Floyd Blog

Friday, October 28, 2011

Travel: iFly for iPhone

(photos by Dave Floyd) 

I like the convenience of flying enough to overcome the fact that I don't like riding on airplanes or being in airports.  I fly multiple times per year for business and personal travel.  I've found that good food and plentiful cocktails make these trips much more pleasant experiences. 

I sometimes fly on American (it is the gf's favorite airline); however, most of the time I fly on Southwest. I'm not sure why... maybe it's out of admiration for successful lawyers-turned-entrepreneurs.  The unfortunate side effect of my loyalty to Southwest Airlines is that most of my trips include a lot of pit stops at airports around the country.



Enter the iFly app for iPhone.  At first I hated this app, but only out of jealousy.  I had actually written down an idea for a remarkably similar product only to find out a week later that it actually existed.  I downloaded it to check out the interface.  I then left it ruefully alone on my iPhone, where it remained untouched until I ended up in the Denver airport with my friends Andy and Bobby.

We were engaged in a spirited debate about whether to eat at one of the restaurants in the food court, or to venture through the security checkpoint towards Concourse C.  I wanted a steak or a buffalo burger along with a cocktail, and nowhere in the food court appeared to be able to satisfy said craving.  The airport map named eateries, but offered no explanation.  It was at this point I decided to shelve my angst about iFly and actually use it.

iFly is actually very cool, and very useful.  Not only did I get a map of the Denver airport, I also was able to check out restaurants in our destination concourse and to get information about the food.  Furthermore, I was able to quickly locate a bar near the departure gate.  My problem was solved, and soon I was enjoying a buffalo burger along with a cocktail.  Now I like iFly too much to ignore it from jealously, and I recommend it to friends. 

Your travel priorities may not be the same as mine.  Thus, here's a comprehensive list of features for iFly (basic):

-Restaurants, Cafes, Stores, Lounges, Restrooms
-Terminal Maps with GPS location (as available)
-Airline details (numbers, route maps, baggage fees, etc)
-Layover ideas
-Wifi coverage
-Ground transportation options
-Parking rates and locations
-Terminal services (banks/ATMs, business centers, currency exchange, etc) Plus: tons of traveler help tips, like carry-on/checked baggage allowance rules, airport security ID requirements, traveling with kids or pets, and help on everything from packing to parking to checking bags.
iFly Pro is ($6.99 at the iTunes app store) is available with additional features.  With comprehensive information about over 700 airports, it's a handy mobile app to have available.