CHECK OUT THESE 10 TRAVEL
BOOKING APPS TO BE A MASTER PLANNER..
SKYSCANNER
Flights, hotels, rental cars — Skyscanner has got
you covered. The app searches for the most affordable and best options via its
travel partners. Like with google flights
you can see the cheapest dates to fly through a month view calendar, and you
can also get alerts when prices change. If you’re not sure where exactly
you want to go, Skyscanner offers a category that lets you explore “Top Deals”
from your nearest airport, as well as a curated list of destinations at
affordable prices.
ONE:NIGHT
Similar to Hotel Tonight,
the new app from the operator of Standard Hotels offers
same-day stays at more than a dozen luxury hotels in New York
City, Los Angeles, Miami, and Austin, Texas. Every day at 3 p.m.,
the app unveils discounts for that evening. We recently saw
rates of $189 per night for the Standard Spa in Miami Beach
and $568 for a stay at New York’s 1 Hotel Central Park.
TURO
Formerly known
as RelayRides, the peer-to-peer app that lets you rent cars
directly from their owners has received a big upgrade.
Available to users in the U.S. and Canada, Turo allows you
to search for exactly the type of vehicle you want—often
at prices lower than what the big rental agencies
charge. We found a 2014 SUV for $40 per day, while rates
on Kayak were $140 per day from Hertz and Avis. The
company recently expanded into Europe.
HOTELS.COM
The website’s newly updated app features concierge services with a variety
of partner companies, including Uber, Delivery.com, OpenTable, and Groupon. Not
only can you use it to book a hotel room, now you can also request a ride,
order food delivery, plan activities, and make dinner reservations—right in the
Hotels.com app. The company says it plans to add event ticketing options in the
coming year.
AIRBNB
Last fall, Airbnb launched
its in-app Trips feature to offer specialized experiences to
its guests. Want to take a sculpture class in London or a
cooking class in Paris? Choose from a list of dozens of
offerings hosted by locals, many with a social-impact bent,
including an LGBT-themed bike ride in San Francisco and urban
gardening in Los Angeles.
GOOGLE TRIPS
Google’s new travel app pulls hotel and flight data from a user’s linked
Gmail account to automatically create trip portfolios that act as
destination-specific city guides. The app will also use your consumer behaviour
history to determine personal preferences, and then create custom-tailored
travel recommendations for restaurants, local events, and activities.
ITSEASY
Passport renewal can be a
cinch—this app will e-mail you the forms you need and turn your
phone into a passport photo camera. Print the forms, mail
them to ItsEasy using the trackable USPS priority
overnight airbill provided by the company, and you’ll get your
new documents in two to three weeks. The $29.95
service charge and government renewal fees can be paid via
the app.
SKYLARK
Skylark
pairs luxury hotels
with premium- and economy-class flights to
offer special rates on vacation packages. Deals are
negotiated by travel agents, with savings of up to 50
percent off published airfares and hotel rates. The
$400 annual membership also includes a 24/7 concierge.
WEGO
The
metasearch travel site’s upgraded app lets you scour more
than 700 sites at once to give you the lowest prices
currently available for airfare and lodging, sometimes with
better pricing results than Kayak or Momondo.
MEZI
Keep this personal shopping
and concierge app on hand for anytime you need something, whether you’re at
home or on the road. Use it to book a flight, hotel, concert tickets, order
flowers, or buy pair of shoes, Mezi’s team of agents will help you find what
you’re looking for and search the web for deals. Just send it a text message
with your request. The app charges you a “tip” as a fee, which will be tacked
onto the total price.
