While perhaps impossible, I'd also love an app that would overall just help me get back ontrack for flights and rebooked somehow.
I realize I can go to the gate agent (who invariably now has 50 other people in line, and are working with computers that seem to require 1000 key presses to even look up the most basic thing) or call the airline (similar situation)- but it seems that the best results only happen for you if they aren't super busy and like you.
Oftentimes I've found that there is some 'problem solving' that can occur to get you back on track.
For example: I missed my flight to BOS to AUS for SXSW one year. Initially it was a 'the next available flight is in a week' situation, which clearly wasn't going to work for me. We went through some problem solving however and found a solution that totally worked. They booked me on a flight instead to DFW or SAT (can't remember which), with a layover in CLT. I went on Twitter and found a friend driving to SXSW who was going to pick me up then and take me there from the alternate nearby city. They also put me on standby for a flight from CLT to AUS. The standby totally worked out, and I got to Austin only an hour later than originally anticipated.
However, if the person at the gate/ticketing doesn't feel like helping you then frequently you're just kinda screwed. I've had dozens of situations like this where I was able to convince them to try something 'different' with me and it worked out well.
If an App helped me automatically rebook and find my options that I'd otherwise have to go beg a customer service agent for... that would be awesome. If then I'm on a connecting flight that something is going to mess up- I could probably have my plans made by the time I'm off the first plane.
I had a BA flight out of LCY cancelled due to "atmospheric conditions" (that's "fog as thick as pea-soup" to you and me) and had resigned myself to the long line and slow computer scenario described, when on of quite a few agents equipped with an iPad walked up, got my name, and told me my options. Her app was fast and easy to navigate (if not exactly a thing of beauty) and I was rebooked and in a taxi to LGW inside of a couple of minutes.
That sounds awesome, but I'm a little skeptical. The app would have run a huge optimization problem over your schedule and preferences (how would it know that you had a friend that could drive you?) and the airline reservation systems (which don't exactly have a well documented API, even internally).
For now, at least, this sounds like a problem where human involvement is really useful.
Cranky Concierge, as someone mentioned below, is one great option.
Another is paying the ~$50 for lounge access for the day, to talk to the reservations agent at the desk inside the lounge. They're usually much more experienced, much more likely to spend the time to do creative routings, and haven't just had to deal with possibly several hundred angry passengers. In one case with United, I stepped out of line to speak to the gate agent after my flight was delayed several hours and paid to go in the lounge. I wound up getting the last confirmed seat on the next flight, whereas the person just in front of me in line had to go on the standby list (which she didn't clear). That $50 was _well_ worth it.
As many others have mentioned trying to figure out connections yourself can help a lot. United wanted me to wait overnight in Dulles or come back 24 hours later for a flight to Seattle. I figured out connections for myself and only lost about 4 hours in stead of 17-24 hours. It helps when you have no checked bags.
This is functionality offered by tripit.com in their paid version.
I'm a huge fan of tripit to parse my emails, and add all my travel details to my google calendar for me, but I happen to have never missed a flight and needed their service's help.
While perhaps impossible, I'd also love an app that would overall just help me get back ontrack for flights and rebooked somehow.
I realize I can go to the gate agent (who invariably now has 50 other people in line, and are working with computers that seem to require 1000 key presses to even look up the most basic thing) or call the airline (similar situation)- but it seems that the best results only happen for you if they aren't super busy and like you.
Oftentimes I've found that there is some 'problem solving' that can occur to get you back on track.
For example: I missed my flight to BOS to AUS for SXSW one year. Initially it was a 'the next available flight is in a week' situation, which clearly wasn't going to work for me. We went through some problem solving however and found a solution that totally worked. They booked me on a flight instead to DFW or SAT (can't remember which), with a layover in CLT. I went on Twitter and found a friend driving to SXSW who was going to pick me up then and take me there from the alternate nearby city. They also put me on standby for a flight from CLT to AUS. The standby totally worked out, and I got to Austin only an hour later than originally anticipated.
However, if the person at the gate/ticketing doesn't feel like helping you then frequently you're just kinda screwed. I've had dozens of situations like this where I was able to convince them to try something 'different' with me and it worked out well.
If an App helped me automatically rebook and find my options that I'd otherwise have to go beg a customer service agent for... that would be awesome. If then I'm on a connecting flight that something is going to mess up- I could probably have my plans made by the time I'm off the first plane.