There’s many handy mobile apps that are a must have to help you get to Grandma’s place for Thanks Giving dinner this year. The following are a sampling from my own, personal iPhone that I highly suggest to help ease the pains associated with holiday travel.
MyTSA – the official TSA mobile app. Enables users to quickly see how long the wait is, report issues or delays to share with others, and get handy news and updates direct from the TSA, including what you can and can’t do or bring with you.
Waze – free mobile navigation is a must and this free app not only provides you with free routing, turn by turn voice guided directions, but also puts you in touch with other road warriors who are sharing useful information (traffic delays, speed traps, hazards). If you plan on driving then Waze is an absolute must.
INRIX – this fabulous service puts real-time drive times and traffic data at your fingertips… a must have if you plan on heading down the Interstate to the airport.
Airline Mobile Checkins & Flightaware – Regardless of what airport you’ve elected to fly with, please don’t waste time in lineup while you checkin. I frequently use Southwest and AlaskaAir mobile app to check flight status and checkin from my phone. Most major airlines have an app or a mobile friendly website. IF you need to do an airport pickup then flightaware mobile is a must. Recieve notifications and updates in real time saving you precious time. Get an alert when the flight has landed, then you can leave the waiting area parking lot and proceed to pickup… way handy!
Tgi Blackfriday – while enjoying the long week end you may want to get a jump on your shopping. Take advantage of all the great Black Friday deals near you (the app is location aware). Quickly see all the great Friday sales near you regardless of where you are.
Everlater – are you on a roadtrip, or perhaps you want to document your journey as you get delayed and re-routed through the airports. Everlater is a great mobile travel journal. Grab photos, keep a log, and share the story with friends when you’ve finished – loads of fun.
Foursquare – besides the fun and games that foursquare provides, its also very handy for you and your family. while in transit make sure you checkin frequently along the way, that way those loved ones at your destination can keep tabs on where you are and decide weather to hold dinner or not while waiting for you. Best of all, the simple connectivity to Twitter and facebook enables simple and useful sharing with your friends.
Pegshot – when simple checkin isn’t enough, use Pegshot to share photos and videos along the way. Seeing beautiful scenery, noticed a traffic accident, or perhps you’re witnessing someone getting pleasured by a TSA agent.. capture it in video and share it with Pegshot, their data crunching algorithm is awesome and enabled rapid sharing of media on your social networks.
FindiPhone – This week can be very hectic and the last thing you need is to loose your mobile! FindiPhone enables users to locate where their device is being used if you happen to drop or misplace it.. if anything it will provide peace of mind.
Google Voice / Skype Mobile – I love both of these apps… stay in touch with loved ones easily when you have WiFi access and avoid hefty long distance charges
Bonus App… Twezr – if you have to work and stay in touch withg your contacts and stay up on email, check out Twezr. this app consolidates communications from all your top contacts, easily providing access to messages from Twitter, facebook, gmail, and your corporate email accounts if desired.. all accessbile via one click.