Posted on November 1, 2010 by Janet Crum | No Comments
Submitted by Janet Crum, Director of Library Services, City of Hope
Whether you travel for business, pleasure, or both, you know that organizing the information you need for a trip can be a challenge. Until recently, whenever I traveled, I printed out a stack of documents: flight itinerary, shuttle or rental car reservations, hotel confirmation, maps and directions to various places, and conference or meeting information. Then at each stage of the trip, I’d fumble in my bag for the right piece of paper. For my most recent trip, to the Library Assessment Conference in Baltimore, I tried an online tool called TripIt. TripIt combines text recognition, mobile apps and interfaces, and social networking into a handy tool for managing your travel itinerary. TripIt keeps track of all your reservations and schedules, maps and meetings, accessible from your computer or mobile device. A basic account is free. Just sign up with TripIt or link your Google or Facebook account to get started.
Inputting and managing your travel information
When you sign up, you will be asked to enter any email addresses that you plan to use to forward travel information. After that, you can forward travel confirmations from airlines, online travel agencies, hotels, etc., to plans@tripit.com. TripIt attempts to create a travel itinerary from the email. In my experience, it can process most travel confirmations, though it sometimes has problems with reservation confirmations from hotels. If it can’t interpret the email you forward, it will notify you, so you can enter the information manually. You can also enter maps, directions, and information about meetings and attach associated documents to create a complete schedule for yourself. The end result is a user-friendly itinerary to replace the sheaf of papers. Below is a screenshot showing part of my Baltimore itinerary:
And here’s another part of my itinerary, showing my conference schedule. I entered all of this information manually.
Mobile access
If an online travel site is to be useful, mobile access is a must. TripIt provides a mobile interface to their web site, as well as apps for Blackberry, iPhone, and Android devices. I installed the Blackberry app on my Storm smartphone and found it helpful but not a complete replacement for a printed itinerary. The app truncated some entries, so I couldn’t view my reservation information for some items. I haven’t used the apps for iPhone or Android, so I don’t know if they have the same problem.
Social networking and integration with other services
You can invite friends to join or import your email address book to find friends who have already joined TripIt. When you create a trip, TripIt will show you which of your friends is located at your destination, so you can meet for coffee or, more importantly, save money on lodging by crashing on your friend’s couch. You can also create or join a group on TripIt to see where others in your organization are going.
TripIt also integrates with Facebook, so you don’t have to wait for your annual holiday letter to brag to your friends about your exciting travels. Just link your Facebook account, and TripIt will post updates to your profile when you create a new trip and when you leave or return from a trip (see screenshot below).
You can find lots of reviews of TripIt online, including on
CNet and
ProfHacker.
Bon voyage!
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