Long lines, lost baggage, airport security, fast food, and flight delays. Arguably, the most frustrating part of any trip is the airport experience. With so much that can go wrong, there is nothing like being irritated at an airport; bad experiences can be unnerving to even the most frequent travelers. Good news lies ahead! More and more airports are utilizing mobile technology and apps to improve the airport experience for travelers. Below are some examples we found that will hopefully be catching on at airports across the country (and globe!).
Parking
Sometimes, the headaches can begin before even setting foot in the departures hall. Have you ever had an easy time finding a spot to park in the garage or lot during the holiday season? Luckily, Dallas Fort Worth has an app that allows users to view parking information prior to arriving at the airport; users can check current rates and space availability.
Check-in
Beginning this year, United Airlines will be using the iPhone 6 Plus to assist customers with printing boarding passes and luggage tags. The plan is an effort to expedite the check-in process and meet customer demand more quickly. It is not yet known when the phones will be distributed, but according to reports, approximately 6,000 United agents will receive them at Denver, Houston Intercontinental, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Newark, Washington Dulles and Chicago O’Hare airports.
Navigating the Terminal
American Airlines and Chicago’s O’Hare Airport recently teamed up to offer flyers an app that allows them to search for anything in the terminal from medicine to hot dogs. Users can type what they are craving into a search bar, and the app will suggest destinations that meet the criteria and then direct users to the destination. The app also shows users the distance to their gates and how long it takes to walk there. Other than O’Hare, the app is currently available at Miami International and San Jose (CA) International Airports.
Lost Baggage
There might not be a worse feeling than finally arriving at your destination only to find out your bag did not. Waiting for the airline to track down and send you the bag will hopefully soon become a thing of the past. There are more and more new companies creating customizable luggage to include built-in chargers and GPS tracking devices so you can find out where you bag is immediately via your phone. (above content from www.frosch.com)
Also, we have personally experienced and heard from clients that these are amazing tools as well:
GateGuru
Free If you ever have a long connection through Chicago O’Hare, you’ll want to go straight to Tortas Frontera for sandwiches. At San Francisco International Airport, there’s a yoga room where you can decompress and stretch before your next flight. Of course, if you have the GateGuru iPhone app or the GateGuru Android app, you won’t need to rely on my advice, as you’ll have all these great tips and lists of services to help you navigate the world’s best and worst airports. Available on: Android, iOS, Windows Phone
Gogobot Free
Gogobot is a social travel app that helps you find places to stay, eat, and play. Gogobot’s globetrotting community of users upload photos, information, and ratings for the sites, while also tagging them based on different interests, such as family, foodie, local, outdoor, budget, and adventure. You can explore an area ahead of time and save points of interest to a list in the app. Photos taken by other users help you get a better sense of what you might find at different places of interest. Available on: Android, iOS, Web
Converter Plus Free
International travelers know that currency converter apps are a dime a dozen. Converter Plus offers to convert much more than just money, however. If you need to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, or kilos to pounds, Converter Plus can do that, too. This handy mathematical app also contains a tip calculator and is highly customizable, so you can keep the converter templates you use most at the fore. Available on: iOS
Field Trip (by Google) Free
The Field Trip app by Google looks for sites of interest around you, based on categories you select and your location, and it pops up cards on your phone when you’re near something interesting. If you’re driving and have a connected Bluetooth audio device, you’ll hear the alerts instead. Field Trip taps into recommendations from travel and lifestyle publications, such as Thrillist, Zagat, and Sunset, as well as Songkick and Flavorpill for finding local music. Available on: Android, iOS
iExit Free
The iExit app tells you what services are available at upcoming highway exits. Using your location, iExit looks at the upcoming exits and gives you a list of restaurants, hotels, gas stations, rest areas, and more. If there’s a particular restaurant chain or other service you love, you can mark it as a favorite and iExit will tell you if it’s coming up anytime soon on your route. You’ll never kick yourself for getting off the highway too soon and settling for a greasy spoon when better food options were just around the bend. Available on: Android, iOS
TripCase Free
TripCase is a free app that helps you organize your itineraries. You use the app by forwarding confirmation emails from travel services to a special address. TripCase then pulls the most important information from those confirmation emails and arranges them into a day-by-day or even hour-by-hour summary of your trip. It’s very similar to the next app in this list (TripIt), except that TripIt pulls information directly from your email account while TripCase relies on you sending it along. Available on: Android, iOS, Web
Google Translate
Another Google product, another market cornered. As far as general translation apps go, this is unbeatable: it boasts enough features to sate all but the most pedantic linguists, and a few bonuses too. Particularly intriguing is the Word Lens tool, whereby you point your camera at a foreign word, which is then translated in real time on your screen – great, unless you’re caught trying to decipher a ‘No Cameras’ sign. Available on iPhone + iPad (free) and Android (free)