Going “over the river and through the woods” to get together with relatives and friends is a standard holiday procedure for many families. According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), the average holiday trip length is estimated at 275 miles. Keeping everything organized and readily available is the key to efficient and enjoyable family travel, and there are a number of free travel applications for your smartphone that can help.
There is no better time to get your first smartphone or upgrade to the latest devices. Several of U.S. Cellular’s cutting-edge devices are free with an instant rebate during the holiday season, including the Samsung Mesmerize (a Galaxy S phone) and the HTC Wildfire S. Customers also enjoy the only rewards program in wireless, where they get points for paying monthly wireless bills on time, adding a line or referring new customers.
“Finding the right flights, navigating traffic, keeping children occupied, and ensuring everyone is properly packed are important for a smooth travel experience,” said Michelle Groves, director of sales for U.S. Cellular in the St. Louis area. “Organizing a trip with a smartphone loaded with apps from The Android™ Market can help make traveling for the holidays fun and memorable. These apps are all quickly and easily accessible on U.S. Cellular’s high-speed nationwide network, which is just one of the reasons we have the happiest customers in wireless.”
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U.S. Cellular recommends the following smartphone applications for traveling families:
Trip It: This app combines all of your trip details into a single itinerary in one convenient place – on your smartphone or tablet, sync’d with your calendar, and online at tripit.com.
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Simply forward any travel confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com. TripIt instantly recognizes reservations from 3,000+ booking sites including flight, hotels, rental cars, cruises and more. From there, you can customize itineraries with maps, directions, pictures and notes. Share trip plans with family directly, or let Facebook and LinkedIn contacts know when and where you’re headed.
Packing List: BTS statistics indicate that families spend roughly three nights away for Thanksgiving and four nights at Christmas. This app is all that’s needed to pack (and re-pack) quickly for a trip. It comes pre-populated with many items in different categories, or allows you to customize an existing list. Users can check-off items as they pack; sort, re-order and group items and easily send the list to a printer.
Gate Guru: This application provides itinerary management, airport terminal maps, security wait times, and reviews of airport restaurants. It even allows social media sharing (Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare) to keep family and friends posted on your airport travels.
Amazon.com: Whether you have a layover at the airport or need to keep the kids entertained in the backseat while driving to visit family and friends, you can pass the time with this well-known app that is part of Amazon’s mobile storefront that is exclusive to U.S. Cellular customers. Bargain shop, or download a movie, book, game or the latest app to your smartphone or tablet to pass the time.