So Much Switching — A Travel Apportunity

Documenting is always clarifying. We do it with our fitness data, our food data, our screen time, and if you snore like me, your sleep data. While sometimes it’s automatic, I had to write everything down to notice how much I flip across multiple apps traveling on a work trip.

In the spirit of free ideas, there must be opportunity for one seamless app. Here is an app play-by-play on a recent trip from New York to Milwaukee:

Text:Leaving the office, I text the car service about the best block to pick me up. (Yes, I could Uber/Lyft, but I love this service so am loyal when I can be). 

Traffic app: I check Waze to see the mess at the Midtown Tunnel. The driver, Wayne, and I banter about taking the Triborough Bridge, but neither of us want to, so we stick with the Tunnel plan. It works out. Wayne asks which terminal today, and I have to check because at LGA, Delta is both C&D.

Airline app: Check terminal and gate because I don’t trust that the boarding pass I added last night to Apple Wallet will automatically update.

Airline app: To see if it is there for real.

Apple Wallet: To see if the data of new gate transferred. It did not.

Calendar app: Check which call I need to be on right now. Click one-touch dial-in for stakeholder interview.

Messaging app: Use Teams to tell my team I’m on the line, but traveling so will mostly listen.

Notes app: Open Evernote to jot down a few good quotes on this stakeholder interview.

Text notification: Lincoln Tunnel has delays from an earlier accident. Irrelevant. I’m on the East Side. Shouldn’t it know where I’m going?

Hotel app: During the conference call, my mind wanders so I open Bonvoy app and check-in to hotel in advance, which really is unnecessary and a waste of time since I’ll have to hand over driver's license and card anyway. I hover over the extra points decision, trying to remember if this is the state that doesn’t offer free drink but a “local gift” instead.

Messaging app: Tell team on Teams that was a good interview. Cut and paste my notes from Evernote.

Find Friends: Stuck in traffic, so I check to see where Mom is, and if it’s a good time to call. She’s home so I…

Airline app: Recheck gate number since I can’t remember. Try to look on terminal map to remember which end the TSA Pre/Clear line is for drop off.

Apple Wallet: Inside, I show boarding pass to enter the TSA Pre/Clear line (guard squints to find the TSA Pre checkmark logo). Then show it again to the TSA agent.

Airline app: To access the Delta lounge. I debate whether to use the Wallet app or Airline app even though it doesn’t matter.

Settings app: Log onto lounge wifi since it usually defaults to the wrong network.

List app: I have 45m to kill so I look through what I need to do. I use Wunderlist.

Airline app: Despite being told 20 minutes ago at checkin, I can’t remember the gate number and don’t trust Apple Wallet, so I look again for the gate info. Now I suddenly don’t trust this app either so stop at the lounge screen for what I think is the most trustworthy answer. Isn’t a screen monitor sort of an app?

Notes app: Jot down thought: “Is a monitor an app?"

News app: Waiting to board, I open theNew York Times for headlines. It hasn’t been launched in three days so takes a few seconds to update. I switch to the mobile browser and type CNN.com for screaming headlines. 

Facebook/Insta/Linkedin/Twitter: Total waste of time until I see an article I should really read. Clip to…

List app: Paste article link in Wunderlist to read later. There’s also the read later feature in the mobile browser but I never remember to go back to it.

Apple Wallet: Compulsively check for Zone number. Is Comfort+ before Zone 1?

News app: Return to the New York Times. Television section. Needs to update.

Fishbowl: For no reason, this seems like a good time to browse the consulting firm boards. 

Podcast app: Check listener data on my personal podcast to see performance. Three more unique listeners on latest episode since yesterday! 

Airline app: Now boarding, I show my boarding pass on this app since as everyone knows, I don’t trust Apple Wallet to be current.

Game app: Now boarded, I play a few rounds of Solitaire during dead time between runway and 5-10,000 feet when I can reach for my laptop again. First win of the day.

Weather app: Check weather in Milwaukee to see if I brought right clothing. Probably should have done this yesterday.

Notes app: Open Evernote to jot down an idea for Forbes.com post: Weather vs. Productivity.

Calendar app: Landing, I blank on which Sheraton in Milwaukee so need to look it up so I can type it in to...

Facebook/Insta/Twitter/Podcasts: En route to hotel, I scroll through nonsense including checking again my listener stats. As if 100 new fans would have discovered my podcast in the last two hours.

Maps app: Look around hotel for anything interesting to eat or visit in case I get stuck in a freak storm and need clothes or activities. There’s a Lyfe Kitchen nearby and an Old Navy. 

Hotel app: Arriving at hotel, I open Bonvoy even though I don’t need to since I checked in and they have my account on file. Why did I open it?

Clock app: Schedule alarm for 630 a.m. since I obviously don’t trust the machine by the bed that is free.

Facebook/Insta/Linkedin/Twitter: Lose all track of time. Wait, wasn’t there an article…

List app: Scroll to find article link. Good stat inside. Copy and paste to…

Who has an idea? Is it one mega travel app, or perhaps more likely, a workflow tool that connects all these best-of-breed components? I am opening Kayak now to look for flights for my next trip.

Source: Forbes.com

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