BEST 7 TRAVEL APPS

There’s no shortage of travel apps cluttering up the Android and Apple marketplaces these days — and that’s a problem, as most of them are terrible. Sorting out useless ones from those worth installing is not the most fun you’ll ever have with your smartphone, but no one wants to pay for a worthless app. If you’ve got a trip coming up, rather than wasting a week of your life downloading useless junk, start with these 7 great travel apps instead:

1. LOUNGEBUDDY

Loungebuddy takes the pain out of the process. After entering your credit card, airline status, and lounge memberships, the app tells you which lounges you can access at any given airport. Even for people like me who don’t have any of those things, the app still lets you know about any free lounges or ones you can purchase a day pass for. It’s slick, easy to use, and free!

2. AirHelp

If you’ve ever endured the pain of a delayed or canceled flight, or been denied boarding because of overbooking, AirHelp will be right up your alley. Both US and EU laws provide for compensation in such cases, although the details differ. It’s a complicated process, though, and apparently fewer than 1% of passengers entitled to compensation ever get it.This app makes the process simple and something you can do in a few minutes while still waiting around at the airport. Just enter your flight information and a few details about the problem, and the company takes care of the rest. If the claim is successful, they take 25% of the payout and you get the remainder. You also get a referral bonus for anyone else on your flight that you send the company’s way.

3. Hostelworld

The Hostelworld app has does all the usual things you’d expect an accommodation booking app to do — searches, descriptions, filters — and looks particularly good while doing so. The full-screen interactive map makes it easy to work out whether the hostel you like is anywhere near where you want to be, while those all-important reviews are only a tap away.

4. Airbnb

Airbnb lets you rent individual rooms, couches, or an entire apartment from locals. I love Airbnb, as it’s a happy medium between hostels and hotels. Plus, if you stay with local hosts, you’ll still get the social aspect of a hostel. The app does everything the website does but at the tip of your fingers. I find it a lot more effective way to communicate with your host.

5. Skyscanner

Skyscanner is my preferred method for finding cheap flights. The mobile app searches millions of flights from over 1,200 sources and then gives you the best options available (whether it’s the cheapest route, or the easiest one). The handy chart feature lets you look at the cheapest days or months to fly to your destination and sends you notification of price changes.

6. HotelTonight

HotelTonight gives you amazing last-minute discounts on empty hotel rooms. It’s incredibly easy to use, and it doesn’t take long to reserve a room. You can search by city or attraction, or on the map, and then check out the reviews and photos from other travelers. It also has 24/7 customer support. When I’m stuck in a place and need a last-minute room, this is the app I use.

7. TripIt

TripIt helps organize your upcoming travel itinerary. All you have to do is forward your hotel, restaurant, flight, and car rental confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com and it automatically transfers all the information to your master itinerary, so that you can easily view all your upcoming plans at once. If you upgrade to the pro version, the company will find you alternative routes for when your flights get canceled, as well as send you automatic notifications from airlines about flight delays, cancellations, and more. If you travel a lot and have a lot of bookings you need to organize, this is the best app to have.

The app world is a constantly changing place, and there are many travel apps out there already that take the pain out of travel. They help you travel better, cheaper, and longer. The above travel apps are some of the best in 2019 and are worth downloading to your phone before your next trip.