TripIt Pro - worth it? Alternatives?
Oct 12, 2009, 3:01 pm
#16
Formerly known as katzalex
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: MSY
Programs: AAdvantage EXP, Hertz Platinum, Marriot Platinum, HHonors Silver, SPG Gold
Posts: 104
I ordered Pro as soon as they offered it for me, and it was good timing since I was a few days from starting a RTW trip. I had several friends who were joining me on the trip and had shared their TripIt itins with me.
I must have gotten 200 emails during that 10-day period about flight delays, most from flights that were no longer in the itins of those people. It was a complete nuisance, exacerbated by the fact that one thing TripIt doesn't do well is keep track of changes and duplicates in your itins.
I had two flights that were delayed, one of which I was never notified about and the other I received the message as I was boarding the now-three-hours-later flight.
I canceled as soon as I got back from the trip.
If TripIt would just let me punch in PNRs and then go parse all the info, I think it would be much more useful - especially if it kept track of changes automatically. That's something I would pay for!
I must have gotten 200 emails during that 10-day period about flight delays, most from flights that were no longer in the itins of those people. It was a complete nuisance, exacerbated by the fact that one thing TripIt doesn't do well is keep track of changes and duplicates in your itins.
I had two flights that were delayed, one of which I was never notified about and the other I received the message as I was boarding the now-three-hours-later flight.
I canceled as soon as I got back from the trip.
If TripIt would just let me punch in PNRs and then go parse all the info, I think it would be much more useful - especially if it kept track of changes automatically. That's something I would pay for!
Nov 20, 2009, 7:20 am
#17
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 2,483
Now that it is available worldwide I have upgraded to Tripit Pro.
It saved me from missing a flight earlier this week. I was on a delayed BA flight from LHR-EDI and got the SMS with the delay sent to me. I checked the board and the delay was the same. Fine, I'll sit in the Galleries South a little longer and have a couple of extra glasses of champagne
An hour later I got a another SMS saying PULLED IN. The delay had been reduced by 30 minutes and the flight was just about to board. The screen had been updated but I was sat in my own little world reading a book and having a few drinks.
If I hadn't got the text I would have missed the flight (my fault I know - but delays getting shorter is unheard of with BA at LHR!!) and the last flight home was full.
It saved me from missing a flight earlier this week. I was on a delayed BA flight from LHR-EDI and got the SMS with the delay sent to me. I checked the board and the delay was the same. Fine, I'll sit in the Galleries South a little longer and have a couple of extra glasses of champagne
An hour later I got a another SMS saying PULLED IN. The delay had been reduced by 30 minutes and the flight was just about to board. The screen had been updated but I was sat in my own little world reading a book and having a few drinks.
If I hadn't got the text I would have missed the flight (my fault I know - but delays getting shorter is unheard of with BA at LHR!!) and the last flight home was full.
Nov 20, 2009, 10:04 am
#18
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
OK but if you had missed that flight because it didn't text you in time, would you have demanded your money back?
If you're anywhere at the airport, you would have access to flight status changes from other sources?
If you're anywhere at the airport, you would have access to flight status changes from other sources?
Nov 20, 2009, 11:01 am
#19
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 2,483
You can't see a departures screen from my little hidey-hole in the Galleries South! I was just settled in for the wait with the alarm on my phone set to alert me 20 mins before the original delayed time.
I wouldn't rely on tripit to keep me permenantly updated - this was just a case of it unexpectently getting me out of a potential hole of my own making.
I wouldn't rely on tripit to keep me permenantly updated - this was just a case of it unexpectently getting me out of a potential hole of my own making.
Nov 21, 2009, 12:53 am
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AA Platinum
Posts: 151
Lately AA has been initially posting my DFW-LAS flights for terminal A then changing to terminal D. The TripIt SMS notice is about 20min behind the AA e-mail notice - this is still 2+ hrs before the flight. The "welcome to LAS . . . baggage claim xxx" notice hits by the time exit the plane. I haven't had to depend on it for a critical notice. I'm pretty sure the notices are through FlightStats' service - same as most non-airline services use.
I was using both the iPhone App and TripIt's mobile website - but the recent update to the iPhone app was significant! I'm really impressed with how much it improved. It's pretty much all I use now.
So, 8 trips after I originally asked "is it worth it?" . . . I started to answer that I still wasn't sure it's worth $70/yr, but then I started thinking "I really don't want to give it up". So I guess the answer is really "yes." It's just really convienent to have everything in one place and I don't have to update anyone who needs to know my plans.
It's still not everything I want but nothing else is either. Hopefully they keep adding functions and updates as significant as they did with the iPhone.
I was using both the iPhone App and TripIt's mobile website - but the recent update to the iPhone app was significant! I'm really impressed with how much it improved. It's pretty much all I use now.
So, 8 trips after I originally asked "is it worth it?" . . . I started to answer that I still wasn't sure it's worth $70/yr, but then I started thinking "I really don't want to give it up". So I guess the answer is really "yes." It's just really convienent to have everything in one place and I don't have to update anyone who needs to know my plans.
It's still not everything I want but nothing else is either. Hopefully they keep adding functions and updates as significant as they did with the iPhone.
Nov 21, 2009, 3:42 am
#21
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: BCN
Programs: BA Gold · A3 Gold · DL Gold · VY apologist
Posts: 8,545
A very clever person would realize that if you have a friend with Tripit Pro and add them to your Tripit Amateur itins, you'll automatically get all the notifications and alerts without subscribing.
For me that's actually a problem and the reason I don't pay for it, but it might be convenient for people with an occasional need.
For me that's actually a problem and the reason I don't pay for it, but it might be convenient for people with an occasional need.
Nov 24, 2009, 5:33 pm
#24
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 7
Nov 25, 2009, 10:34 am
#26
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
There's a separate app. for Pro subscribers?
I've used the regular service for one trip and it's good but it's better to print out the itinerary than to view the info. in the app. because if you're overseas, you won't have a data connection.
One thing I did was create an itinerary with pictures of maps (screen shots which I uploaded from my computer).
I noticed the iPhone App. doesn't display these pictures, especially zooming in, as well as just opening the itinerary on Safari at the TripIt site.
Of course Safari doesn't cache sites, tries to reload so again, you need a data connection.
For the printout of the itinerary, more print formatting options might be nice. On a color printer, the theme of the printouts is a drab yellow.
I've used the regular service for one trip and it's good but it's better to print out the itinerary than to view the info. in the app. because if you're overseas, you won't have a data connection.
One thing I did was create an itinerary with pictures of maps (screen shots which I uploaded from my computer).
I noticed the iPhone App. doesn't display these pictures, especially zooming in, as well as just opening the itinerary on Safari at the TripIt site.
Of course Safari doesn't cache sites, tries to reload so again, you need a data connection.
For the printout of the itinerary, more print formatting options might be nice. On a color printer, the theme of the printouts is a drab yellow.
Nov 25, 2009, 11:33 am
#27
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: BCN
Programs: BA Gold · A3 Gold · DL Gold · VY apologist
Posts: 8,545
Nov 25, 2009, 11:59 am
#28
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Anwhere ex-MAN
Programs: A3 *G, BA Silver
Posts: 2,706
Gladly, all of our Corporate bookings are on Sabre, which work just fine :-)
Nov 25, 2009, 2:19 pm
#29
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 7
No, it's the same app, on all platforms. As the pro permissions change for a user, the new data is made available on the next refresh. Setting up SMS for alerts would take a little more of your time, I guess, but that's not managed by the apps.
For any feature requests, please send to [email protected]. There's so much we'd like to do, so all must be prioritised, pondered, etc.
For any feature requests, please send to [email protected]. There's so much we'd like to do, so all must be prioritised, pondered, etc.
Nov 25, 2009, 4:10 pm
#30
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Hmm, hadn't heard of TripCase but if it's from Sabre, it's got to be a bigger deal than TripIt.
Push notifications seem like a standout feature between the two.
Will have to see if it's worth opening another account (hate apps. which require you to register an account to use them).
Push notifications seem like a standout feature between the two.
Will have to see if it's worth opening another account (hate apps. which require you to register an account to use them).