Posts Tagged flightview
FlightView Elite: Improved Flight Tracking App
When things get ugly at the airport—like the recent storm that stranded travelers from the Midwest to the East Coast—it’s crucial to have every advantage possible.
FlightView has just released an elite version of its software for the iPhone. Earlier, I reviewed the first version of FlightView and found it to be a simple, handy app for tracking flights and coordinating arrivals of family members or business associates.
FlightView Elite goes a few steps further and makes it a truly valuable tool for not just for casual travelers, but for road warriors, as well. One feature available only in the elite edition is Flight Boards. This will let you select any major U.S. or Canadian airport and find flight arrivals, departures and cancellations from all airlines.
That feature can really come in handy if you’re stuck at an airport when flights start canceling rapidly. Alternate flights fill up quickly, so being proactive might mean the difference between a slight delay or having to wait days for another option. It also lets travelers examine nearby airports for other possibilities.
Another unique feature in the elite version of FlightView is Flight Alerts. In my experience with American Airlines, it’s often possible to receive information on flight delays or cancellations even before they are posted at the gate. When a flight cancels, that’s an advantage in being able to make arrangements while other passengers are lining up for rescheduling.
FlightView Elite delivers the information as push updates, so the app doesn’t even have to be open to receive them.
FlightView Elite will also show the current weather and seven-day forecast for more than 900 airports around the world. And if you’re directionally challenged like me, it will give driving directions to the airport.
FlightView Elite is available in the Apple App Store for $3.99. That’s several times higher than the basic version, which sells for $.99. But who can complain, since the elite version costs little more than a bottle of water at the airport.
There’s also a free version of FlightView. My only caution to the developers would be to avoid offering too many different versions, which can become confusing to users.
Flight Boards alone make FlightView Elite worth the upgrade. And the other features such as push notification for flight updates make it an even better deal.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear, Kids and Family on December 13th, 2010
Here’s the Latest: Travel Gear Rewind
One thing about technology is it keeps changing, and here are some updates on previous reviews on Practical Travel Gear.
FlightView for Android
One of the most popular travel apps for the iPhone, FlightView, has just been released for Android phones. I reviewed the iPhone/iPod Touch version of this app earlier and like the live flight tracking. You can not only track your own flights, but the flights of friends and colleagues you might be meeting on vacations or business trips. FlightView also does an excellent job of showing those dreaded airport delays.
The interface is sleek and easy to navigate. The Droid version sells for 99 cents, or a free version with advertising is also available. FlightView also runs on Blackberry and Palm phones.
Updated iPod Touch
My colleague, Tim Leffel, and I don’t go far without our iPod Touches. If you have a second- or third-generation Touch, and haven’t downloaded the free iOS 4 update, what are you waiting for? The updated operating system includes some features like multitasking and the organization of apps into folders. You know, the kind of things the iPod should have been able to do years ago.
Of course, multitasking only works with newer models—like the third-generation Touch line that rolled out late last year. I’m always amazed how they get away with it—selling devices that are years behind on some essential features. Then, when they finally arrive, Apple acts like they invented them. Go figure.
And how about that iPhone 4 antenna fiasco?
In-Car Internet
At 2010 CES, I had a chance to see some in-car computer systems that are being developed. And now a new survey shows most drivers—at least those under 35—want Internet access in their cars, despite the possibility of being distracted.
The Autobytel survey found nearly 70 percent of drivers under the age of 35 rated in-car Internet as “very important” or “nice to have.”
The biggest surprise in the survey—only 8% of those drivers wanted voice-controlled devices, which presumably would be safer by letting drivers concentrate more on the road.
Are you concerned about distracted drivers?
Safe travels!
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear on July 27th, 2010
FlightView: Flight Tracking Made Simple
There are all kinds of resources on the Web for flight tracking. But FlightView—which is being officially released tomorrow for the iPhone—makes it simple.
The folks at Flightview offered me a preview of their brand-new version for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. I can see lots of uses for this app. And no one should hesitate over the $.99 price.
The iPhone/iPod version is designed for easy use with one hand. New flights are simple to enter by selecting an airline, date and flight number.
Then, FlightView will show any delays, track the progress of the flight on a map and also show airport delays across the U.S.
One feature I immediately liked allows the grouping of flights for a trip. For example, if I’m flying to a city where I’ll meet others coming from different places, I can track all their incoming flights to see when they arrive. This would also be handy for vacations, where friends or family members are flying in from different places.
Besides getting information on scheduled and actual departure times, arrival times and delays, flights can be tracked on a map. This is a great feature for watching your route on planes equipped with Gogo Inflight Internet.
There’s also a place for notes for entering things like hotel or auto-rental reservation numbers.
And when bad weather starts disrupting flights—the kind of delays that can cascade across the country—FlightView’s airports map shows delays with a weather-radar overlay. This is very handy for checking the weather between departure and arrival airports.
FlightView isn’t just for those flying, either. It’s also very useful for showing arrival times when picking up someone at the airport.
As I said, this information is already available on the Web. What FlightView does is bring it together in an easy-to-use app that should be an essential for air travelers.
If you don’t have an iPhone or iPod Touch, versions are already available for the Blackberry and Palm Pre. Other smartphones can access some of the information on FlightView’s mobile website.
For those who fly a little or a lot, FlightView for the iPhone/iPod brings together a lot of useful information in an elegant and simple app. For less than a buck in the iTunes store, buying FlightView is a no-brainer.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear, Kids and Family on June 7th, 2010
