Posts Tagged travel app
GoGo Mobile App for iPhone, iPad, and Blackberry Review
Ever fork over for GoGo wireless Internet access when flying? It’s easy to use and makes the time literally fly! There are some affordable price packages especially for a month-long subscription perfect for those heavy flying times of the year.
But, not every airline has wifi-equipped planes, and even if they do, the entire fleet may not be equipped. It can be cumbersome to take out your laptop in a cramped coach seat to check for a wifi signal. But, the new GoGo app for iPhone/iPad/iPod touch and Blackberry devices makes it easier by detecting a signal and letting you know on your phone if it’s available. The app will soon be available for the Android too.
You can then open the app in one click and are instantly connected rather than going through the various sign-in pages on your Internet browser. You have to create a GoGo account and store your credit card before using the app. But, that helps to save time once inflight.
The free app can be downloaded from the iTunes store and saves a couple of minutes off the time it can take to log into the Internet (which when you are buying the service for a limited amount of time on a flight is appreciated).
On shorter trips when I do not travel with a laptop, this app allows me to access the Internet directly from my phone onboard.
It is worth installing on your phone simply to give you free access to the airline’s web site to check your flight status or book future flights. There’s no charge for that, which is what makes this app such a good idea for frequent travelers.
There’s an app for everything these days, but this app truly does make accessing the Internet a few clicks easier inflight.
See the Top free apps and Top paid apps on the iTunes App Store
Posted by Ramsey in Business Gear, Travel Light on July 4th, 2011
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
PTG Rewind: Glympse for Smartphones
I always appreciate smartphone apps that improve and evolve. And such is the case with Glympse, a slick app that lets travelers share their locations, plotted on maps, with friends and business associates.
Glympse has made some significant improvements since my last review for Practical Travel Gear. One of the most significant is a better power-management scheme that significantly extends the battery life when using the phone’s GPS and cellular data network.
The latest Windows Mobile version of the program, that runs on my HTC Tilt2, also takes advantage of higher-resolution screens to make maps more readable. And updated menus make it easier to add more time for others to see your travels, or to discontinue the tracking.
Glympse uses a smartphone’s built-in GPS and sends the constantly-updated location to a server that plots the data on a map. Whoever you choose to share the information with can be notified by e-mail or text message.
The latest Windows Mobile version also includes Skyhook support that means faster location fixes, plus the ability to use Wi-Fi and cellular triangulation to help where GPS service is spotty.
It’s very handy for keeping up with friends or relatives who are coming to visit or returning home. Or if you’re just landing, pickingup a rent car and on the way to a meeting, associates can track your travels and know when you should be arriving.
The developers have also given a lot of thought to privacy, with built-in safeguards for limiting how much information is shared and for how long.
And did I mention it’s free? Glympse is available in the Windows Mobile Marketplace and also runs on the iPhone (available from the iTunes store) and the increasingly-popular Android phones (downloadable from the Android Market.) There’s a hint of future platforms under development. I’m just guessing now, but wouldn’t be surprised if Blackberry users were soon able to share the love.
Glympse got off to a strong start as a very unique travel app. And the developer’s continued support, ranging from major enhancements to bug fixes and user-suggested enhancements, is a good sign for the future.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear on October 18th, 2010
What’s my Room Number? There’s an App for That
Occasionally, I run across a travel app that’s useful but also gives me a laugh because it reminds me of some of the unusual things that have happened on the road. Such is the case with Room—a free, simple iPhone and iPod Touch app that does nothing but keep up with your hotel room number.
I’m sure some people have no trouble remembering their room numbers, so this program isn’t for them. But there are times when I’ve found myself going to eat and then heading back to the wrong room—and wondering why my key stopped working!
I don’t consider myself too absent-minded. But my work trips typically last three or four days, usually in a different hotel (with a different room number, of course) every night. My thoughts are focused on scheduling and what needs to get done. Room numbers are little bits of clutter that, to me, are easy to forget.
Room, by nodconcept, is simple to use. Just open the app and enter your room number. Then, the room number displays with the app’s icon on the home screen. There’s also a space in the app for notes.
Now, you ask—why not just look at the room number the hotel clerk wrote on the sleeve that your electronic key is inside? Well, it’s not a good idea to keep your key with something that has the room number on it. If the key fell out of your pocket, a thief would know exactly where to go to clean out your room. So, that’s my security lecture for the day.
Room is free in the iTunes store. There’s nothing to lose by trying it. The developer does offer an upgraded version, for 99 cents, that allows multiple room numbers ito be entered if you’re traveling with a group.
I’m sure not everyone needs this app. But if you’ve ever (like me) walked up to the wrong room, it could be very handy.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear on April 27th, 2010
Keep Your Travels Organized with TripIt
For the past year, I’ve been using TripIt to keep up with trip details such as flights, confirmation numbers for rental cars and hotels and meeting schedules.
Here’s how it works. I forward confirmation e-mails to Tripit and it neatly arranges the information for viewing online. You can let friends view your itineraries and also see if any traveling friends will be close by during your trip.
I can edit my itinerary to include meetings and other details. Then, I can export the information and bring it into my Outlook calendar. In my experience, Tripit does an excellent job of grabbing the information from confirmation e-mails, and that saves a lot of time compared to entering the information manually.
Tripit also offers free apps for the iPhone, Android phones and the BlackBerry platform for viewing the information on mobile devices. I also print out a hard copy and keep it with my boarding passes and other travel documents.
TripIt will even print out maps for getting from the airport to the hotel and to meetings, though I depend on my GPS for directions.
One improvement I’d suggest is using actual weather forecasts for where I’m traveling instead of historical averages. Historical data tells me nothing about actual conditions on the ground. And with all the weather providers available, it seems that would be an easy addition.
The basic version is free. TripIt also offers a pro version, for $69 a year, that will monitor your itinerary and send information about flight delays, cancellations and gate changes, and will also suggest alternate flights. There’s a 30-day free trial available for TripIt Pro.
I’m using the free version of TripIt and depend on flight alerts from the airlines for notifications of any changes.
For my travels, TripIt performs better than another travel app, Tripcase. I can’t get Tripcase to look up itineraries using a reservation number with flights booked directly on American Airlines’ website. Tripcase is adding the ability to get the information from confirmation e-mails, but that part is still in beta.
After using it for dozens of journeys, I can recommend TripIt for keeping up with the many details that go into trip planning. A few improvements, such as real weather information, would make it even better.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear on March 9th, 2010
