App, app and away!
By Meg Rivera
SUMMER holidays are nearly upon us, and that means it’s time for travel! My inbox is full of emails from different airlines promoting this cheap fare here and a limited travel period there. Traveling has never been easier, especially with local airlines opening more routes to places around the world. Throw in our smartphones, and we literally have the world at our hands.
There are some parts of travel that never get easier though. The planning, the packing and the god awful jet lag. It may put some people off, and that’s totally understandable. Who would want to voluntarily put themselves through that experience and get charged for it?
Here are three apps that take the edge of traveling and make you a bit more open to the life altering experience that it is. Dust off your passports, pack some dry socks and bon voyage!
App name: XE Currency
App developer: xe.com
Available on: Google Play, iTunes
Easy to use: Very much so. For the most current rates you will need an internet connection, but offline it still you a reasonable ballpark figure to work with.
Overall comment: One thing that a lot of people seem to overlook (apart from sunscreen) is how much money to bring. This app doesn’t complicate things by allowing you to choose the currency you have with the one you need. Again, you will need an Internet connection for the most accurate and recent rates, but you’ve got a good thing with this app. Four clicks out of five.
App name: Jetlag Genie
App developer: Variance srl
Available on: iTunes, Google Play
Easy to use: This is not an easy app to use, but neither is this a difficult one. I noticed that a lot of our balikbayans lose a lot of time here sleeping because they haven’t adjusted to the time difference. When they do adjust, it’s time to fly back home. This app gives you a plan of action, customized to where you are and your usual waking hours.
Overall comment: I wouldn’t mind paying for this app. What I love most about this is that it tells you when to seek sunlight, when to seek dark and when to go to bed. It takes into account how many days you have to adjust, how many hours you travel and what your usual waking hours are. I figure you gain an extra day or two because you were able to adjust so quickly. Perfect for those long-haulers. Four clicks out of five.
App name: AirZolo
Available on: BMN Innovation Inc.
Available on: iTunes
Easy to use: Facebook is for showing everyone where you are and what you’re eating. AirZolo is a social network for travellers. You can create a profile to show where you are traveling to and use the app to find company for each leg of your flights. This app can also help you find festivals and activities that TripAdvisor won’t tell you about.
Overall comment: For the hardcore Lonely Planeteer, this app makes the world a little bit bigger. We seek travel to broaden horizons and meet new people. AirZolo helps you do just that, and a little bit more. I’ve always maintained that user-generated content makes the best experience, so this app does that and throws in a fantastic social element. Four clicks out of five.
