5 Tools You Need As A Frequent Flier

There are so many special needs it seems, no matter what you endeavor to do in life. Business, pleasure, necessary or vacation travel planning, the same holds true in nearly everything from shopping for groceries to lapping up luxurious wines, everything is optimized these days. And for good reason.

For the frequent flier out there, it would seem there should be more than sky miles to help with economy and utility. And there is! Here are five websites designed to make the life of the frequent flier more economical, easier, and fun, or all of the above.

Airlinemeals.com

For those of you who travel all the time this interesting website basically shows you what you will be dining on in flight. And we don’t just mean some TripAdvisor like reviews here either. The rating system here is boosted by closeup high res photography of in flight meals. In the case below, fight number 2333 by Turkish Airlines on a 738. Flight times to comments and forum discussions, these guys have reviews pegged. In the photos one can see the expiration data, and almost taste the sandwiches in the bigger views. A nice service, I wish it were mobile.

GateGuru

This fabulous little app helps frequent or other fliers get real value from their time at the airport. With Gateguru, not only can passengers get vital fight info, but they can also get through the busy airport better. This guru helps you find stuff in the terminals, plus shows photos and reviews etc. The screen below is from their iTunes page.

Is there a better app? Not necessarily better, but as good in many respects is goHow Airport.

SeatGuru

Okay, not everybody out there is 6′ 3″ or better and built like Magilla Gorilla. But for those who are, I am 100 percent sure leg room and all the dimensions of aircraft seating means something to the frequent flier among you. And this is especially true for trips over the big waters. Flying to Europe from Detroit seated in between Big Mama and Charles Barkley is the stuff of nightmares, particularly if Mama brings the chickens and 40 pillows. Sorry, it happened to me. SeatGuru, in Beta from TripAdvisor, is a great solution tool. This use is obvious, flight deck advice and schematics on just about everything that has wings. (except Mama’s chickens of course).

Is there a better app? This is not an app yet, but it should be. There is no service I am aware of that combines fares and other info with comfort choices, in such a quick and easy tool.

TripIt

The now old standby, TripIt has been in use by the masses of business travel for some time now. What’s more, for frequent fliers it is about as needed an app as a carry on. Best of all, all your reservations and meetings will be organized by date and time, plus the app is free and available for Blackberry, Android, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Is there a better app? Not really, TripIt is still the best at what they do.

World Taximeter

This online tool is another budget trip planning wonder. WT calculates estimated fares for taxi services worldwide. As you can see by the screen below, all you do is type in a pickup point, then a destination, and Bingo! If you are in Atlanta and leaving Cumberland Mall  in the North on the perimeter, and headed to the fabulous FOX Theater, expect to pay a shade over $32.

Is there a better mousetrap? Yes, an app called Taxi Finder does a lot more and mobile too. There are others as well. But if you are at home on the desktop, and preparing for a trip, then World Taximeter does a good job.