I spent last week in Japan with my wife and youngest daughter. I decided to try something new and flew through Honolulu on the way there. I didn't realize it adds 5 hours to the trip, not including the layover and so I probably won't do that again unless I spend a week or so in Hawaii before continuing on. When I boarded the plane the first leg of the trip, I discovered I had been upgraded to first class. That surprised me as it has been a long time since I have qualified for a first class upgrade on Delta Airlines. Furthermore I got upgraded to a lie-flat seat so I could sleep comfortably on the flight.
The upgrade surprise encouraged me to download Delta's specific application for my phone in the hopes I would not be caught unaware again. I have always resisted installing apps when I can get all the information I need from a website. Apps take up space on your phone and I would much rather use that space for something else. The only downside of the website is that it doesn't push updates to you and so you board a plane not knowing your seat has been switched.
I used the plane's WiFi to install the app and set it up. Then I could use the app throughout the rest of the trip. I used it to check in for my return flights home. I also upgraded my seats to Economy+ and gave my daughter those seats for the way home. While I have been to Japan many times, I have always used a paper ticket to go through security there. This time I didn't print anything and just used the ticket on the app. It worked flawlessly.
It has only been a single trip and I cannot definitely say that the app gives me anything I couldn't get from just going to the website. I'll keep using it for my future trips and see if there are any enlightening features that makes me want to keep it. If not, I'll remove it and free up space on my phone.
