The 20 Main Apps I Use In My Travels – Which Ones Do You Use?

I’m always on the go, so I thought I’d share the Apps I use on my Android phone with you. The Apps are also available on Apple IOS platform (the link “IOS Version” will take you there, the other link is the Android version) so I have most of them duplicated on my iPad as well. Now these are not the only Apps I use, just the ones that are on the home page of my phone. They are listed from left to right on my phone and as it turns out, there are twenty of them.

Please feel free to leave a comment about which Apps you use and why in the comment area. A future article will talk about just Communication Apps as I know that’s a big topic:

1. United Airlines (IOS Version) – This App is used to primarily check-in. In addition, I use it to:
   1. Check flight schedules
   2. Check flight status which includes checking your position on the standby list and if I’m cleared for my flight. And whenever I buy a revenue ticket, if I get my upgrade. It actually works well and they are one of the few airlines who will tell you where you are on the standby list using an App.
   3. Check Elite Status
   4. Check the seatmap for unassigned seats
2. Fly Delta (IOS Version) – Like the United App, I use this one to:
   1. Check Delta’s flight schedules
   2. Check-in
   3. View flight status
   4. Check Elite Status
   5. Check your position on the upgrade standby list. You can’t check position on the standby list unless you have a ticket on that flight so its not as good as the United App. If you know different, please let me know. But if you are at the airport that has a standby FIDs, you are in luck though.
3. American Airlines (IOS Version) – With this App, you can do the following:
   1. Check-in
   2. Check Flight Status
   3. Check Flight Schedules
   4. Check Elite Status
   5. View your position on the standby list, but I think you have to be listed and checked in on the flight – please correct me if this is otherwise
4. twitter (IOS Version) – I have this App on my main screen, but I don’t use it as much since I usually tweet via Foursquare or Instagram. But when I do that the image is not seen immediately when you go to twitter, just a link is shown. So I’m going to start tweeting more often from the App as it will immediately show you the photo. I tweet text messages only at times, but most of my posts are using images as I tweet mostly about travel and travel is all about images. Follow me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/passriders and also at http://www.twitter.com/mskonfa1990. Are you on twitter?
5. Instagram – With Instagram, I share what I see when I travel, so my followers (you) can experience travel through my eyes. Follow me and join in my experiences. Are you on Instagram?
6. Foursquare (IOS Version) – This App has since changed its focus. Instead it tells you to use its sister App, Swarm which basically tells you what your friends are up and where they are. Its good as I’ve had friends realize that we are in the same airport together and we meetup and say hello. I think Foursquare now suggests places to eat, things to do, etc. Not sure if I like the new direction though. You?
7. facebook – This maybe the App I use the most. I use it to keep in touch with you, my friends and family members. I’ll get alerts that people need information and I’ll pop in and answer them right away. I also use it to message others immediately. You can also send photos via the Messaging App that’s associate with the facebook App, it’s like giving someone a virtual tour of where you are. As much as some people hate facebook, its really brought the world closer. It’s pivotal in how I send you information on our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Passrider.
8. Maps – Behind facebook, Google Maps is the App I use the most! It serves as my direction finder and most of all my local transportation timetable and routing. Many local transit authorities have teamed up with Google to provide the schedule for their services. As such its pretty accurate. Only drawback is that oftentimes, I don’t have any WiFi and I’m hosed. Especially when you are in rural areas. Outside of that it works well and I use it a lot. It’s one of the best Apps for travel.
9. Voice – This is the App for Google Voice. I love it as it gives me highly discounted rates for international calls. Plus I can also text with it. Although a friend of mine told me that he was charged for international texting rates by his phone company. I’m not sure how that happened.
10. WhatsApp Messenger – This is one of the tools I use to connect with family and friends via text when I travel. Since I usually buy a SIM card on arrival, I almost alway shave Internet connectivity which is all you need to make WhatsApp work. You must ensure that you initiate the App before you leave your home country though. You only have to do this once, then you are ready to go.
11. Gmail – Due to the relationship that Android has with Google :-), there is a separate icon to handle my Gmail account. I especially like just clicking on the email received icon
12. Email – This is one of the built-in Apps with the phone as well. It handles my Hotmail and Yahoo email accounts all in one touch. You can also add other email accounts to it as well.
13. Pic Frame Effects – If you take pictures when you travel, and you should, then this App is cool. It allows you to post a set of pictures as one picture. So its perfect for showing different angles of a particular sight. You can then post the picture on Instagram or Facebook for example. This is my newest App so I have yet to use it, but a friend of mine told me about as I saw something they posted using the App. So try it out and let me know what you think.
14. Hotel Tonight (IOS Version) – If you need a last minute hotel, and we usually do, then this is an App for you. Each day by 9a local time, the App will give you listing for select cities in which it has relationships with hotels. You then pick one that suits you, book it and  voila you are in. if you use my code: kmckenzie15 when you sign up, you will get 25 USD off your first booking and I will get 25 USD off my next booking as well, so its a win-win for both of us. Plus its a good App that will give you a good deal. It’s just one of the tools in my hotel booking arsenal.
15. GoPro (IOS Version) – While this App does not work so well, it serves its purpose and delights people when I show them what it does. I use it to view the photos on my GoPro as well as show others the images I take. People the world over loves to see photos of themselves and its so much fun to show them their photos. I think they are more fascinated with the fact that I have the camera in one hand and my phone in the other and they can see the images on the phone that are being taken on the camera or were just taken on the camera. There is actually a screen
    you can purchase and then you can just not use the App.
16. Camera – A well used item as I take a ton of pictures when I travel.

Four Main Tools At The Bottom Of The Phone

1. Phone – It’s ironic that I don’t use this App as often as the others. I am my fathers’ son when it comes to making phone calls as I don’t call very often. Do you?
2. Chrome – I’m always checking something on the Internet so I use this App a lot. I don’t use Internet Explorer or Safari as Chrome works best.
3. Skype (IOS Version) – A remarkable App that allows me to talk with some developers around the world as well as friends. Plus I have a group of people I speak with on a monthly basis and it allows a Group Skype call which is ideal. I’m not even brushing the surface on how Skype can b used.
4. Messaging – My phone company recently gave me unlimited texting without asking. I’m not complaining at all. It’s strange as when I did not have unlimited messaging, I kept going over, now that I have unlimited, I don’t. I think it’s that I use WhatsAp as well as Google Voice for messaging. It’s still a useful tool to send messages when you really can’t speak on the phone.

I don’t use any flight status apps as I’ve found the the airlines’ Apps suffices and are usually very accurate. Plus as I’m usually at the airport, I can see what is going on with the flight. And besides its out of my control anyways, so why sweat it.