TripIt is an application designed to simplify online travel planning. Users can generate a master itinerary with maps, directions, and weather for any destination. Activity planning can be accomplished through the comprehensive itinerary. Plans can be easily shared, monitored, and updated through available downloads.
TripIt hosts an average 200,000 unique visitors per month. TripIt was founded in October 2006 with the goal of simplifying Internet travel plan options. TripIt was acquired by Concur (www.concur.com) in January 2011.
TripIt takes itinerary information from multiple sources, such as airline reservations, car rentals, and hotel reservations, and collects it into a single master itinerary. The resulting itinerary can then be shared with others, synced to a mobile device, and added to a calendar.
The home page includes upcoming trips, network updates and travel stats. Trips may be added via the site or by forwarding travel confirmation emails to the application. Adding a trip is a very simple process.
The travel apps and tools are what really add to TripIt. The Itinerator is the app that works by integrating your forwarded itinerary emails to the site. TripClipper is a program that may be installed on a user’s computer. It adds an icon to the toolbar that, when clicked, saves the information on the browser page to the Tripit account. Organizational tools allow calendar and Lotus Notes integration. Mobile phone apps for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry can be added for updates on the go via web browser. Sharing options through RSS feeds, connections, Facebook, LinkedIn and more are available.
Several third party applications are also available through TripIt.
To register, users provide an email address and password and await an email with a verification link. Once verified, a user is asked to provide name, location, and any additional email addresses to be added to the account. An optional step includes allowing access to a user’s email address book to connect with friends using the TripIt application. The last step of the process is to add an upcoming trip to your profile. Any of these steps can be skipped and returned to later.
The Basic TripIt platform is free. It includes itineraries, maps and directions, mobile access, and itinerary sharing. Pro membership is $69/year and includes all of the Basic services plus mobile alerts for flight delays, alternate flight options, automatic trip detail sharing, and frequent travel points tracker. A 30 day free trial of the Pro version is available.
TripIt will be especially useful for those who travel often. By generating a master itinerary with all travel information in one place, ready to share with coworkers, family, and others, it streamlines the flow of information and collates it into one easily managed application.