On the Road?

According to AAA, 42.2 Million Americans are expected to travel between today and Sunday for the 2010 Thanksgiving holiday. If you’re one of those Americans traveling greater than 50-miles from your home, you’re most likely traveling by plane, train, or car. And if you happen to be a person with a sensory disability, travel can be even more daunting. The frustration of missing a flight because you didn’t hear a gate change would be enough to ruin anyone’s holiday. So with no further ado, here are a few tips and tricks for accessible holiday travel.

1. Stay Organized, Stay Ahead of the Game

Organization can keep the waters calm for a smooth and easy trip, even if some unexpected changes or challenges occur. I’m obsessed with TripIt – it’s a powerful travel-logistics application with a robust mobile platform available for Android, Blackberry, and iPhone.

Benefits: A one-stop-shop for all your travel information (flights, hotels, buses, trains). Once you set up your account, all you have to do is forward your reservations to “plans@tripit.com” and you’re good to go with all electronic tickets available from your mobile applications. (Also available as a mobile web)

Bonus: TripIt has “tools” that plugs into the TripIt core platform – including shuttle information, flight trackers, and taxi reservations. I love being able to reserve the shuttle or taxi from my mobile phone rather than finding a quiet corridor in the airport to place the call.

2. Look, Listen, and Stay Alert for Changes

A big stress factor for me in airports is not picking up the announcements over PA systems, especially with gate changes. Too often have I sat at the wrong gate to soon discover that it was my flight’s final call for boarding at a different gate, which was announced over the PA system!  To avoid near-misses like this one, FlightTrackPro is a good mobile application to have, as it notifies you of gate changes on a continuous basis.

FlightTrackPro: Push Notifications (that means your phone beeps / buzzes with new information) for gate changes, delays to keep you informed at the times when it matters most. (Almost in real-time.) This is an accurate service as it gets information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Airlines. It’s $10 for iPhone, iPad, and Android. Also works with TripIt. The free version of FlightTrackPro does not include push notifications or notifications from FAA.

3. Find the visual notification systems

One thing that I noticed on Amtrak or general commuter trains is that there isn’t a visual notification system to display an upcoming station. The Washington, DC Metro system trains often includes this feature, which is very helpful. I could never figure out why not put it on the trains. It wouldn’t just benefit people who are deaf and hard of hearing, but also others who may be wearing headphones to listen to music, watch movies, etc. Amtrak, how about adding that alongside your super accessible mobile notification system that allows you to track the train’s status and schedule. It’s available for Android, BlackBerry, and iPhone – You can set up your mobile browser to www.amtrak.com and get the information you need. It helps to set up an account for quick access to your data.

4. Put Your Co-Pilot on Alert

If you can’t find the radio station with the traffic news / alerts, or are looking for an alternative to the radio, get one of the passengers in the car to keep an eye out for traffic alerts. Navteq has a free site called “Traffic.com” that can notify you of areas where there are traffic jams by text, e-mail, or a phone call.

See the clear, visual instructions of how to set up alerts here.

While you’re on the road, you can have your passengers check out the mobile version of Traffic.com for real-time information. Clearly, this is for your passengers to be looking at, not you, dear driver!

What has helped you?

Any other tips you’d like to share? We’d love to hear them. And if you’re traveling through Washington, D.C., New Orleans, LA, Austin, TX, Santa Fe, NM, Seattle, WA, or Winston-Salem, NC, check out our videos on Keen Guides and impress your family with your cultural knowledge!

Safe travels for this Thanksgiving Holiday, from all of us at Keen!

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