Top Airfare Apps for Smartphones

Smartphones and tablet devices have added a lot of convenience and value to my travel within the US. Thanks to my iPhone4, as long as I am still traveling in a service area for my carrier, I eliminate the need to carry a bulky laptop with me to look up info, and I'm also able to have conveniently in one device: a GPS navigation system, an eReader and games for killing time, and a high quality camera with 720p video recording for those memorable moments on-the-go.  It is thanks to iPhone apps that I have found some of the most unbelievable travel deals, so I thought I would share a few of my favorites, starting with Airfare Apps.

This post is based on the Apple App Store, but several of these apps are also available in the Android Market!

When to Fly by FareCompare

App Cost: FREE

Also on Android? Not at this time

This is probably my favorite travel app, and one that I can attest to personal success with! My favorite feature is that it allows you to set up alerts from your home airports with a range of dates to your preferred destinations and it will send you Push notifications when a great fare is published. It was through this process that I found a round trip ticket from Cincinnati, OH to Los Angeles International for only… (Seriously)… $174!! With the average fare for this flight has run around $350-$400, this saved me over 50%! Deals this great don’t necessarily happen everyday, and if one pops up, you must be ready to book immediately. These rates are generally only for a few seats per flight and sell out within minutes. Keep in mind also that the further out you are planning for your trip, the greater chance you’ll have of finding one of these great deals. It’s best to set your alerts about 6 months in advance.

In addition to the alert function, the app will automatically use your location to display the best fares for popular destinations from your nearest airport, which can give you a great chance to find other trip ideas at a great price!

Kayak Mobile

App Cost: FREE

Also on Android? YES

Kayak is a great multi-functional travel app. It allows you a lot of functionality in your airfare searches, like automatically checking flights at other nearby airports or on other days close to your suggested departure in case there are better deals if you’re dates are flexible. This app also allows for hotel searches and car rentals and includes all kinds of other handy tools like a currency converter and a listing of various airlines’ fees.

Southwest Airlines

App Cost: FREE

Also on Android? YES

Southwest is definitely one of the cheaper commercial airlines in the US. Aside from their popular “no checked bag fee” policy, they frequently run deals throughout the year with rates as low as $39 one way to some locations. (Watch in late June to early July for their big anniversary sale which has some of the best deals.) In general, I don’t find Southwest to be consistently the cheapest carrier, but when you do get a deal… it is a DEAL. Also be sure to sign up for DING! fare alerts on this app. These notifications will let you know of daily specials running from your home airport. Again, be ready to book fast when you see a deal you want, as they are always for a limited number of seats.