Air Canada Gives Apple Some AC

In the dog days of August, Air Canada has given Apple some AC as the airline became what it claims is the first North American airline to release an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The airline says the free Air Canada App, developed by IBM Canada and available at the itunes store, enables travelers "to retrieve electronic boarding passes, track flight information in real-time, receive notification of itinerary changes and obtain other details about Air Canada flights."

I can't tell you how it works because my iPhone dabbling awaits the end of my Blackberry contract next May.

However, I can tell you that Air Canada, the financially trouble Canadian carrier, has been ahead of the curve in its technology offerings.

Early in the game, Air Canada introduced branded fares, and it has a bunch of distributors using its API, called AC2U, which enables intermediaries to access those Tango, Tango Plus and other fares in the manner that the airline desires.

Even a global distribution system, Apollo Canada, is tied into AC2U.

The iPhone and Travel is one of the most downloaded reports at PhoCusWright, a testament to the hotter-than-hot nature of mobile applications for travel.

So, with its new iPhone and iPod app, Air Canada is continuing to take app-propriate actions.