iPhone users who fly to Switzerland with SWISS International Airlines have been delighted to find the company has decided to let them use their phone to book flights.
But when they try to use it they find the promised "easy access" is far from easy.
The company say this is just the first version of the application. A quick look shows a lot more work needs to be done on it before it can make full use of the many capabilities of the iPhone.
The first snag is that the announcement of the new service by SWISS does not include a direct link to the app – something that is always done when a new app is launched. Instead you have to go to Apple's App Store and manually search for it.
Once you have managed to find and install it the rest should be straightforward. You should be able to instantly look at the timetable, make a booking, check in, get a mobile boarding card and so on.
But each time you want to use it you find it has to open the Safari browser, go to the Swiss Internet site and proceed from there.
Users have been unanimously disappointed. One writes: "I was expecting a bit more from SWISS. This app is just a collection of links. Worse than that it does not even have a built-on web browser. It keeps launching Safari. I have booked in the past a couple of flights using Safari on the iPhone and it is a bit painful. I was hoping this application would simplify the process, but don't count on it."
Another complains: "I would have liked the app to do something. I already have bookmarks on Safari. All this app is is a set of bookmarks to Safari."
To be fair, SWISS were probably expected some complaints. In their description of the product in the iPhone App Store they give this warning:
"Swiss International Air Lines Ltd draws your attention to the fact that downloading this application occurs at your own risk, and that SWISS shall not be liable for any damages to or abuse of the iPhone."