Experience With Airlines in 'Web Sites' and in 'Apps'
Last week: Non-Free JavaScript Programs in Banks Aren't Even the Biggest Problem
'Apps' aren't something that we ever use. 'Apps' are typically something that runs on tablets and "smart" "phones", i.e. mostly in Android and iOS (the G and A in "GAFAM"; G can also be an A because of "Alphabet", F became another M and there's A for Amazon). But a lot of those binary programs are just something that comes from an 'Apps Store', i.e. some proprietary repositories curated and guarded by the United Stated (with limited consent from so-called 'allies' - scare quotes as it depends on who the President happens to be).
Seeing that so few physical travel agents still exist (we'll walk past one later today, but they're rare even in the high street), most people go to "apps" and "Web sites" for holiday bookings.
In the case of Web sites, well... forget about the Web. Those are 'webapps'. No JavaScript, no play. Set aside secure payments with all sorts of gizmos and toys (like card readers made cheaply in China), there's no good reason to require JavaScript for checking and booking tickets. But the Web as we once knew it is "old" and thus apparently "dead"; now the Web browser is just some platform or a canvas for 'webapps'.
Set aside also the rants about how they hide fees (seats, luggage, 'advanced' check-in/booking). In the past they used to advertise costs that excluded taxes - at one stage authorities had to step in and mandate that taxes are shown and included throughout, not hidden until later.
What is the "online experience" becoming if not that of a "native" application, except deployed to the browser over HTTP/S pipes?
Nowadays people run many proprietary programs. Many of them run inside a Web browser, no matter if the browser itself is freedom-respecting or not. Even if everything you run on your desktop/laptop is Free software, what will happen once you start using the "modern" Web?
People who use Gemini Protocol won't have this dilemma. People who pay bills over the phone, go to their bank to make some payments, and book flights in a travel shop can also avoid this dilemma.
I sort of defer to Richard Stallman here.
In a lot of ways, Stallman Was Right about what JavaScript would turn out to be. █