Making travel plans can be a bit overwhelming and even painstakingly time consuming. For years travel bugs the world over have been making long phone calls, waiting on hold, dealing with customer service reps, spending thousands of dollars, standing in lines and embarking on an emotionial hell to pass through to a paradisical vacation.
How convenient to live in a time when technology now runs practically rampid through homes, phones, gaming systems, and computers conecting travelers with the assests needed to make vacationing quicker, easier and a thousand times less painful. All one has to do is access the free apps offered to smart phones and other devices through thier respective markets.
For those with Android technology the following travel apps can be downloaded free of charge from the Android Market:
Marriott- Enabling users to find and reserve Marriott Brand hotels; using discount codes and Marriott Rewards Points. Hotel seekers can even access thier Marriott Rewards Account here, or be connected with a Marriott Reservations call center instantaneously for an added convenience. There are also city guides to connect with to find more information regarding a particular location. As is always the case with Marriott, the possibilities are endless and here is where many vacation dreams can come true.
Interval International- A prominent exchange company where one can check availabily for reservations with time share properties throughout the world. This app provides the company's resort directory directly to the palm of the hand to help plan a vacationer's next exchange from one property to another or a getaway.
Sandals- This free app allows users to access the services of Wilcox World Travel and Tours' Sandals Luxury Included Resorts.
Delta Airlines- This easily accessible app has been strategically designed to make flying with Delta Air Lines even more convenient and rewarding. It offers to help take care of key travel tasks on the go.
It offers the option to check in within 24 hours for domestic flights, download mobile boarding passes (where available), rebook canceled or misconnected flights, view a seat map and select or change seats, check the status on the upgrade or standby list, check on the latest flight status and get terminal gate info, map flights en route with an interactive flight tracker, see your SkyMiles balance and current Medallion status.
Not only booking and availabilty, but passengers can also track thier checked bag like one tracks a pacakge- even during a flight. The app enables users to pay for bags while checking in and save time at the airport. It also provides details and layouts for Delta's fleet. It also includes expanded airport information including airport maps, transit details, weather nd Delta Sky Club locations.
Trip Advisor- Instantly find hotels, restaurants, things to do, flights, services near a traveler's present location, and allows users to write and submit reviews on places they have been.
Travelocity- Offers all the basic services; travel shopping and tools while on the go, in an app typically available from a home computer. This includes mobile only exclusive deals for hotels, finding gas prices nearby or by city, and quick links to call or to book directly online: flights, hotels, car rentals/rail passes, cruises, vacation packages, and other travel alerts.
Kayak- Now travelers can get everything Kayak right on their phone. They can compare flight, hotel and car rental deals, track flight status', view and manage their trip itenerary and look up baggage fees.
United and Continental Airlines- The two have teamed up to create a versatile app with features from flight booking, to flight status for both airlines. This app includes a flight status push notification- which monitors a selected flight and allows the user to recieve automatic updates sent to the phone in use. It also has an option to see flight maps of current flight status and weather.
Need another airline app?
Southwest Airlines- Here one can manage air reservations, manage rental car reservations, check in for flights, check flight status and access helpful contact information.
Expedia- This app boasts at being able to find a room anywhere in the world and book in 4 taps. The curious hotel seeker can swipe through hi-res photos of hotels; lobbies, rooms, pools, and more, then read filter by price, distance, hotel name, and traveler rating. This app is localized for 19 languages.
Orbitz- Offers new Orbitz Mobile Steals: when doing a hotel search these exclusive mobile-only discounts of up to 50% off could show up and save you a handful of cash.
Maybe there is a cruiser looking to book a sea faring escape...
Royal Caribbean International- An easy to use app to assist in planning that next cruise vacation from anywhere. Answers to such questions as, "Why cruising?" and "How much will it cost?" can be answered at the tip of the fingertips. All the information regarding a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation can be found with this single app, including details on worldwide destinations, cruise ships and ports of call.
And last but certainly not in the least for great travel apps for smartphones and other devices:
Disney Parks Mobile Magic- This is the one and only free official Disney Parks app available. This is a great way to get the most out of a Disney vacation. Users can use GPS maps to get around the parks, locate favorite Disney characters, and even make dining reservations... everyone wants to dine at the Pirates of the Caribbean's Blue Bayou Restaurant! Check attraction wait times, and FASTPASS return times, and plan an upcoming visit.
The stress free way to go now for vacationing and traveling is essentially to have the internet and smart phone apps at the very fingertips. Now is the time to say goodbye to the woes and worries and hello to the opportunities and ease. New apps are being created all the time, all users should be sure to check their app store often for updates and new options often.
If you have a favorite travel app, be sure to leave a comment below so other users can be educated!
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