With iPhone users dominating approximately 42.5% of the UK’s smartphone market, many of us feel at ease with using ‘apps’ as part of our everyday life. They’re often cheap, easy to install and are a convenient way to keep us updated with important information or assist us with efficiently completing mundane tasks. Any travellers out there will be pleased to hear that the big companies have cottoned on to our love for apps – for instance British Airways have an app that assists with booking flights, checking-in, downloading your boarding pass and even tells you about lounge wifi passwords.
Here are 5 other apps that you’ll love to use on your travels.
Weather Pro
How will you know what to pack unless you know what the weather is going to be like? This app helps you out by offering 7-day weather reports for over 2 million worldwide locations. Weather Pro currently costs £2.49 and has support available for the Apple watch.
Weather Pro on the iTunes
XE Currency Converter
This free app has been downloaded more than 20 million times, which speaks volumes about its usefulness. It is possible to convert every single world currency with XE, as well as precious metals.
Features include pinning your base currency to the top of the screen, simultaneously monitoring up to 10 currencies and even the caching of the last rate update, so the app can still work even when you’re not connected to the Internet.
XE Currency Converter on iTunes
Sunscreen
This app is essential for those who are travelling to a warm destination, whether on a beach holiday or not. We all know how harmful the sun’s UV rays can be – most skin cancers are caused by exposure to the sun, either over a long duration of time, or from one particularly intense period that results in burning.
With the inclusion of this free app on your iPhone there’s really no excuse for not lathering up and protecting yourself. The app uses data such as your current location, the level of SPF you’re using and your skin type to calculate how often you need to re-apply your lotion.
Sunscreen on iTunes
Tipulator
Different countries come with varying customs and etiquette surrounding tipping and bill-paying. In America, for instance, serving staff rely heavily on the income generated from their tips as their actual salary can be quite poor. However, in Japan tipping is not customary and leaving a tip on top of payment for service can even be seen as offensive. It’s vital to get it right!
Tipulator is an app that helps you work out exactly how much to tip. It even has a handy way to help you split the tipping bill with your friends and family so there’s no need for awkward conversations at the end of a pleasant meal. The app is currently available on iTunes for free.
Tipulator on iTunes
Flight Track
Find out what the actual status of your flight is with the Flight Track app, which currently costs just £3.99 and is available for your iPhone, iPad and even the new Apple Watch. The real-time feature of this app provides travellers with detailed information about their flights, gates, delays and even alternate flights in the event of a cancellation.
It is important to download these travel apps before you leave the UK, rather than when you’re abroad, or else you may find yourself being charged large amounts for data roaming fees.
Flight Track on iTunes
About the Author
Roxanne Seabourne is the Marketing Executive for Avanti Travelcare, who specialise in travel insurance for those with pre-existing medical conditions, and are one of very few that have no upper age limit on their policies.
Photo credit: Ophelia Morada
