The Basics

5 apps you need to win at holiday planning

  • Published 23 November 2018
  • By Velocity Team

Travel essentials that won't weigh you down. It's time to switch your phone to flight mode.

Here at Velocity, we’re all about making life easier, especially when it comes to sorting out your next trip.

That’s why we’ve put together an all-star list of must-have apps that will make planning your next holiday so much simpler, no matter where you’re heading. From where to go, how to get there, and what to say once you arrive – it’s all here.

Just load up your phone and get planning.

Instagram

Before you head off on your big trip, you’ll need to decide where you’re going. And while you’ve got all the choice in the world – you know, literally –  sometimes it can help to narrow the scope a little.

As well as an endless source of memes and dog photos, Instagram is a great place to look for travel inspo, and a useful research tool to boot (particularly if you follow our very own Instagram page).

Instagram is a goldmine of "where to go", "what to eat when you get there", and arguably most importantly, "where to be seen when you get there"  – all neatly organised by hashtags and geotags. Search said tags for the places you’re considering, save photos you love to your collection, and stop when you say, “That’s where I need to be.”

If you’re more interested in exploring the road less travelled, Instagram can be just as handy when it comes to figuring out where not to go. You may wish to avoid locations that feature frequently in photos – the more checked-in selfies, the more tourists will be there in real life.

Velocity Frequent Flyer

What would this list be without the Velocity App? Available for free on iOS and Android, the app provides you with a one-stop destination for all your Velocity Frequent Flyer needs. From your current Velocity Points1 and Status Credits balances to a list of your account activity – it’s all right there at your fingertips.

The Velocity app also makes it easy to find the latest bonus offers across categories like online shopping, airline, everyday essentials, holiday & travel and more - and will also serve you up any of your available targeted offers so you can activate them right from the palm of your hand. How’s that for Points earning motivation?

AllTrails

For all lovers of the great outdoors, don't board that flight before downloading this app. AllTrails has a list of tracks for every flavour, hiking, walking, cycling and even dog-friendly, so you can get the most out of your holiday. There is truly no better way to explore a city than getting into nature, with many of its listed trails verified by it's large global community, which means wherever you are, you are bound to find a hike just for you. 

Better yet, the AllTrails app is free! 

City Mapper

Do your eyes glaze over as soon as someone starts talking about subway transfers? You’re not alone. Even the most navigationally astute among us can get turned around in a foreign city – and getting lost in an unfamiliar environment can be an unsettling experience. Citymapper aims to eliminate all that by providing comprehensive directions to help you navigate urban centres.

Just enter the address of your destination, and the app will map the most direct routes via foot, car, bike, and public transport. You’ll be travelling like a local in no time.

Google Translate

Do you find yourself confusing your bonjours with your bonsoirs? Don’t sweat it. Just download Google Translate and fake it ‘til you make it. The free app will instantly translate your every query into more than a hundred different languages.

That means directions, coffee orders, and market-haggling are just a few taps away. You can even download language packs and store them on your phone for data-free translation (extremely handy when you’re on the road). As long as you’ve got your phone close by, you’ll be trading bon mots with the best of them.

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Here's the legal stuff you might want to know

1. To earn and redeem Velocity Points you must be a Velocity member. Velocity membership and Points earn and redemption are subject to the Member Terms and Conditions as amended from time to time.

2. The Points required for a Reward Seat will be based on the total miles for all sectors in a one way journey, except where there is a break in the journey. Where there is a break in the journey, the Points required is calculated on a per sector basis. A break in the journey includes: (a) a stopover, which means: (i) in an Australian domestic itinerary, a break of journey at an intermediate point when onward travel does not take place on the same calendar day; and (ii) for all other itineraries, including those containing a domestic to international connecting flight, when a passenger arrives at an intermediate point and is not scheduled to depart within 24 hours of arrival; (b) a change in class of travel within the journey; (c) a change in operating airline where the airlines are located in different Reward Seat Points tables; or (d) a Virgin Australia long haul international itinerary connects to a Virgin Australia domestic flight. For Reward Seat bookings where a Virgin Australia flight between Australia and Doha connects with a Qatar Airways flight as part of the same booking, this will not be considered as a trip break and the minimum number of Points required to book outlined above will apply.