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OFFER: Hack your way through the airport with a free 12-month subscription to App in the Air

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This article has been sponsored by App in the Air

A number of smartphone apps have sprung up in recent years which promise to make your flying easier.  The clear leader, in terms of customer numbers, is App in the Air which recently celebrated 5.5 million users.

App in the Air is offering all Head for Points readers a special offer to try it out.  Instead of the standard two week free trial, you will receive a Premium Subscription for a full year (usually £27.99) totally free of charge.

App in the Air – currently ‘Editor’s Choice’ in Apple’s App Store – is a travel assistant app for frequent fliers like you, and is fully compatible with Apple Watch.  Its 5.5 million users can consolidate all flight plans, documentation and travel information in one place and benefit from real time status updates when on the go.

App in the Air can also track your loyalty points balances.  Let it know your account details and it will regularly update your balances in most major airline (including British Airways), hotel and car rental programmes.

Over 1,000 airlines globally are supported, along with detailed information on 5,000 airports.

It is very likely that you already have one or more airline apps on your phone already.  However, App in the Air lets you see all of your upcoming flights in one place, irrespective of airline, as well as providing additional airport features which standard airline apps do not offer.

How App in the Air helps you ‘hack the airport’

App in the Air is designed for today’s growing legion of frequent travellers.  It makes it easy to juggle multiple itineraries and reward programmes, with built-in features and a streamlined interface that take the hassle out of flying.

The app covers the three phases of post-booking travel – pre-trip, day of travel and post-trip.  It keeps track of all itineraries (past, present and future); boarding passes; and frequent-flier programmes connected to the user’s email from across all airlines.

Augmented Reality Luggage Measurement
One interesting feature you may be keen to try out is App in the Air’s AR luggage scanning feature.  Scan your bag with your phone and it will tell you if it is compliant.  The app utilises this technology to make sure all personal, cabin and drop-off luggage bags are within airline size requirements. This feature is easy to use with the in-app camera, which can automatically gauge the size and depth of your bag when you move it in 3D space.

Queue Busting
App in the Air users can track real-time updates from crowdsourced information on airport security wait times throughout any airport. You can also track your boarding and landing times, receive real-time updates for delays and wait times for check-in. This provides a handy way of determining how far in advance you need to arrive at the airport.  The app works offline, with gate changes and flight status updates available by SMS which requires no data roaming.

Airport Information
The app shows reviews for each airport and aircraft, some of which will let you know which terminals to avoid, which check-in counters are the quickest, the wifi status (JFK is always spotty) – even where to get the best pre-flight beer or where to charge your phone.

Connect with other frequent flyers
With over 5.5 million users, and 20 million tracked itineraries, App in the Air’s network is brimming with interesting business travellers, often travelling alone and at times looking for conversation or networking opportunities. The app’s ‘Nearby’ feature prompts users with friendly conversation starters (“let’s grab a coffee?”) and allows you to see nearby flyers’ occupations, travel stats, and their position on the app’s top traveller leader board.

If you are an Apple Watch owner, you benefit from additional features – you can track your current flight and see information on current ‘time to gate’ and security wait times.

App in the Air also tracks your flight history for you.  You can import future and historic flights via integration with TripIt and manually add past flights (or email App in the Air your e-ticket and they will do it for you).  You can track the hours and miles you’ve flown and the airports, airlines and aircraft you’ve used.

Awarding it ‘Editor’s Choice’ in the Apple Store, the editors said:

“Streamlined and easy to use, App in the Air is a fantastic tool for managing your airplane travel.  Plug in any number of flights and you can track boarding and landingtimes, along with current waits for check-in, security and customs.  You’ll also find gate information, airport maps, tips from fellow users and other features that’ll help save time and reduce stress.”

App in the Air is available from Apple’s App Store, Google Play and Samsung Galaxy Store.

How do you get your free App in the Air Premium Subscription?

The app usually comes with a two week free trial, after which you must purchase a Premium Subscription to continue using it.  You don’t need to worry about that.

App in the Air has offered Head for Points readers a free yearly Premium Subscription (worth £27.99).  This gets you access to upgraded features including real-time flight status, offline access, family notifications (your partner can be sent a message about your flight delay or arrival time at the same time as you receive one) and automatic check-ins.

To get your free year, you must download the app by clicking this link.  IMPORTANT: You need to reject the free 14 day trial offer and go straight to the Premium option on installation.  This offer will be available to Head for Points readers until 31st January 2020.

Comments (110)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Rich says:

    Unimpressed so far. Tried importing half a dozen trips by forwarding email. Ryanair worked OK. easyJet, Delta, Expedia, Jet2 and Vueling, couldn’t be parsed. OK maybe the last two are a bit unusual, particularly for a US-based developer, but the rest aren’t exactly uncommon.

  • Andrew says:

    Maybe I’m just getting old but I hate the use of the word ‘hack’ in contexts like this. ‘Hack’ suggests getting access to something you’re not supposed to. In what sense is acting like a tape measure and giving you a map of the terminal ‘hacking the airport’?

    • Fenny says:

      Totally agree. Language may be fluid, but “hack” will never mean “handy tip” or anything similar to me.

    • BlueThroughCrimp says:

      Yep. Agreed. Life hacks, when advice is perfectly acceptable.
      Trying to be edgy, but failing.

  • Sussex Bantam says:

    I can’t think of anything worse than some random stranger coming up to me in the lounge because I appeared on their app…

    Just leave me alone !

    • Sundar says:

      Aren’t we all strangers going on a journey together/apart in this world ? 😀
      (And in the Multi-Verse)

    • Rob says:

      You should try being me.

      I was spotted by a reader as I walked out of Harrod’s on Monday, which was impressive – I thought I was anonymous enough outside the surroundings of an airport. Although I was once spotted in a water park in Dubai when only wearing trunks ….

      • Lady London says:

        Speaking of being spotted wearing swimming trunks, or not, reminds me the old joke about 3 blokes lying in the sun getting a tan without wearing any clothes on the banks of the river at Oxford.

        A punt floated by on the river with a large group of people on the river right in front of them. Quickly, 2 of the blokes covered the parts of their body where they would normally be wearring swimming trunks. The 3rd only covered his face.

        The other 2 blokes asked the 3rd one why he covered his face and not the other part of his body, He explained “In Oxford I’m known by my face, not by any other part of my anatomy””

      • Sussex bantam says:

        Price of fame Rob !

      • Secret Squirrel says:

        Budgei Smugglers Rob? 😄

    • Nikita says:

      Hello! By default, Nearby feature (which allows you to connect with fellow travelers) is disabled and you can’t be reached unless you turn it on. Let me know if you have any questions at nkosholkin@appintheair.mobi Nikita

  • Liam says:

    I tried this app a few months ago and never really got on with it. Flighty, on the other hand, I find very useful (and it doesn’t require any kind of connection to your inbox).

    • Nikita says:

      Hi Liam, thank you for your comment. Can you please tell me how Flighty is more useful for you compare with our app? In our app email connection is free (to automatically import your flights and sync data across devices), but fully optional – you can add flights manually or via forward at just@add.flights Feel free to contact me at nkosholkin@appintheair.mobi Nikita

  • Abigail says:

    Sorry why is this poorly made app, with major privacy concerns being featured?

    • Nikita says:

      Hi Abigail, thank you for your comment. Can you please specify why the app is poorly made? Have you faced with any issues? Regarding privacy, we do care about it and you can use the app without any identification at all (add flights manually or forward e-tickets at just@add.flights) In case any questions – let me know at nkosholkin@appintheair.mobi Nikita

  • Ralph says:

    Seemed like a good offer , so downloaded the app following the article, but have already deleted it. The app hoovers up huge amounts of information (or tries to) but really offers very little in return. I cannot see why they ask for or why anyone would give all the access or information they request. When it locates or you insert your flight it doesn’t even have the aircraft type. As it is usually tracking a flight rather than your booking this isn’t really a useful function. This app is quite similar to Flighty which doesn’t ask for all your info but actually offers much more and has helped sort out problems with two aircraft and schedule changes with Aeromexico and BA recently, so I will stick with Flighty. These apps, including TripIt and TripCase etc. generally seem more suited for US travellers anyway; please just bring back MyFlights.

    • Nikita says:

      Hi Ralph, thank you for your comment. You can connect email to automatically import flights from it, hence save your time. It’s fully optional – you can add flights manually or forward e-tickets at just@add.flights On the aircraft type – it depends on the particular flight and how far is this flight (sometimes, aircraft might not be assigned or info available in advance). Can you please tell me in which way Flighty offers much more? And I would appreciate to hear your case with Aeromexico and BA so we can assist in the same cases. Our app works worldwide. You can contact me directly at nkosholkin@appintheair.mobi Nikita

  • lyesbkz says:

    I clicked the link, entered my mobile number, clicked the link in the SMS I received, installed the app (Android) and there’s no mention of the offer. I am offered a two week trial, which I have not accepted per the instructions above, and when I go to Premium I am offered the same trial again.

    • lyesbkz says:

      Never mind, it worked now. I clicked the link in the SMS again after installing the app.

  • Bob says:

    Didn’t work. Waste of time for me. Quick uninstall.

    • Nikita says:

      Hi Bob, the link should work. If you open from the desktop – enter your phone number and receive the link to download the app on your device. Then click on the link and follow the steps to download the app. After you then open the app – promo is activated. You need to skip Trial welcome screen not to be then charged, because it’s a different type of premium activations. In case of any questions – let me know at nkosholkin@appintheair.mobi Nikita

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