by Jenni Flinders, Vice President, Microsoft US Partner Group
Whether it is for business or pleasure, travel is a part of our lives. Last week, I was in Miami for a series of partner meetings, and today, I am in Los Angeles to meet with more partners. That’s the great part of my job. Not only do I get to travel, I get to meet with the backbone of Microsoft technology – our partners.
Smartphones have had a dramatic impact on the way we travel, putting more information at our fingertips that helps us manage our business trip, vacation, or weekend excursion. It got me thinking about the different apps I have on my Nokia Lumia 1020, and how much I rely on them when traveling. Here are the travel apps most dear to me: call it my app survival guide and check out these apps before you take your next trip.
Planning
- Fly Delta– Check in for your flight, manage baggage, view flight statuses, and more.
- Avis– Create or modify your reservation, view your receipt, and access Roadside Assistance.
- INRIX Traffic– Navigate the streets like a local, get real-time traffic data and traffic predictions.
- Weather (Channel)–Know what the weather is like at your destination so you can pack for it, and stay updated on any weather-related travel delays.
Entertainment
- OpenTable– Avoid the long wait for a table by viewing what restaurants have availability and book a reservation.
- UrbanSpoon– A must-have if you’re a foodie; get the scoop on the best places to eat in any given area for almost any type of food.
- LivingSocial– Find local deals for shows, events, and other activities to check out during your free time.
- Beats Music– Stop searching for a local radio station and connect with your favorite tunes wherever you are with Beats’ streaming music service.
- Wordament– Pass the time on your flight, or anytime, with this real-time continuous word tournament.
Business
- Skype– Stay connected to the office via voice, video and IM whether on Wi-Fi or cellular data.
- OneDrive– Access all of your documents across platforms and devices from anywhere.
- Office Mobile for Windows Phone– View, create and edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents right from your mobile device.
Photography
- Instagram– Share photos from your trip, and add filters, through this social photography app.
- BLINK– Take a burst of images to capture the best shot, or make a small animated image from a series of shots.
- ProShot– A must for picture aficionados that allows you to set custom filters and settings for your phone’s camera.
These apps help me book and manage my travel arrangements, explore the best parts of the city I’m visiting, relax, get work done, and create some amazing photos to remember it all by.
What apps are part of your travel survival guide?
Connect with me on Twitter @Jenni_Flinders and share your ideas!