Story ID: 410UniversalWxNBAA13
Universal Weather and Aviation Upgrades Mobile App
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: 
Word Count: 310
Universal Weather and Aviation has enhanced Universal Mobile, its free iPad app, with the integration of its UVTripPlanner tool. The system now provides the same data used and audited daily by the Houston-based company, such as information on worldwide airports, FBOs, ground handlers, in-flight caterers, ground transport handlers and hotels. “It’s critical that business aviation professionals have accurate, worldwide airport-related information they can rely on to successfully plan their trips,” said Randy Stephens, Universal’s division vice president for product management. “With the continued evolvement in how people in our industry now work, it only made sense to make it available for the iPad through our Universal mobile app, and instead of charging users for it, we made the decision to make it open-access so that everyone could benefit from utilizing UVTripPlanner data.” Since its launch last year, the app has logged more than 17,000 active users. 
  
Among its utilities, the app allows operators to check fuel pricing and uplift requests through the UVair fuel program. At the show, UVair announced it has reached an exclusive agreement with flight data provider FlightAware to integrate customer specific jet fuel pricing into the FlightAware.com website. Demonstrations of the new functionality of the service, which is free to all members of the UVair fuel program, will be available at both the Universal booth (No. C11016) and FlightAware booth (No. C9836) exhibits. “What’s unique about this agreement is the ability for members of the UVair Fuel program to view their own real-time jet fuel prices on FlightAware, rather than the FBO’s posted retail price,” said Greg Cox, UVair’s senior vice president. “Customers then have the ability to submit a fuel release. We’re excited that together with FlightAware we can now offer our card members an additional tool to access and order UVair fuel–C.E.