With the holiday season upon us, many will be packing into planes, trains and automobiles and heading to various destinations. While this is a special time of year to spend with friends and loved ones, it can also be a bit stressful. Luckily, there are several apps available that can put your mind at ease and make traveling for the holidays almost as enjoyable as celebrating the season itself! Below is my list of must have apps for holiday travel.

YOUR AIRLINE’S APP:

This may be obvious, but if you’re traveling by air for the holidays you’ll want to download your airline’s app ASAP. You can check in, select your seat, check your flight’s status, and receive gate change notifications. An insider tip: If you’re flight isn’t departing for another 2 hours, there’s really no need to chase the gate until it’s closer to the time of departure. The gate won’t change 45 minutes or less before your scheduled departure time!

FLIGHT AWARE:

If for some reason your airline doesn’t have an app, don’t you worry. Flight Aware does just about everything except allow you to check in. Its best feature may be its ability to track your inbound flight. This gives you a more accurate estimate on your actual departure time. If your inbound is delayed, you know your flight won’t be leaving on time.

THE WEATHER CHANNEL:

It’s important to check the forecast the night before you’re planning to travel. If you’re flying and heavy precipitation is predicted, most airlines will re-book you on an earlier flight or re-route you free of charge!

GATE GURU:

Stuck at the airport and have a hankering for a smoothie, want to do some shopping, or in need of a pedicure? Along with up to the minute flight status updates, Gate Guru also gives you a list of all the amenities at your respective airport along with their location. Now you don’t have to waste time roaming from terminal to terminal!

WAZE:

If you’re hitting the road, you’ll want to arm yourself with this handy map app. It re-routes you to avoid traffic and gives you estimates of how long the wait time is if you find yourself in a jam. Even though gas prices are at record lows, you still don’t want to waste time idling in traffic!

HOTEL TONIGHT:

If you get stuck in transit or just get sick of your family, this app offers affordable rates at reliable hotels in your immediate area. Most are under $100 a night!

Whatever mode of transportation you choose for holiday travel, it’s important to plan ahead and be pro-active to ensure your travel experience is as stress free as possible! I wish you all a very happy holiday season and as always…happy wending!

What travel apps do you swear by? Share your comments below!

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