MHDeals AR App from Malaysian Airlines

I’m a great fan of augmented reality (AR) and think it has massive commercial potential. But sometimes even I ask “What’s the point?”

Malaysian Airlines (MAS) has announces a free iPhone app, MHDeals. This will allow users to search for the best MAS ticket prices from nearby airports.

So far so normal as a commercial price finder. Where does the AR come in? Well, apparently:

MHdeals uses the global positioning system (GPS) on the iPhone to determine the users’ location and then displays the nearest airports from where they can access great deals. By simply holding the phone in front of them, users can identify surrounding airports and select one to view the latest flight offers.

I’m sorry, but the idea of using AR to locate airports – probably miles away – strikes me as pointless. A simple list would be enough!