With some 40 million-plus Americans expected to hit the roads, skies and rails this Thanksgiving, it won’t be easy to avoid backups of hungry, cranky travelers desperate to get their hands on the last turkey leg. But with an iPhone in your pocket--or an iPad on your lap--you can stay one step ahead of your Android-using relatives. (Just make sure you save them a few Gingerbread cookies when they finally show up.)
So go get a copy of the DOT and Transportation Regulations, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, ($19.99) and let’s be on our way:
Taking to the friendly skies may be the best way to avoid a nasty traffic jam, but that’s not to say you won’t log some frequent flyer miles hanging around the terminal. With a little help from the iFly Airport Guide ($3.99; Pro, $6.99) you can expertly chart out your path from check-in to take-off, making time to hit up the duty-free shop and indulge in a carmel macchiato while you’re waiting to board.
In case you haven’t heard, security has been ramped up substantially at the airports, and you can expect high levels of frustration and long lines for full-body X-rays and aggressive pat-downs. There’s no magic to whisk you through security, but My TSA (free), the official Transportation Security Administration app, will at least inform you of any "Don’t touch my junk"-style tie-ups at the terminal. (And like John Tyner, make sure to keep your iPhone within reach, just in case any YouTube moments strike.)
Once your pride has been properly restored, take advantage of your airport’s Wi-Fi to download a copy of FlightTrack ($4.99; Pro, $9.99) for everything you need for a seamless journey: in-flight tracking (even in airplane mode), predictive alerts, maps, seating charts and info on that connecting flight that’s certain to be delayed. Just about the only thing it won’t be able to tell you is when the turkey timer has popped.
And since picking up a relative from the arrival gate can be just as tedious as an actual flight, you’ll want to check out FlightBoard ($3.99) for up-to-the-five-minutes data for just about every metal bird in the sky. (But you’ll still have to circle the terminals a few dozen times before you find Uncle Joey.)
If you’re participating in the Thanksgiving Security Scan Boycott (or just looking for a quiet ride through the country), you’re no doubt making a beeline for the nearest train station to book a comfy business-class seat on a Thursday morning Amtrak train. You can try reading those mini spreadsheet timetables, but U.S. Railroad Map ($.99), an exhaustive, fully searchable resource for just about anything that travels on a track, will be much easier on the eyes. And it’ll make sure you get over the river and as close as possible to grandmother’s house.
After a second helping of turkey, stuffing and gravy and a big piece of pumpkin pie, however, your eyes might be just a little heavier on the return trip. Just in case the tryptophan takes over, be sure to download Ride Buzzer ($1.99), which uses Google Maps to wake you from your carbohydrate slumber just in time for your stop.
The transportation of choice (or necessity) for the lion’s share of Thanksgiving travelers, and we all know how frustrating getting from point A to point B can be when candied yams are at stake. Of course, Apple’s color-coded Maps app does a perfectly adequate job of keeping track of traffic jams, but Triangle Software’s Beat the Traffic (free) takes it to the next level, with real-time updates, detailed accident and construction reports, live camera feeds, and how slow you can expect to go.
All that stopping and going will do a number on your mileage, but you can at least save a few bucks per gallon with GasBook, which uses your location to track down (and direct you to) the cheapest fill-up station when you need it most.
Of course, bargain petrol and traffic maps won’t be all that helpful if you’re lost, but you can easily turn your iPhone into a reliable GPS system with MotionX GPS Drive ($.99), one of the best of a growing field of bargain navigation apps. With crisp, clear 3-D maps, one-tap integration with your contacts (for less fumbling when you’re behind the wheel), predictive traffic routing, voice directions (free for 30 days; $3 per month or $25 per year), and in-app iPod access, MotionX might actually make you give thanks for a few backed-up brake lights on your Turkey Day drive.
