As of July 2015 Android users had 1.6 million apps to chose from, while Apple users had a bit less at 1.5 million available apps. The options are literally overwhelming. When someone shares a cool app with me, I immediately download it whether I need it or not. It just seems like it would perhaps come in handy someday. That is if I am ever able to find it on my smartphone among all the many apps that rest there.
We started a group in the Travel Professional Community some time ago and we encourage all of you to join the group and share your favorites. There is a link at the end of this article for you to join in and share your favorites!
Good travel apps have one thing in common: they all solve a problem you didn’t even realize you had. I did some research on what are considered the best travel apps as of right now. Of course that will likely change before I even finish writing this piece. Enjoy!
MobilePASS Turn your iPhone into an instant authentication device with MobilePASS from SafeNet, an innovation in software authentication that allows you to generate one-time passcodes instantly on your iPhone, enabling secure remote access to corporate and web-based applications. MobilePASS combines the security of strong two-factor authentication with the convenience, simplicity, and ease of use of One-Time Passcodes.
FlightTrack 5 Tracking flights has never been easier. Stay informed of your air travel details 24/7 with timely notifications on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Even when you’re not the one in the air, you can be well informed about the flight status of your friends and family. FlightTrack also provides real-time departure and delay information, timely push notifications with flight updates, and gate numbers (when available). You can even be notified of cancellations to help you find optional flights.
WeatherPro This reliable, award winning app, offers unrivalled, high-quality, detailed information, including Apple Watch support. It offers 7-day forecast data in periods of 3 hours and weather reports for 2 million worldwide locations. It features comprehensive detail on temperature, wind direction/ speed, air pressure, precipitation amount/ probability, relative humidity, UV index, feels like temperature and more. You can be notified of worldwide alerts and warning levels for extreme weather conditions. Best of all there are no advertisements!
Jet Lag Rooster Tired of jet lag? Jet Lag Rooster is the #1 free and scientific jet lag app. Enter your trip details to get a customized jet lag plan. The plan tells you exactly what to do to reduce jet lag. It’s that simple. You can customize it for your own trip and sleep schedule. It does not require a wifi connection, so it is great when traveling wherever you may be. It is free too XE Currency Convert every world currency with the
XE Currency App – Free Edition. It offers live proprietary currency rates, charts, and even stores the last updated rates, so it works when the Internet doesn’t.
Packing Pro Packing Pro is a super-enhanced version of the popular, top-ranking Packing app. If you desire great syncing & sharing options, display customization, a huge catalog, lots of sample lists, & additional, built-in Expert assistance, then Packing Pro is for you! Tell it where you’re going, how long for and who with and it’ll spit out a suggested list of what you might need, split up into essentials (passport, currency), clothes, gadgets and more, with separate lists for additional family members. This is a great family app that will allow your family to pack well no matter if luggage is lost, or not.
Sunscreen I downloaded this one the minute I discovered it! Most of us love being outside in the summertime. Sunshine not only makes everything look better, it makes us feel good too. But ultraviolet (UV) rays in the sunlight can damage the cells in your body. You should do everything you can to avoid getting burnt by the sun. This is because over time small amounts of sunburn damage can build up, which may lead to the development of skin cancer or melanoma. My dermatologist was thrilled when I shared this with her!
Tipulator This is a must download! I struggle with this and have found this to be a huge help. Tipulator is a beautiful, fun and easy to use tip calculator for your iPhone and iPod touch. It lets you easily split the check among friends and colleagues as well as calculating tips excluding sales tax.
Perfect World Clock Perfect World Clock is the perfect tool for the frequent traveler or when working with people in different time zones. Ever wondered what time it is in your destination city or back home when travelling? It shows current date & time for places all over the world! And it’s free.
The Snow Report As much as we hate stating the obvious, it’s a simple fact of physics that you won’t have much of a skiing holiday without snow. Keep this on your home screen and you’ll have the reports for your local runs. There is even detailed trail map information to guide you back to the lodge. It’s free
Pac Tidealist Want to know what the surf looks like? My husband is constantly checking. The current version provides comprehensive information on tides and weather conditions for plenty of the world’s biggest surf spots.
Postagram Who said snail mail was overrated? Postcards are the classic thinking-of-you travel mementos for friends and family. With Postagram, you can bring this tradition into the digital age by sending personalized photos and messages from your phone to relatives, which they’ll receive on actual postcards for $0.99 a piece (postage is included). The app is free.
Goby When you’re in a foreign city, you sometimes look around and ask: Where are all the people? Goby has the answer. This app pinpoints the neighborhood hot spots (including museums, hotels, eateries, and more) in your vicinity. But its true value comes in finding nearby events. You’ll discover concerts, plays, and more right around the corner.
Google Translate When your Rosetta Stone education falls short, turn to Google Translate. This app can rapidly translate whole paragraphs of text or even the spoken word. Simply say a phrase in English, and Google Translate will repeat your words in the foreign language of your choice.
GateGuru GateGuru is the best friend of those unfortunate souls caught with long layovers and delays. This app provides you with a map of the terminals as well as reviews of restaurants within the airport. However, the most helpful features might be the “tips” section and the average wait time at each terminal’s security checkpoint.
Waze This is the world’s largest community-based traffic and navigation app. You can join drivers in your area who share real-time traffic & road info to save time, gas money, and improve daily commuting for all. I use this app all the time! Just by driving with Waze open, you’re already contributing tons of real-time traffic information to your local community. You can also actively report accidents, police traps and other hazards you see on the road. Get road alerts along your route and find the cheapest gas prices around you shared by the community. Plus, you can add friends, send locations or keep others posted on your arrival time. This one really helps
Hopper – Airfare Predictions Want airfare predictions? You might save up to 40% on your next flight. Hopper analyzes billions of flight prices daily to predict how prices will change, and tells you when to buy your tickets.
There are more… and there are sure to be more new apps coming to the travel arena. Be sure to join www.travelprofessionalcommunity.com and check out the group there to see what some of your peers are using. Here is the link and enjoy! http://hbtanetwork.ning.com/group/mobile-apps-for-agents