The Best Travel Apps
With the 2011 Tribute and TrulinX User's Group conference rapidly approaching, we thought we would bring you some of the best travel apps to make your trip a little easier. Here are some of the most useful apps, courtesy of this article from Budget Travel:
- Find a flight: Use KAYAK's app to simply enter your destination and travel dates, and the app spits back options sorted by price, time, or airline; a single click takes you to the corresponding booking site.
- Track your itinerary: The TripIt travel app culls flight numbers, gate information, and loyalty-program account numbers from e-mail receipts you forward. From these, it assembles a master trip itinerary you can access from anywhere.
- Make the most of a layover: GateGuru's app contains searchable directories for 98 U.S. airports and more than 25 international hubs. They take the guesswork out of finding an ATM, a decent cup of coffee, or a 10-minute massage station — wherever you happen to be delayed.
- Get a bird's-eye view: Use the Google Earth app to check out a hotel's rooftop pool deck, the size or location of various parking lots at a theme park, or anything else you want to view from above.
- Chart your course: The Google Maps Navigation app bundles all the best features of its popular mapping site — such as satellite images, street views, and traffic news — with full GPS features such as voice search, step-by-step audio directions, and speedy rerouting options after a wrong turn.
- Fill up for less: Apps like GasBuddy and GasBook use GPS to map nearby stations and frequently update standard fule prices with user-submitted data. You can also search by fuel grade or brand and bookmark your favorite local locations for everyday fill-ups.
- Find nearby activities: The Goby app searches events and activities near you — live-music shows, family-friendly outings, and outdoorsy pursuits — and plots them on a map with details and photos.
And here are a few more apps specific to the iPhone, thanks to this article by Adam Dachis for Lifehacker:
- Pack your bags: PackTM is a simple bag-packing app that will track your bag inventories for multiple trips along with a master catalog of your standard items for packing. An inventory may prove invaluable if a bag is lost or an item is stolen from your luggage. While PackTM will cost you $2, if you only need to keep track of one trip at a time, you can use the free version (Pack Free).
- Keep travel phone numbers handy: Travel #s is a free directory of business numbers that'll assist you in renting a car, booking or changing a flight, and getting a room at a hotel. You might need these numbers to change reservations or get information when you don't have access to your laptop.
- Track your flight: FlightBoard has a simple interface that offers you a lot of flight information at a glance.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) also has their own app called MyTSA. It has multiple functions:
- Airport Status: Users can see what airports are experiencing general delays (not flight specific) or search for conditions at a specific airport. This information is provided by the FAA.
- ‘Can I Bring?’: Users can type in an item they plan to bring on a trip to find out if it is permitted or prohibited, and whether they can pack it in carry-on or checked bags.
- Guide: Users can get travel tips on an array of some of the most popular topics of air travel, including traveling with children, 3-1-1 rules for liquids, gels and aerosols, special medical needs, packing tips, tips for how to dress for airport security, tips for military members, and traveling with food and gifts.
- Security wait times: MyTSA gives passengers the ability to share their wait time and see what wait times other passengers have posted for U.S. airports.
- Wait Times: Passengers can also post the approximate amount of time it took them to get through security for other travelers to view.
You can find the free MyTSA iPhone app on iTunes, or visit www.tsa.gov/mobile on any device.