Time spent at the airport doesn’t have to be a slog. When you’re a frequent flyer, you know it’s all about having the right tools to make your time in the terminal flow smoothly. Below, some of our favorite trusty apps for making the airport a breeze.
LoungeBuddy
If you have a layover in an unfamiliar airport, LoungeBuddy can help you figure out which lounges you have access to in any given terminal. The app determines this based on your ticket details, miles, loyalty programs, credit card programs, and other memberships. It can also give a breakdown of all the features of each lounge, and lets you purchase day passes for lounges you don’t have membership access to.
SkyGuru
SkyGuru predicts turbulence based on weather patterns, so you’ll never spill hot coffee on yourself mid-flight again. Created by a pilot for nervous flyers, the app can also track each stage of your flight and explain the process behind every sound, bump, and technical detail of your trip. It’s kind of like having a control panel in your pocket.
MiFlight
With MiFlight, you can check out estimates of how long you’ll be standing in the security line. It offers info for 75 airports, and is based entirely on crowdsourced information.
Mobile Passport
This app lets you to zoom through US customs and passport protection at 25 airports. Instead of waiting in a long line after landing in the US, you can answer a few questions on the app in advance, and you’ll be sent to an express line on arrival. No more missing connections while waiting in passport control lines!
Airport Transit Guide
This app provides all kinds of insider details about how to get around at international airports. It will guide you through minute details of taxi services, public transportation, and terminal features at airports. The app features intel you’d only learn from experience, like which taxi services are most reliable in a given city, or the unspoken rules of a local subway system. It’s not something you’d need in a familiar place, but it’s great to have in your back pocket in a brand new city where you might not speak the language.
LiveATC
Growing up, were you the kid who always ran to the airport window to watch the planes take off? (Or, ahem, are you an adult who still does this? Just us?) If this was you, you’ll love LiveATC. This app can tune into over 2,000 live air traffic control feeds so you can listen to pilots and air traffic controllers communicating in real-time - including the pilots of the planes you’re watching take off right outside your terminal window. LiveATC can also help you find out the real reason specific flights are delayed by clueing you into what your pilot and the tower are saying to each other. Air traffic speak can be fast-moving and hard to understand at first, but something about hearing it play out live is just too cool to pass up. Your five-year-old plane spotting self would be proud.