Our Top 9 Travel Apps to Make Your Next Trip Easier
Technology makes travel so much easier, with no need to print and file away itineraries or carry about little maps and language translation books.
To celebrate the advancements of humankind, we’ve put together a list of our top travel apps to help you prepare for your next trip.
1. Best for your home city: Local airport app
It's a great idea to download an app for your local home airport. That way at your fingertips you have access to a range of localised benefits like duty free, airport car parking, travel times, and to the minute trip delay notifications. For us, our team have the AKL Airport app on their phones, which helps keep track of flights, parking bookings, and vouchers and points associated with the Strata Club programme.
Download AKL Airport: Android and Apple
2. Best for Flight Price Comparison: KAYAK
KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once to find exactly what you need for your trip, from cheap flights to hotel deals and car hire. You can customise your search settings just the way you like them, from the time of departure (red-eye, anyone?) to how many layovers. You can even search with flexible dates up to +/- 3 days to see when's the best time to fly. Their “Price Forecast” feature lets you know whether you should wait or book now.
3. Best for Flight Tracking and Travel Plans: Flighty
Flighty is the gold standard for flight tracking and travel planning. The app provides real-time flight tracking with industry-leading delay predictions and notifications that often beat airline announcements. It offers detailed flight maps, inbound aircraft tracking, and presents complex travel information in a sleek, user-friendly interface. The app excels at keeping travelers informed with perfectly timed notifications while maintaining strong privacy standards by not collecting unnecessary personal information.
A standout feature is its ability to monitor flights 25 hours before departure, providing comprehensive tracking of inbound aircraft that might affect your journey. While it may be more expensive than some alternatives, its focused approach to flight tracking and superior notification system make it a worthwhile investment for frequent travelers.
Download Flighty: Apple (Android coming soon)
Pro Tip: For those who want additional features beyond pure flight tracking, TripIt remains a solid alternative with a 15+ year track record and comprehensive travel planning features, including linkage to your email. However, for pure flight tracking and travel updates, Flighty currently leads the market with its sophisticated tracking capabilities and privacy-focused approach.
4. Best for Finding an Airport Lounge: LoungePair
Yes, we’re listing ourselves. At LoungePair, we pride ourselves on being the premier web app for easily accessing single-use day passes to airport lounges globally. With our user-friendly platform, travelers can conveniently compare all available options online, ensuring they make the best choice for a premium pre-flight experience. By offering direct access to over 450+ lounges worldwide, LoungePair guarantees a seamless and enjoyable journey for all passengers seeking comfort and relaxation during their travels.
5. Best for getting exercise amongst nature: AllTrails
AllTrails is a great app for nature lovers, hiking enthusiasts, and even those who just want to fit in a cardio workout while on vacation. The app has thousands of curated trails across the world, and lets you create and share custom maps with others. It’s especially great if you’re looking for something to do away from work and the hotel.
Download AllTrails: Android and Apple
6. Best for getting to and from the airport: Uber
With a presence in 70 countries, Uber truly gives you an easy way to take a taxi ride in more than 10,000 cities across the globe. While they won’t be of any help in countries like China, they’re nevertheless still one of the most useful taxi apps to have on your phone.
7. Best for finding that café that everyone loves: Google Maps
You’re walking around a city that you’ve never been to before, looking for a great place to eat. You pull out your phone, open Google Maps, and search for cafes near you. Sort by rating and you can easily find a place that everyone loves. The app is about far more than maps, with possibly the best unbiased review information available anywhere.
Download Google Maps: Android and Apple
8. Best for Finding Info on Accommodation: TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor has a remarkable collection of over 1 billion reviews, covering nearly 8 million businesses, which include a diverse range of accommodations, eateries, and attractions. They are available in in 22 languages. It is still one of the best apps to use when trying to find out what the bedroom and bathroom in a hotel really look like, as opposed to the very photogenic emails you see on the hotel website. Don’t like a shower over the bath? Make sure there isn’t one before you book.
Download TripAdvisor: Android and Apple
9. Best for Booking Activities and Leisure Deals: Klook
Klook is a travel activities and services booking platform that offers 280,000 experiences across over 500 major destinations worldwide. From amazing staycation deals to immersive cultural experiences, they help you find a world of joy. Whether it’s chasing waves in Bali, tasting wine in Melbourne, or finding out what’s new in your area, you’re just a few taps away from booking whatever makes you happy. You can earn credit back for each booking you make, and some of their prices beat direct prices also. We’ve used this app to purchase tickets on the Hong Kong Airport Express, were you get a QR code sent to your phone, and off you go on arrival.
