in the seat! They could display the route tracker, allow passengers to explore the area they are flying over. Thousands of people that could make use of mashups and Google Earth overlays while sitting in a seat for hours on end!!
Other flight related Google Maps mashups:
- US Airport Parking
- UK Airport Hotels & Parking
- World Air Turbulence Map
- Flight Pollution
- GMaps Flight Tracker
- Google Maps Airfare Search
- FAA Air Traffic Control
- Pilots - RunwayFinder.com
- Google Mapping a flight
- World Airports and Airstrips
- Air FareCompare (US)
- World Airport Codes
- United Airlines/OneWorld timetable/routes
- Pet Flight Incidents
- Use airport codes to get directions to airport
[Thanks to Paul Hellyer of Wellington, New Zealand for the tip!]
2 comments:
Some more info about Air New Zealand and Google Maps...
- Yes maps are also available as part of the airline's online booking system for customers in Australia, the UK and USA (and soon Hong Kong)
- As well as seeing individual flights displayed on Google Maps, once you've selected both outbound and return flights, from the next page you can access a map showing the whole itinerary
- Another more recent use of Google Maps on the Air NZ website is a locator for its retail stores
Some more info about Air New Zealand and Google Maps...
- Yes maps are also available as part of the airline's online booking system for customers in Australia, the UK and USA (and soon Hong Kong)
- As well as seeing individual flights displayed on Google Maps, once you've selected both outbound and return flights, from the next page you can access a map showing the whole itinerary
- Another more recent use of Google Maps on the Air NZ website is a locator for its retail stores
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